OT Smokehouse Talk - `Tis The Season

[jmaler]

I fired my smokehouse last night for the first time this year. Started with 30 lbs of snack sticks. Tonight a 20 lb batch of sausage rings will be added. After three or four smokes half the rings will be pulled as fresh smoked sausage. The rest of the rings and the snack sticks will stay for about 3 weeks to dry cure as hard sausage and snacks.

There is another member of this forum who has poster pics of his fig trees with a smokehouse in the background. Wonder if he has it fired up this year and what he is smoking?

Are there any other members out there who is in to smokehouse fun?

[SarinaP]

I don't have one, but I'd love to smoke salmon, whitefish, etc. to make dips. I'd also like to try smoking brisket.

[Blackfoot12]

I don't have smokehouse but I have a Weber Smokey Mountain. Just smoked some bluefish last night. Because of the cold water and the heavy feeding the bluefish are full of fat. They came out delish.

[efletche]

Have a smoker but not a smokehouse. Have recipes for Andouille and Landjeager sausage (to name just a couple). Yep a smokehouse is one of my dream projects. Was thinking of pulling some pork rib slabs out to thaw and smoke. I think you made my mind up for me!!!

[Hershell]

Jerry, this has been on my to do list for a while now. I also want to start making sausage but need some equipment. I have a huge smoker grill but not a smoke house.

[COGardener]

My smoke house is small, 4' square, I need to fire it up. It's jerky time! !!!

[m5allen]

I think Wills has a smokehouse.

I have a smoker, I love me some ribs. Anyone smoking a turkey for Thanksgiving? Turkey is about the only meat I haven't smoked (don't have anything big enough to brine one).

[m5allen]

I don't have smokehouse but I have a Weber Smokey Mountain. Just smoked some bluefish last night. Because of the cold water and the heavy feeding the bluefish are full of fat. They came out delish.

Nice. We catch bluefish every now and then in the winter and I generally don't care to eat them, but I bet they are good smoked. I'll have to remember that. Kind of the same thing with Kingfish around here. My favorite fish for smoking is Amberjack.

[WillsC]

I think Wills has a smokehouse.

I have a smoker, I love me some ribs. Anyone smoking a turkey for Thanksgiving? Turkey is about the only meat I haven't smoked (don't have anything big enough to brine one).

Well not a smoke house.......this was just after I finished it before I cleaned up the bricks. It has a two burner propane burner in the bottom OR you can use wood in the grill beside it to channel the smoke in for cold smoking. The double doors are great as you can add wood chips on top of the propane burner without losing the smoke or the heat from the upper chamber.

[Taverna78]

Cugino,
No sure how I miss tis post! I have recipie for all member that make post on tis post. Even sausage!


Not sure if I tell you tis last I make it. But tis is very very very great smoked rib recipie!! I make tis Sunday coming up!!





http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/g...bs-recipe.html

Get this all-star, easy-to-follow Baby Back Ribs recipe from Guy Fieri


Michael S. Lapiana

[WillsC]

Mike,

I like the magic dust recipe for the rub. I slather in yellow mustard then heavy on the dust. I know the mustard sounds weird but when they are done you can never tell the mustard was ever put on them. I prefer hickory and especially hickory nuts as the smoke but hickory chips are almost as good.

[Taverna78]

Oh yes. I use yellow mustard and no even taste it. That type sugar really crust well and thee entire recipie is outstanding! Now if I can only upgrade to better smoker I will be okay!

I trying a new brine recipie for my turkey Thursday. I wish I can smoke it but smokey too small. It has 5000+ perfect revues ! So must be wonderful !

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/good-eats-roast-turkey-recipe.html

My wife argue me on making more brine for it because we have 25 lb turkey and recipie only call for 14-16 lb bird. Duah! But is okay happy wife.... Happy to tell everyone that she make decision and I follow!! Ahahaha!
Only because we in subject you ever try stuffing Fig with good soft cheese and smoke it? Maybe wrap in hickory bacon??

[m5allen]

Mustard helps form that nice bark. And good thing that recipe has one important part about doing ribs - peeling off the membrane (or silver skin).

[Taverna78]

Oh yes! Otherwise is floss floss floss after!!! And tis rib is no "fall off bone" somewhat it do but the flavor is so great I almost chew the bone too! I wish to have more good recipie from member to try! I think maybe in summer I uograde my smoker and do days of slow cook! When I have chance if anyone interest I will make post how make supersette! Is dried salami Italia. Lovely !

[m5allen]

Here is something I have wondered....if you have a thick fig tree branch or trunk, could you smoke meat with fig tree wood? Most fruiting tree woods are good for smoking...always wondered about fig trees. Now most on this forum would think it is sacrilege to use fig cuttings for anything other than propagation.

