How to Cold-Smoke Mozzarella Cheese
Making smoked cheese is incredibly easy, and you don’t need a lot of expensive equipment (particularly if you already own a grill or smoker of any sort). Cold-smoking involves introducing a lot of smoke to your food, but with minimal heat. The simplest way to achieve this is with a basic smoker pellet tube.
Stuff You Need
First, you’ll need a smoker pellet tube. A basic smoker tube like this costs about $10.
This is the exact one I use
Next, you’ll need some smoker pellets. Basically, the same type of hardwood pellets you’d use with a pellet smoker. But for this, you don’t need a lot – so you can buy a pretty small bag. There are many different types of hardwoood, though mild fruitwood tend to be ideal for cheeses.
I use applewood for my smoked mozzarella
This one’s a no-brainer. You’ll need a long BBQ lighter or torch of some kind, in order to light the pellets.
Lastly, you will need a grill or smoker of any kind. Basically an enclosed metal space in which you can put your food and the smoker pellet tube. Really any sort of grill or BBQ will work, as long as it has a lid that can be closed to keep the smoke inside. I use an offset smoker, so I just put the smoker tube into the fire chamber. But it can easily be set right on (or under) the grill grates of any BBQ.
The Steps to Smoke Mozzarella Cheese
- Using a ball or log of fresh mozzarella cheese, unwrap the cheese from its original packaging and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the cheese on a plate, and leave it in the refrigerator – uncovered – for 8-12 hours. This will help dry out the surface a bit, and ensure that the cheese isn’t wet or slimy.
- When ready to smoke, fill the smoker tube up with pellets. Light some of the pellets near the open end of the tube, and allow a flame to burn for 10 minutes. Then blow out the open flame, and the pellets will continue to smolder for several hours. Place the smoldering/smoking tube in your smoker or grill. It’s best to put the tube as far away from where the cheese will be (the opposite side of the grill, the fire box in an offset, etc).
- Set the cheese on a wire rack, and place into the grill/smoker. Close the lid. Let it smoke for 2 hours, turning/flipping the cheese halfway through.
- Once the smoking is finished, tightly wrap the cheese in plastic wrap and refrigerate for between 5 days and 2 weeks. Letting it sit before eating allows the smoke flavor to mellow and develop. Some people go even longer – up to 4 weeks – but that is much longer than I’ve ever waited. I usually wait about 5 days, and the cheese is very good after that time.
