NAPOLEON Apollo User manual

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NAPOLEON Apollo User manual | Manualzz

3 in 1 Smoker,

Charcoal Grill and Water Smoker

NAPOLEON APPLIANCE CORP.,

214 BAYVIEW DR.,

BARRIE, ONTARIO, CANADA L4N 4Y8

PHONE: (705)726-4278

FAX: (705)725-2564 [email protected]

www.napoleongrills.com

N415-0212 01/03/11

What’s Inside

Instructions - How to set up and use your water smoker

Hints and tips - How to get the best from your water smoker

Recipes - Step by step guide to great tasting smoked food

Retain this manual for future reference.

21.

Optional Accessories

Marinade Injector

Use this oversize hypodermic-style needle to inject basting mixtures, marinades, melted butter and other liquid flavourings deep into the meat.

Product Code: 55007

Silicone BBQ Tongs

A welcome addition to your grilling accessories.

The silicone tips make lifting and rotating food effortless. Also features a comfortable handle that is extra-long to keep you at a safe distance.

Product Code: 55003

Grid Lifter

No more struggling to lift the grid off a hot grill for refueling or smoking. The sturdy construction lifts heavy, hot grids keeping your hands away from the heat.

Product Code: 62121

Pocket Thermometer

Provides the most accurate way of testing whether or not your food is cooked to perfection.

Product code: 61007

20.

Smoker

Features

Sturdy lid handle

ACCU-PROBE™ temperature gauge

Top air vent

Lid contains a horizontal bar, which is ideal for hanging fish, ribs or sausages

Temperature probe eyelet at each grill level

Each cooking chamber (stacker) contains a 20” cooking grate

Hinged, tight fitting doors, all easy access to the water pan and charcoal basket

Folding handles enable ease of transport and storage

Latches lock each section together

3 air vents in the base are excellent for temperature control

3 sturdy legs

Versatile

1.

Safety Instructions

Please read and follow these instructions before using your smoker, failure to do so may result in serious injury, death or a fire.

This unit is designed for outdoor use only. Do not operate indoors or in an enclosed area

Only use this smoker on a hard, level and non-combustible surface

Do not leave the smoker unattended and keep children and pets away from the unit at all times

Make sure there is at least 10’ clearance between the unit and any combustible materials such as bushes, trees, wooden decks and buildings

Do not attempt to move the hot smoker

Use bbq/oven mitts at all times, as the surfaces will become hot

The use of abrasive cleaners or sharp objects will damage the coatings

Use extreme caution when adding charcoal or wood

Do not use instant lighting charcoal, or flammable liquids. We recommend using a chimney starter with natural charcoal or charcoal briquettes

Extinguish coals and ash after use and before leaving the smoker unattended

Use common sense and caution when using this smoker

To clean the smoker, a mild solution of warm, soapy water is all that is required

Warranty

For one year from date of purchase, Napoleon

®

warrants this charcoal smoker against defects due to bad workmanship or faulty materials to the original purchaser. To obtain repair or replacement under the terms of this warranty, please call Customer

Care at 1-866-820-8686 for complete details. Napoleon’s obligations under this warranty are limited to the following guidelines.

The warranty does not cover smokers that have been altered or damaged due to: normal wear, rust, abuse, improper maintenance, improper use, disassembly of parts and/or attempted repair by anyone other than an authorized employee of

Napoleon

®

.

• This warranty does not cover surface scratches or heat damage to the finish, which is considered normal wear.

• Napoleon

®

may elect to repair or replace damaged units covered by the terms of this warranty.

• The warranty extends to the original purchaser only and is not transferable or assignable to subsequent purchasers.

Except as above stated, Napoleon

®

makes no other express warranty. The implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are limited in duration to one year from the date of purchase.

2.

