I love Tillamook cheese! The cheddar is on the hard side and doesn’t seem to absorb smoke well if it is too cold. I have been experimenting with warming the cabinet up to about 75 degrees and letting it heat soak. As I put in the cheese, I shut down the burner and let the cabinet cool at its own rate. It does seem to absorb the smoke better and results in a better flavor. I asked Mrs Smoke if she wanted to test a small slice. Then she wanted a glass of wine. Then the block was gone. I guess that is a positive response.
I have been working on my jerky recipe since I brought the smoker home. I tried a lot of recipes without success and finally at Mrs Smoke’s suggestion, got four little bowls and started mixing. Our little test kitchen resulted in a good tasting marinade, but something was missing. I made a lot of jerky and the guys at the barber shop love it, but I couldn’t quite figure out the missing ingredient. On the last batch, I decided to thin the marinade with a cup of water. Instead, on a whim, I grabbed apple juice. BINGO! Today I made two batches; one with a pork rub, the other with a steak, pepper and coffee rub. I dusted the strips in rub and let sit overnight, then marinated for at least 24 hours. Both had a cracked red pepper blend added. This is my best batch to date. They will rest overnight in a paper bag then get vacuum packed tomorrow. This batch is not going to last long.
