The rosy smoked drumsticks look appetizing even in the photo. They can be easily bought at any hypermarket, but pay attention to the composition. There are a huge number of additives that are undesirable for consumption. From all screens, doctors constantly warn that mass smoking in production uses a lot of salt, which is harmful even for a healthy body. You can forget about all the troubles if you cook smoked chicken drumsticks in your own smokehouse. A fresh product is pleasant to serve. Chicken legs, cooked without smoke and preservatives, are often used to make soups and salads. The recipe will be useful to housewives who have a dacha and live in their own cottage.
Grocery list
Smoked chicken drumstick is prepared according to the recipe so simply that the list of ingredients is attractive and captivating with its simplicity. Required:
- 1-1.5 kg of chicken legs;
- spices available in stock;
- salt.
One of the accessories must definitely be a smokehouse. You can't do without wood chips, firewood or coal.
Smoking chicken drumsticks at home: a step-by-step guide
Initially, it is worth mentioning that chicken drumsticks can be smoked hot or cold.This recipe uses hot smoke smoking. It should not be confused with liquid, because there is no similarity between the two items. In addition, liquid smoke is not a natural product, which is desirable for anyone who monitors the quality of food to know.
The drumstick is soaked in water for 5-10 minutes. You can wash the meat right away if you don’t have time to wait. It is necessary to remove any remaining fluff, feathers, and unnecessary skin from the legs.
The selection of spices partially affects the taste of the finished smoked chicken drumsticks. Although some people believe that the smell of smoke overpowers and partially mutes any seasonings. Favorite spices are collected in a separate bowl. The photo shows that black pepper and curry have been added to the paprika.
The drumstick will release juice when salted, so the product must be rid of excess water. After washing, be sure to dry it a little with napkins or leave it in the air. Then the legs are transferred to a convenient container and covered with spices and salt, as in the photo.
To marinate each piece, you will have to stir the shanks. They will be salted for 5-6 hours. It is convenient to carry out the procedure late in the evening if smoking is planned to begin in the morning.
Excess salt and spices will have to be removed by washing the thoroughly prepared meat. And again you need to dry it before placing it in the smokehouse.
It's time to go out onto the site, install the smokehouse, and fill the box with alder chips. Be sure to place a tray or piece of foil or unnecessary utensils at the bottom to collect fat, otherwise it will burn on the sawdust, emitting an unpleasant odor. Firewood is located below.
The drumsticks prepared for smoking are laid out in random order on the grill. It is important that there is space between them, as in the photo. The smoke from the wood chips will rise upward and envelop the product evenly. The lid closes on top.
The process of hot smoking drumsticks at home lasts about 50-60 minutes. Don't forget to look at the color of the product when you lift the lid. Gradually a pleasant golden color appears. It determines the readiness of smoked meat.
When the chicken legs are smoked, you can open the lid, keep the meat in the smoker for a few minutes to ripen, and then put it on a plate. It is believed that 3-4 hours of exposure is required before use. However, I want to try it right away, and then enjoy the taste of cold smoked drumsticks. Bon appetit.