Mediterranean Chicken

Pesto (You may also use ready-made pesto)

3 cups fresh basil leaves (loosely packed)

3 tbsp. lightly toasted pine nuts

2 cloves roughly chopped garlic

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

½ cup extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper to taste pop all the ingredients into a blender and blend until you have a paste.

Rub (Use Napoleon

®

Chicken & Rib spice if you want to skip this step).

1 tbsp. course sea salt

1½ tbsp. cracked pepper corns

1 tbsp. dried rosemary

1 tbsp. dried oregano

1 tbsp. ground coriander

If you like a bit of a “kick”, add some crushed chili. Mix all the ingredients by hand in a mixing bowl.

Chicken

1 large, preferably free range chicken, refrigerated / if previously frozen, thaw in refrigerator or under cold water.

Preparation - Loosen the skin of the chicken and using a spoon, insert the pesto between the skin and flesh. Once you have a few spoonfuls in place, massage the bird until the pesto is evenly distributed. Take a bit of the left over pesto and rub it all over the outside, then sprinkle on your prepared rub (the pesto will help it to stick).

Place the bird on the cooking grill of your smoker (the smoker has been set up for water smoking and the charcoal has a light grey colour). Close the lid, open the bottom door and throw on some wood for smoke flavour. With the smoker running at between 200°F and 250°F the bird should be done in around 3½ hours.

Remember to use a probe thermometer to check if it’s done.

Tip – Let the chicken “rest” for at least 10 minutes before carving.

19.

Cold Smoked Fish

Basic brine for fish…

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup kosher or coarse sea salt

1 cup soy sauce

6 cups water

1 cup dry white wine

1 tsp. coarse ground pepper

1 finely chopped sprig of rosemary

You may need to increase the quantities proportionately dependent on how much you need to cover your fish.

Method…

1. Mix all the ingredients and stir thoroughly until the salt and sugar has dissolved. Place the fish into a non-reactive container and pour the brine mixture over, making sure that the fish is totally covered by the brine.

2. Refrigerate overnight.

3. Remove the fish from the brine (the brine has done its work, so should now be disposed of), pat the fish dry and place back into the fridge for 2 hours.

4. Set up your unit for cold smoking, as described previously, place the fish on the cooking grills or you may want to use the fish hanger located in the lid, pop the lid on and smoke.

Times will vary greatly depending on the size and weight of the fish. Mild woods such as Alder, Apple, Beech or Maple are recommended for smoking fish.

18.

Thank you for purchasing the Apollo

®

3 in 1 Smoker. We want you to be able to use your new unit safely and effectively, while at the same time, producing great tasting food for your family and friends to enjoy.

Tools required for assembly:

Phillips/Star Screwdriver

8mm - 5/16 Spanner/wrench

Remove all the components from the box, and lay them out on a smooth flat surface.

1. Locate the base unit (dome shaped with

3 vents)

2. Lay the base unit open side down and attach the 3 legs, using the six M5 x 10mm nuts and bolts.

* NB – Please see inset diagram for correct positioning of bolts, washers and nuts. Avoid over tightening the bolts, as this can cause damage to the finish.

3. Now turn the base unit over, so that it stands on its legs and as assemble the rest of the parts, in the order they appear on the main diagram.

Your Apollo® 3 in 1 BBQ Smoker is now ready to use.”

Base

Unit showing leg attachment

3.

Food smoking is easy!

When smoking food, you want to slow down the cooking process, avoiding the temptation to “fiddle” with your food when smoking often results in better tasting food. You will want to cook food at temperatures of between 200°F - 250°F (Hot

Smoking). You can smoke any type of food…..from vegetables to large cuts of meat, even whole turkeys, and on a relatively small unit you can cook a load of food. The

Apollo

®

smoker incorporates many innovative features making them easy for you to use. Some of the features and other food smoking terms:

Water Pan - A water pan positioned between the food & fire which acts as a buffer, making it almost impossible to burn food. It also serves to stabilise the cooking temperature and provides a moist cooking environment. Tip – Add beer, wine and/ or herbs to your water pan for extra flavour.

