What We’re Smoking (or Grilling, or Curing)!

[CardsFan]

Update.

Corned beef was great. Will definitely do it again.

Pastrami will be next.

Gotta buy another brisket.

Oh. And some whole short ribs.

OK. The brisket is in the brine, and I smoked the point 2 days ago (sorry, no pics. I took a couple but am too lazy to upload right now).

The point was small, and cooked in less than 7 hours (Texas crutch for the last 2). Used the Amazing Ribs recipe for burnt ends with some of it (fried in fat from the brisket). Absolutely "Amazing". The rest is in the freezer for a later day.

Corned beef will be ready mid week. DS and DDIL are coming in town for the weekend, so may keep it until then.

 

[Surewhitey]

Just prep'd this baby for tomorrow. 14 hrs @ 225 starting at 4am...16 lbs of man-meat.

 

[OldShooter]

I was thinking about doing Canadian bacon which uses the pork loin. Then I discovered that my homemade bacon pretty much had that flavor - I think because it’s hot smoked.

I still might try it. If I do, I’ll try to find a heritage pork loin.

It's basically the same meat as belly bacon but with much less fat. Sort of like a small ham. That is good or bad depending on how you'll use it. Bacon at our house is mostly an ingredient in other dishes. Sometimes DW uses regular bacon in a stir fry type dish. The Canadian bacon gets used especially in soups.

Buckboard bacon, made from a shoulder aka butt is intermediate in fat.

I cold smoke all of it, lately for 24 hours. So it gets cooked before becoming an ingredient. I think 24 hours would be too long for our taste if we were eating the bacon by itself.

 

[braumeister]

Smoked a pork butt today and had a very pleasant surprise. For the first time, I recently bought one from a "heritage breed" in the spirit of Blow That Dough, since there was a sale on at D'Artagnan. Never did that before because I always thought it wouldn't be worth the extra money. Boy, was I wrong! Absolutely the best I've ever had, so I'll be doing that a lot from now on. Who knew?

 

[CardsFan]

Curious.

What is the price premium for a heritage breed?

Around here, a bone-in porkbutt is normally less than $2 per pound.

Smoked a pork butt today and had a very pleasant surprise. For the first time, I recently bought one from a "heritage breed" in the spirit of Blow That Dough, since there was a sale on at D'Artagnan. Never did that before because I always thought it wouldn't be worth the extra money. Boy, was I wrong! Absolutely the best I've ever had, so I'll be doing that a lot from now on. Who knew?

 

[braumeister]

Curious.

What is the price premium for a heritage breed?

Around here, a bone-in porkbutt is normally less than $2 per pound.

Yeah, that's why I'd never done it before. Including the shipping cost, it was a little over $7 a pound. But I think it was worth it, at least now and then.

 

[jcfradio]

I was thinking about doing Canadian bacon which uses the pork loin. Then I discovered that my homemade bacon pretty much had that flavor - I think because it’s hot smoked.

I still might try it. If I do, I’ll try to find a heritage pork loin.

What I find works best is to get the pre-cured pork loins (called Canadian peameal bacon up here). I wash off the peameal, rub with a sugar maple rub that I have and then smoke it at 225 F with maple or hickory for about 1 1/2 hours until it reaches 135 F internal temperature. Too much longer makes it too smoky for our taste. Using the pre-cured loins, keeps them pink and moist. I will often do 3 or 4 at a time when I cooking ribs or pork shoulder.

 

[OldShooter]

What I find works best is to get the pre-cured pork loins (called Canadian peameal bacon up here). I wash off the peameal, rub with a sugar maple rub that I have and then smoke it at 225 F with maple or hickory for about 1 1/2 hours until it reaches 135 F internal temperature. Too much longer makes it too smoky for our taste. Using the pre-cured loins, keeps them pink and moist. I will often do 3 or 4 at a time when I cooking ribs or pork shoulder.

The majority of the loins we get in the US have been jazzed up 20% with a water & salt solution, which is argued to improve juiciness. It does, but more importantly it allows the seller to charge for the weight of the water. I wonder if maybe your pre-cured loins are also jazzed. If you cure your own and are able to get unjazzed loins, then you can inject with whatever flavor, seasoning, and salt pleases you.

