Method and Apparatus for Cold Smoking Meat or Seafood

Abstract

An apparatus is provided for curing and more specifically for cold smoking meat or seafood with a blend of filtered smoke from an organic smoking material such as softwoods such as pine or tropical palms such as coconut wood or such as mixed wood sawdust from a sawmill, that are not traditionally used for smoking seafood or meat due to the harsh flavor imparted by their smoke, and unfiltered smoke from a second organic smoking material such as hardwood smoke, or other pleasant flavor-imparting smoke. The blending of filtered smoke from a first organic smoking material such as coniferous softwood, tropical palm wood or mixed sawdust from a sawmill with unfiltered pleasant flavor-imparting smoke from the second organic smoking material reduces the cost of the smoking and curing process and allows versatility in application in terms of preservative properties and flavor imparted to the cured meat or seafood.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of smoking a meat or seafood product using a blended smoke, the blended smoke comprising a filtered smoke and an unfiltered smoke, the method comprising;
 burning a first organic smoking material to generate a first smoke;   filtering the first smoke to remove flavor from the first smoke to generate a filtered smoke;   burning a second organic smoking material to generate an unfiltered smoke;   blending the filtered smoke and the unfiltered smoke to generate a blended smoke; and   smoking a meat or seafood with the blended smoke.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 smoking a meat or seafood with the blended smoke and with the unfiltered smoke.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the blended smoke comprises a ratio of 1 to 49% v/v unfiltered smoke and 99 to 51% v/v filtered smoke, and preferably a ratio of 10% v/v unfiltered smoke and 90% v/v filtered smoke. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein a ratio of 40% v/v blended smoke to 60% v/v unfiltered smoke is used to smoke the meat or seafood. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the first organic smoking material comprises coniferous softwoods, for example pine, and/or tropical palms for example coconut wood. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the second organic smoking material comprises material that generates a pleasing flavored smoke. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second organic smoking material comprises hickory, cherry, alder, oak, apple or other flavorful smoke from combusted organic material such as sugarcane bagasse, rice hull or coconut husk fiber. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first organic smoking material is combusted at between 500°-700° C. and wherein the second organic smoking material is combusted at between 300°-400° C. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the step of smoking the meat or seafood is carried out substantially at 0° to 4° C. with short periods at higher temperatures of up to 30° C. 
     
     
         25 . A process for producing a cured and smoke flavored meat or fish having a fresh appearance, the cured and smoke flavored meat or fish optionally further curable and cold smokable for producing a meat or fish having a fully cold smoked appearance, wherein the process comprises:
 i) injecting a liquid mixture of salt, sugar and water in any suitable ratio into the fish or meat; and   ii) injecting blended smoke into the fish or meat;   
       wherein steps i) and ii) are prior to any curing and smoking process in a disposable bag. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 25 , wherein the levels of salt and sugar may be adjusted from a slight cure to a full cure and the level of smoke flavor adjusted from very slight to fully smoked flavor.