Rub – Dry or wet, a mixture of spices and herbs that is applied (rubbed) to the outside of the food.

Wood – Wood for smoking comes in various forms, chunks, chips, dust and pellets, it also comes in many varieties (flavours) from apple to walnut, each imparting a different taste. Tip – Use only wood that you know has not been treated, or better still buy from an outlet that can advise you correctly…. see your authorized

Napoleon

®

dealer.

Cooking Grill/ Rack – This is where you place the food on the cooker/smoker.

Charcoal – Like wood, it comes in an array of shapes and styles, lump or briquettes.

Charcoal provides the heat source and if used correctly should not impart any flavour to your food… let it burn until the surface is covered with a layer of grey ash

(once you’ve become a seasoned BBQ’er, you can worry about using techniques like the “minion” method to get longer burn times). Tip – Always use high quality charcoal, remember some contain binders that may not be good for you.

Charcoal Chimney Starter – This is an excellent invention, it allows you to light charcoal without the need for liquid starter, all it requires to get your charcoal going quickly, safely and cleanly is some rolled up newspaper. It also allows you to top up your charcoal basket easily. Tip – Wear closed shoes when handling hot charcoal.

Good quality BBQ mitts are also essential.

Probe Thermometer – An essential tool for determining when the food is cooked.

Insert a probe into the thickest part of the food (be sure to avoid hitting a bone as this will give a false reading) you can then use the reading to see whether the food has reached the desired temperature, a chart can be found further on in this manual. Tip – The smoking process makes some meats turn pink, so don’t mistake this for being raw.

4.

Roxy’s Spicy Apple BBQ Sauce

3 baking apples, peeled, cored and diced

2 cloves garlic puree

1 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup molasses

1/2 cup turbinado sugar or brown sugar

1/2 cup cane syrup

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon, ground

1 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. allspice

1/2 tsp. black pepper, fresh ground

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp. clove, ground

1/4 cup cider vinegar, reserved

1 onion

In a sauce pan over medium heat, sauté apples, onions and garlic in olive oil for

5 minutes till onions become translucent. Add the water and reduce heat to low and simmer till the apples have dissolved, 20 minutes or so. Add the remainder of ingredients and simmer on low heat for 45 minutes until sauce is thickened.

Add remaining vinegar and incorporate. Place sauce in a blender and process till smooth. Cool sauce and refrigerate up to 2 weeks.

Mack’s All purpose BBQ Rub

Use teaspoons, cups or whatever to measure out the ingredients (just make sure you use the same size of container for all) depending on what quantity you require. This rub works on ribs, steak or poultry.

1 measure ground fenugreek

3 measures coarse sea salt

4 measures demerara sugar

1 measure garlic powder

6 measures ground paprika

1 measure coarsely ground black pepper

3 measures ground coriander

1 measure yellow mustard powder

2 measures ground pimento

2 measures dried mixed herbs

Mix all the ingredients together and don’t worry if you have left over, as it’ll last a couple of months.

17.

Stuffed and Rolled Brisket

All you require for this dish is a few ingredients, coarsely chopped garlic, salt, pepper, coarse grain mustard, some natural string and plenty of time. Once you get the brisket home, the first thing you need to do is cut the string and unroll the brisket, if its already rolled, paying attention to how it all fits together, as you will need to roll it up again. With the brisket laid out flat (fat side down) slather it with mustard, put the chopped garlic on and season liberally with the salt and pepper. At this point, you can slice some cheese on to it (optional) before rolling it up again. Use a natural cotton string to tie it all together again. Slather the outside with mustard and season with salt and pepper (herbs of your choice can be sprinkled on too). Wrap the brisket in cling film and leave it in the fridge overnight. Early the next morning (it will take 8 – 12 hours to cook, depending on the size of the cut), set the unit up for water smoking and place the brisket on the cooking grill and close the lid. Pop some wood on through the bottom door for smoke flavour. This is where the time ingredient comes in, find something to occupy your time as you wait for the low heat (200°F - 250°F) and smoke to work its magic.