[Taverna78]

I will be afraid to use Fig wood because of its defensive sap.. The way is taste fresh I no think it will make pleasant smoke taste... BUT I can be wrong also

[don_sanders]

I've never heard about taste but I've read that burning fig wood smells horrible.

Edit : I may be mistaken as WillsC says it smells mild below.

[efletche]

There was a show called BBQ Pitmaster. They showed pitmasters smoking everything from rabbit to beef, pork, chicken, alligator, ostrich, even turkey legs, and a lot more. Multiple pitmasters with multiple recipes on each episode. I think you would like this show.

[Taverna78]

i will look tis show up! Grazie!

[jmaler]

I'll check it out, too. Thanks

[cis4elk]

I have a Bradley smoker. Each year I normally smoke 25# of Summer Sausage, 25# of a family recipe sausage(I suppose you could call it German Farm Sausage but I call it Smoked Breakfast ), 10# Hotlink, and 2 sides of bacon. This year the smoker is getting a break while I focus on renovation instead.
I prefer apple wood smoke.

[WillsC]

Here is something I have wondered....if you have a thick fig tree branch or trunk, could you smoke meat with fig tree wood? Most fruiting tree woods are good for smoking...always wondered about fig trees. Now most on this forum would think it is sacrilege to use fig cuttings for anything other than propagation.

Mike,

Yep fig wood is ok to use and while you would think the sap would be an issue as the other Mike said it isn't I guess. It is on the list for acceptable smoking wood. I like using blueberry wood also especially on fish. On red meat Hickory for me.

[Taverna78]

Do the actual smoke from fruit tree smell like the fruit ?
I will try post photo of hang home made salami

[Taverna78]

Tis hang for a almost 7 month. There is also homemade prosciutto

Thank you for photo tip WillsC !

[Taverna78]

Ah!

Coppa (salumie)? Gabagool?

[Taverna78]

(Kap-a-koli)?

[Dave]

Mike that is an art to make Prosciutto

[WillsC]

Do the actual smoke from fruit tree smell like the fruit ?
I will try post photo of hang home made salami

Sometimes. I think apple does I think cherry does, fig does not and is very mild.

[Taverna78]

Ohhhhhh...... Lovely!

[Harborseal]

I love to smoke but I use a few smokers. No house. Smoked turkeys are easy to do and they come out great.

[jmaler]

I bbq a 4lb slab of ribs on my Webber gas grill @ 225° for 4 hours. I like the gas grill because the heat can be held constant. After 2 1/2 hours ribs are wrapped in foil. After cooking they are allowed to rest in foil 30 minutes to an hour. I use red oak wood chips in a soda can to produce smoke. The chips are placed over 3 burning briquettes. I find this setup produces just the right amount of smoke flavor to the ribs.

For a rub I use either just salt and pepper or Salt Lick Original Dry Rub. The Salt Lick Rub is produced by a local BBQ joint just down the road from me. I baste once about 15 min into the cook with melted butter.

Here is a photo of the cook.

[jmaler]

My neighbor and I have made jerky and smoked fresh and dry sausage for the past three years in his smoke house. His is an old German recipe of 1 cup of canning salt and 1/3 cup of coarse ground black pepper and cure (saltpeter) to 20 lbs of meat. A light sprinkle of red pepper is applied to taste. This recipe runs a bit salty for me.

About mid season last year my smokehouse was finished. I'll post a couple pictures. The recipe I am using this year is one my dad used. It is 1/2 cup of canning salt, 1/2 cup coarse ground black pepper, 1 tsp garlic granules, sprinkle lightly with red pepper, and add modern cure (tsp per 5 lbs meat) mixed with an oz of water per lb of meat. I like to make fresh smoked sausage, smoked dry sausage and ground snack sticks. I use 50/50 pork/venison or 100% pork Boston Butt Pork Roast.

I season the cubed meat then grind it thru a 3/8 inch die. Then I mix in the cure with the water and grind it through a 1/4 inch die. The ground meat is either run thru a snack stick extruder attached to the grinder just behind the 1/4 inch die or put through a sausage stuffer used to fill hog casings.

For smoke wet red oak wood chips in a 5 inch cast iron skillet is placed on an electric hot plate. This setup is connected to a timer set for 40 minutes and does a good job of filling the smokehouse with plenty of smoke while raising the temp minimally.

For my taste 2 or 3 smokes are enough for fresh smoked sausage before it's pulled. I like 4 or 5 smokes on smoked dry sausage and snack sticks. The drying can take up to 3 weeks depending on the weather and outdoor humidity.

I like the drying temp to be 55° - 60° and the humidity for the first 3 or 4 days to be around 80 - 90 %. Over the next several days the humidity is reduced slowly to 70% and held at 70% for the remainder of the drying process. These are target temp and humidity but I manage to stay fairly close to these numbers.

Some pictures.

[Taverna78]

😛😛😛😛😛 I almost eat my phone!

C U L L I *\#+*!!!!