 

[Gumby]

What I find works best is to get the pre-cured pork loins (called Canadian peameal bacon up here). I wash off the peameal, rub with a sugar maple rub that I have and then smoke it at 225 F with maple or hickory for about 1 1/2 hours until it reaches 135 F internal temperature. Too much longer makes it too smoky for our taste. Using the pre-cured loins, keeps them pink and moist. I will often do 3 or 4 at a time when I cooking ribs or pork shoulder.

If you are concerned about too much smoke taste, you can just stop putting wood chips in the burner tray or take them out. I usually smoke most things for about the first 1-2 hours. From then on in, I don't add more wood chips and it's just slow cooking until the meat is done, which for certain cuts like briskets could be many more hours.

 

[jcfradio]

The majority of the loins we get in the US have been jazzed up 20% with a water & salt solution, which is argued to improve juiciness. It does, but more importantly it allows the seller to charge for the weight of the water. I wonder if maybe your pre-cured loins are also jazzed. If you cure your own and are able to get unjazzed loins, then you can inject with whatever flavor, seasoning, and salt pleases you.

Old Shooter. I agree that the precured loins are injected as are most meats that you find in sealed cryovac packaging, including pre-packed pork loins. The key word to look for on the packages here is "seasoned" which means that you get to pay for the added water. The one way to get un-seasoned meats is to go a butcher. I do cure my own pork bellies for bacon, but using he pre-cured loins for smoked back bacon, saves me the extra step, space and time of curing the loins. Plus when I buy the cured loins on sale, it is cheaper than buying a loin and curing it myself.

 

[jcfradio]

If you are concerned about too much smoke taste, you can just stop putting wood chips in the burner tray or take them out. I usually smoke most things for about the first 1-2 hours. From then on in, I don't add more wood chips and it's just slow cooking until the meat is done, which for certain cuts like briskets could be many more hours.

I could, but I use whole logs in my cooker. It is a big beast

 

[OldShooter]

... The key word to look for on the packages here is "seasoned" which means that you get to pay for the added water. ...

Interesting. In the US our Weights & Measures folks are tougher -- much less subtle. The seller has to specifically list the amount of water ("flavor enhancement solution") that is added. IIRC if the seller jazzes a ham over 25% they have to call it "artificial ham."

I used to be involved in that world and remember a conference where the Michigan W&M folks showed a video where they were examining "wet tare." This is the weight of the liquid you have paid for but which goes down the drain when the sealed bag is opened. Quite eye-opening, actually. The vendors are always trying to game the W&M regulations.

 

[RobbieB]

Surf & Turf;

Snake River Farms cap of ribeye, cold water lobster tails and shroom skewers -

 

[OldShooter]

... Snake River Farms cap of ribeye ...

Whew. Blow that dough! Beautiful steak, though.

 

[fvfire]

^Damn that looks good. Waiting for someone post about Kobe lobster.

 

[Tailgate]

Here’s what we’re smoking but I haven’t tried any grilled yet!

 

[Dtail]

Surf & Turf;

Snake River Farms cap of ribeye, cold water lobster tails and shroom skewers -

We all go to Robbie's house for dinner.

 

[RobbieB]

Gonna be a couple of swordfish steaks tonight. Pics later -

 

[Trooper]

You da man, RobbieB!

 

[audreyh1]

Costco had Beef Baby Back Ribs today. I had never seen them before. I picked up a meaty one!

 

[pacergal]

Smoked honey ginger salmon tonight! New recipe, hope it tastes as good as it sounds.

 

[audreyh1]

Smoked chicken wings today!

I brine them for 2-4 hours before smoking.

 

[audreyh1]

Smoked a pork butt today and had a very pleasant surprise. For the first time, I recently bought one from a "heritage breed" in the spirit of Blow That Dough, since there was a sale on at D'Artagnan. Never did that before because I always thought it wouldn't be worth the extra money. Boy, was I wrong! Absolutely the best I've ever had, so I'll be doing that a lot from now on. Who knew?

That’s great!

A meat market near DF’s farm sells heritage pork raised by area farmers, Berkshire, and it is terrific.

I’ve been very happy with the HEB “natural pork” so I hadn’t tried to order heritage pork from d’Artagnan yet. But I’ve ordered other things.

 

[audreyh1]

OK - smoked the baby back ribs today. Plus an eggplant for baba ganosh.

Ribs are resting for 30 mins wrapped in butcher paper.

ETA: oh yeah!

 

[old medic]

Robbie... We love our Sportsmen Grill... get a wok out on a regular basis...
Tonight its the GMG Davey Crockett smokers turn.
Spiced honey basted salmon fillets on planks and corn on the cob