Brisket takes time and practice, if you are monitoring the internal temperature of the meat, you will probably notice that after about 5 hours the temperature will sit at around 160°F for a while, don’t panic, as it will start to rise again. When it has reaches 190°F, your brisket is cooked, but you will need to let the meat rest for at least half an hour, before carving and serving.

16.

Wood Types

Wood Type Characteristics

ALDER Very delicate with a hint of sweetness. Good with fish, pork, poultry, and light-meat game birds.

ALMOND

APPLE

ASH

BIRCH

A sweet smoke flavour, light ash. Good with all meats.

Very mild with a subtle fruity flavour, slightly sweet. Good with poultry

(turns skin dark brown) and pork.

Fast burner, light but distinctive flavour. Good with fish and red meats.

Medium hardwood with a flavour similar to maple. Good with pork and poultry.

CHERRY Good with poultry, pork and beef. Some say that cherry wood is the best wood for smoking.

GRAPEVINES Tart. Provides a lot of smoke, rich and fruity. Good with poultry, red meats, game and lamb.

HICKORY The King of smoking woods. Sweet to strong, heavy bacon flavour.

Good with pork, ham and beef.

LILAC

MAPLE

Very light, subtle with a hint of floral. Good with seafood and lamb.

Smoky, mellow and slightly sweet. Good with pork, poultry, cheese, and small game birds.

MESQUITE Strong earthy flavour. Good with beef, fish, chicken, and game. One of the hottest burning woods.

MULBERRY The smell is sweet and reminds one of apple.

OAK The Queen of smoking wood. RED OAK is good on ribs. Good with red meat, pork, fish and heavy game.

ORANGE

PEAR

PECAN

PLUM

WALNUT

Produces a nice mild smoky flavour. Excellent with beef, pork, fish and poultry.

A nice subtle smoke flavour. Much like apple. Excellent with chicken and pork.

Sweet and mild with a flavour similar to hickory. Tasty with a subtle character. Good with poultry, beef, pork and cheese

Great on most white or pink meats, including chicken, turkey, pork and fish.

Very heavy smoke, usually mixed with lighter woods like almond, pear or apple. Can be bitter if used alone. Good with red meats and game.

5.

Poultry

Chicken

Chicken

Chicken

Turkey

Fish

Salmon

Salmon

Prawns

Pork

Shoulder

Loin

Ribs

Quick Reference Cooking Chart

The chart below shows estimated cooking times, based on the smoker running at

230°F. Outside factors such as wind and ambient temperature will have an effect on the actual time it takes to cook food. Internal temps are taken at the thickest part of the meat, using a good quality probe thermometer. We strongly recommend the use of a probe thermometer to check for doneness.

Food

Beef

Sirloin

Brisket

Ribeye

Cut

Roast

Roast

Steak

Time Internal Temp

3 -4 Hrs

6+ Hrs

5 – 15 Minutes

Rare 50°C (125°F )

Med 60°C (145°F)

Well 70°C (160°F)

85°C (190°F)

Rare 50°C (125°F )

Med 60°C (145°F)

Well 70°C (160°F)

Whole

Breast

Thigh

Whole

Whole

Fillet

Whole

Whole

Roast

Rack

3½ - 4 Hrs

25-35 Mins

25-35 Mins

6 – 8 Hrs

2 – 3 Hrs

30 – 40 Mins

10 – 15 Mins

12+ Hrs

4 – 5 Hrs

5 – 6 Hrs

75°C (165°F)

75°C (165°F)

75°C (165°F)

75°C (165°F)

60°C (140°F)

60°C (140°F)

Cook until pink

85°C (190°F)

65°C (150°F)

65°C (150°F)

6.

