This is my first attempt at smoking cheddar cheese. In fact, any type of cheese. I learned a lot and will share my experience.

First, pick a cool day or do it very early in the morning. When smoking cheese it’s important that the smoker does not get hotter than 80 or 85 degrees max. If it does, the cheese will begin to melt. I suppose that is why it is called “cold smoking.” I know that now – my cheese melted.

I use a Weber barbecue to smoke. Please refer to my post Smoking Set-Up on the Barbecue.

To keep the temperature low, use only 3 or 4 briquettes. That is all you need to begin. Heat is only needed to make smoke from the wood chips.

I used a thermometer to monitor the temperature. This one begins at 200 degrees. It’s all I had, so I just estimated – pretty useless.

Use a hard cheese. I used a small block of cheddar and placed it on a piece of aluminum foil. Once the briquettes are grayish-white, add some wood chips. I used hickory. Let the smoking begin!

The cheese should be smoked approximately 2 hours. At about 45 minutes into the process my cheese began to melt. The outside temperature was 82 degrees, inside temp was about 85 degrees. Too hot! So, I added some ice cubes on the edge of the foil.

I let the smoking go on for about 15 minutes more and removed the cheese. It now looked a bit like a tiny loaf of orange-colored bread.

I placed the smoked cheese into the refrigerator to chill. Then placed it into a plastic bag. I removed as much air as possible and sealed the bag.

The cheese needs to sit for two weeks to allow the smoke to permeate throughout the entire block.

I’m excited to give it a taste even though it only smoked for an hour. I plan to pair it with an inexpensive Cab wine and some sliced apples. I’ll let you know in two weeks!

I never thought of myself as a smoker – but I suppose that I am. Not in the sense of a manly man that rides up on his horse with a cigarette in his mouth, but a backyard dude with a brew in hand who smokes food on his barbecue. With that said, let’s get smoking!

As with any smoking process, first is the barbecue set up. That is easily done – simply refer to my post Smoking Set-Up On The Barbecue.

When I smoke salmon, I like to make a simple soy sauce and brown sugar glaze. Just mix a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar into a cup of soy sauce. Stir it well and then taste. It should taste a bit sweet, so add more sugar if needed. You can also dice up some fresh ginger and add to the glaze for added flavor.

I usually make the glaze while the wood chips are soaking.

In addition to brushing the glaze on the fish when it’s smoking, I also let it marinate in the glaze (about 30 minutes) prior to putting it on the grill.

Now that the prep work is done and the coals are ready, it’s time to put the salmon on the grill. If the fish has skin, put that side down on the grill. No need to turn the fish over while cooking. Each time you add a coal or wood chips, brush some glaze onto the fish.

I usually use about 10 to 15 coals when smoking salmon, but you will have to experiment a bit to see what works best for you. I smoke the fillet approximately 1.5 to 2.0 hours. When done, it looks like this.

I prefer the salmon to be a bit moist, but if you like it dryer, just keep smoking it.

Smoked salmon is very easy to prepare and can be eaten as is or added to other dishes. It’s wonderful in salads and pasta.

Believe me, there is nothing better than adding smoked salmon to an omelette in the morning. A great way to start your day!