Smoked Manchego with Olive Wood
Spanish Manchego cheese is traditionally refined with olive wood smoke, developing an intensely nutty and smoky flavor.
Ingredients(for 0.5 kg)
Instructions
Preparation
120 Min.Remove Manchego from packaging, wipe the surface with a slightly damp cloth and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours. Then rub thinly with olive oil and dust with Pimentón de la Vera.
Smoker Preparation
20 Min.Temper the smoker to 18-22°C. Place olive wood chips in the smoking tray and lay rosemary sprigs on top. Add cooling packs or ice cubes to the smoking chamber to keep the temperature stable.
Smoking – First Phase
3 Std.Place Manchego in the smoker and cold-smoke for 3 hours. Check the temperature every 30 minutes and add ice cubes as needed. Renew wood chips after 90 minutes.
Smoking – Second Phase and Resting
2-3 Std. + 24 Std. RuhezeitTurn the cheese and smoke for another 2-3 hours until the surface takes on a deep amber color. Then wrap in cheese paper and let rest in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours so the smoke flavors distribute evenly.
Pro Tip
Olive wood burns very hot – therefore only use chips or small pieces and always keep the temperature below 25°C with ice cubes or a cooling plate. A 6-month aged Manchego is best suited for smoking.
Save this recipe to your smoking journal?
With Curination you can scale recipes, track projects, document by voice and browse over 1,269 recipes.