Delicious Duck

1 duck (fresh not frozen)

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup dry sherry

2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

1 tsp mustard powder

4 thin slices of orange salt and pepper to taste

Combine the orange juice, soy sauce, sherry, garlic and mustard powder in a glass bowl and mix thoroughly.

Place the duck in the bowl and gently massage the mixture onto the bird. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least a few hours. Remove the duck from the mixture and pierce the skin in several places (this will allow the fat to drain off while cooking). Lift the skin carefully and place the orange slices underneath on the breast (2 on each side). Allow the duck to come up to room temperature.

Once the smoker is ready, water pan in and filled about ¾ of the way, place the duck on the cooking grill. Put the lid on (remember to open the lid vent fully) and add the wood of your choice to the charcoal, using the bottom access door. Cook for about 4 hours at 220°F, or until the internal temperature of the meat reaches

75°C (165°F).

15.

Pulled Pork

1 2½ - 4 kg pork shoulder roast, bone-in (aka pork or Boston butt).

Napoleon’s bbq sauce

1 jar english mustard.

Mack’s All Purpose Bbq Rub

1 tbsp. chili powder

2 tbsp. paprika

1 tbsp. cayenne pepper

1 tbsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. onion powder

2 tbsp. sea salt

1 tbsp. dried rubbed oregano

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander seeds, crushed

1 tbsp. mustard seeds, crushed

1. Score the skin and apply the mustard, ensuring that the roast is completely covered (the mustard flavour will not be prevalent at the end of the cooking process). Generously apply the rub, again making sure to cover the roast completely. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate overnight.

2. Remove the roast from the fridge about half an hour before you want to cook, this will ensure that it is at room temperature. Get the charcoal going and place the water pan in position. Place the roast on the cooking grill.

The cook should take about 9 hours, so make sure you are using a full load of good quality charcoal and keep the smoker temperature between 200-

250°F.

3. Add wood chips or chunks through the bottom door on to the fire to create smoke, Hickory or Mesquite wood work well with pork. You will need to monitor the internal temperature of the meat, you will probably notice that after a while, the temperature will sit at around 160°F for a while, don’t panic, as it will start to rise again.

4. When it has reached 195°F – 200°F, your butt is cooked, but you will need to let the meat rest for at least half an hour, before “pulling” (shredding/ breaking apart).

5. Serve on fluffy white bread rolls with Coleslaw and let your guests pour on as much sauce as they like.

14.

Whole Chicken

What you will need: Charcoal, BBQ/ oven mitts, newspaper, charcoal chimney starter, lighter/ matches, clean water, herbs, spices, food.

The Fire – Fill your charcoal starter with a good quality charcoal, place a sheet of rolled up newspaper into the cavity at the bottom, make sure the starter is standing on a non-combustible surface (you can stand it in the charcoal basket of your smoker), light the newspaper.

The charcoal should be ready to use in about 20 minutes.

Pour the charcoal into the charcoal basket.

Water Pan – Fill the water pan about ¾ with hot water

(by using hot water your smoker will get up to the correct cooking temperature quicker) and place it in the bottom stacker. Put the stacker on to the base unit.

The Food – Once you have prepared the food and taken it out of the fridge, you can now place it on the cooking grill just above the water pan. If you are cooking more using another stacker (or two) you can now prepare these and put them onto the bottom stacker. We advise you not to use more than 3 stackers at a time, as the higher you go, the unit becomes unstable. Tip – As the food is the most important ingredient, make sure you buy the best quality.

The Smoke – Put the lid on to the top stacker, open the bottom access door and place the wood chips or chunks directly on to the charcoal, be careful… it’s HOT! Close the door. MAKE SURE THAT THE VENT ON THE LID IS

OPEN if you close this vent it will shut down the fire. If you need to adjust the temperature use the vents on the base unit. Open it to get more heat, close it to bring the temperature down. Wood can be added for more smoke during the cook, but if it’s your first time, just add a handful of chips at the beginning…. If you find the food’s not smoky enough, add more on your next cook.

The Best Bit – After approximately 3.5 hours (cooking temperature of 200°F -250°F) the chickens should be done. Check using a probe thermometer… the internal temperature of the meat should be at least 165°F.

7.

Quick Tips

Use hot water in the water pan at the start, this will allow the unit to come up to the desired temperature a lot quicker.

Make sure that the air vent in the lid is kept fully open during use, failure to do so will disrupt the airflow and may result in the fire going out.

If you’re looking, the food’s not cooking. Every time the lid is lifted to inspect the food, it will take up to 30 minutes for the smoker to come back up to the required temperature. Familiarity and the use of probe thermometers will reduce the need to inspect the food visually.

Start with a small amount of wood to create smoke on your first few attempts, as it is very easy to “over smoke” food and remember, to get a smoke flavour all that is required is a wisp of smoke, smoke billowing out of the unit is not desired and will often leave a sooty deposit on the food which doesn’t taste good.

Use a good quality lumpwood charcoal or charcoal briquettes. Some brands of fuel have unsavory fillers and may impart an unpleasant flavour to the food.

Buy good quality ingredients, as this makes all the difference.

Allow the food to come up to room temperature by taking it out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before you intend to cook it. Meat at room temperature allows smoke to penetrate more.

Use only tried and tested non-resinous woods, see chart in manual.

Try to source wood that has no bark on it, as the bark can contain bugs and other nasties that may be poisonous.

Most importantly... experiment! Try different woods, rubs and sauces until you come up with the combination that suits your taste buds. We’ve included a few recipes in this booklet, but feel free to add your own twist to them.

Low and Slow Spare Ribs

The important thing to remember when buying ribs (or any meat) is to ensure you get the best quality available..... You're going to spend about 5 hours cooking them, so you don't want to start off with meat that will not turn out right, no matter how you prepare and cook it.

1. Prepare ribs by removing the membrane from the underside of the ribs.

Trim off any loose fat or meat.

2. Pat the ribs dry using a paper towel, apply a rub, making sure to cover the ribs completely. You can use an “off the shelf” rub or make your own, just blend a few dried spices and herbs together. Wrap the ribs in Clingfilm or use a "foodsaver" bag (one that seals) to place the ribs in, and refrigerate overnight.

3. Remove the ribs from the fridge about half an hour before you want to cook them, this will ensure that they are at room temperature. Baste the ribs with Napoleon’s bbq sauce or make your own by using cola, tomato sauce/ ketchup, honey and whatever herbs and spices you like.

4. Get the charcoal going and place the water pan in position and place the ribs on the cooking grill/rib rack. The cooking time should take 5 – 6 hours, so make sure you are using a full load of good quality charcoal and keep the smoker temperature between 200-250°F.

5. Add wood chips or chunks through the bottom door on to the fire to create smoke, this should be done for the first 3 hours. You will need to baste the ribs every hour during this period.

6. After 3 hours, remove the ribs from the smoker and place them on some heavy duty tin foil, baste heavily with the sauce, wrap the tinfoil around them, making sure there are no holes in the foil. Put the parcel back on the smoker for another 2 hours, keeping the temperature at between

200-250°F (there’s no point putting any wood for smoke on the fire at this stage).

7. Remove the foil from the ribs and place them back in the BBQ.

8. After 6 hours total cooking time, baste for a final time, drop one of the grills onto the fire bowl brackets and quickly sear the ribs on either side for

30 seconds, caramelising the sauce.

8.

13.

Salmon Steaks

6 salmon steaks (1- 1.5 inches thick)

2 cups cold water

2 tbsp. sea salt

1-1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar

1 tsp. dried mixed herbs

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine the water, salt, vinegar and mixed herbs. Stir until salt dissolves.

Place the fish steaks into a non-reactive dish (glass) and pour the mixture over.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, use this time to set up your smoker.

Once the smoker is ready, water pan in and filled about 1/2 way, place the steaks on the cooking grill. Put the lid on (remember to open the lid vent fully) and add the wood of your choice to the charcoal, using the bottom access door.

We recommend a mild wood such as Alder for fish. Cook for about 2 hours at

220ºF, or until the fish flakes easily.

Cold Smoking

Cold smoking is used to cure, rather than, cook the food. Foods that are usually prepared in this method include fish, ham, bacon and cheese. It must be said, that “cold” smoking is a little harder to master than “hot” smoking, and we would suggest buying a book that deals specifically with the methods used. Home

Smoking and Curing by Keith Erlandson is a good place to start. Cold smoking is done, as the name suggests, at low temperatures, below 30 °C (85 °F). For this reason, not all days are ideal for cold smoking, so colder periods of the year are best. For some meats, such as fish or seafood, a brine is used before the food is smoked. A brine is usually a water, salt and sugar solution.

Cold smoking on your Apollo

®

Smoker

1. Get 4 or 5 charcoal briquettes going in a chimney starter, once they have a grey appearance, place them in the fire bowl (you won’t need the charcoal basket for this type of smoking).

2. Cover the briquettes with wood dust (a cupful should do it), this will allow the wood to smolder, plus reduce the heat given off by the briquettes. Like this, it should produce smoke for about 1 hour.

3. Place the water pan in its usual position, just above the fire and either fill with water or leave dry, this will depend on the ambient temperature, as you may need cold water to help keep the temperature inside the unit down below 30 °C (85 °F).

4. Place the food on the cooking racks and put the lid on (do not close the lid vent, it must remain fully open).

With cold smoking, it is important to monitor the temperature inside the unit at all times, we suggest using a digital thermometer for this.

Cooking times will vary greatly depending on what food you are cold smoking, for instance, cheese will only take an hour or 2, whereas a side of salmon may take 10 – 12 hours. Meat such as ham will take several days.

12.

9.

Brines

Brines are generally used on white meats such as fish or poultry and are used to produce a juicier and more flavourful end product. The brining process will enhance food that is to be either “Hot” or “Cold” smoked. Before you start brining, there are a couple of basic rules to follow.

1. Containers - as a brine is basically a salt solution, the containers need to be clean and made from a non reactive material. Plastic tubs or stainless steel or glass containers are fine.

2. Before putting your meat into the brine, the temperature of the brine must be about 3-4ºC (38-40ºF) this temperature needs to be maintained throughout the process. The best way to achieve these temperatures is to either refrigerate, or by adding ice cubes to the brine mixture. A good quality digital thermometer will help with monitoring this.

3. Make sure the meat is fully covered by the brine.

4. Brines can NOT be reused.

Basic Brine Recipe

1/4 Cup of Kosher salt

1/4 Cup of brown sugar

4 Cups of water

In a medium bowl, combine the salt, sugar and water. Stir vigorously until all the salt and sugar has dissolved. Then pour this mixture over the meat, poultry, or fish that you are preparing. Soak for several hours, or overnight. You may need to increase the quantities in order to ensure that the meat is fully submerged.

* You may wish to add some herbs or spices to the basic recipe.

Smoked Cheese

Smoked cheese is easy to do on you Apollo

®

Smoker and the end result is far superior to the smoked cheese you buy from your supermarket.

Set up your smoker for cold smoking, as described on previous pages, put the cheese on the cooking grills, pop the lid on and away you go.. simple.

Cheese absorbs smoke quickly and is generally smoked for between 1 and 2 hours. Start at the lower end of the time scale for your first attempt. The cheese won’t change colour much, this is a good thing, store bought cheeses are usually darker, due to not being naturally smoked, but rather having had some “liquid smoke” sprayed on. Mild woods are good for cheese, use apple, maple or alder.

10.

11.

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