When I was a young Lad of 15 in 1968, I spent 4 weeks with my cousins at there Grandparents farm in the mountains of Tennessee. It was like stepping back in time, To use a toilet there was an outhouse,[A sears & roebuck catalog supplied the paper] to get water there was an old hand pump just out the backdoor, Milk was gotten each morning and evening from the cow, a search for eggs went on each morning for chicken & ducks eggs, Vegetables had to be retrieve from the garden each afternoon, And next to the house set back under 3 very large oak trees was a small log cabin that smelled of smoke. I remember the first time Grandpa went to this smoke house and open the door, it was black as coal inside, and hanging there were large hunks of meat just as black on the outside of that old smoke house, but a smoky pink on the inside of the meat when he cut what he wanted. Each morning there was, a large platter of eggs, [all sunny side up], hot biscuits right out of a wood burning stove, a crock of butter, [that us kids took turns churning] pitcher of milk, [that us kids milked] and a piece of wonderful smelling smoked meat fried up. I love memories!
From that time till this day I have loved smoked meat.
Curing, the first step in the smoking process,
Not only curing methods but smoking methods as well have changed over the years. In former times meat was kept for days or even weeks and years in chambers filled with cool, dense smoke (the temperature rarely topped 110°F). The result was strongly flavored meat that would keep for a very long period.
Modern methods of hot smoking require temperatures of at least 170°F in the smoke chamber. In this heat the meat cooks as it smokes, and to prevent dehydration it must be removed from the smoke chamber after a relatively short time. The only purpose of hot smoking is to add flavor””hot-smoked meat does not keep significantly better than other cooked meat.
Hot smoking can be done all year round, but lengthy curing and cold smoking are best accomplished when the weather is cool enough to prevent the meat from spoiling but not so cold that the meat freezes. For these reasons the best time to start a cold-smoking project is in the autumn, when nighttime temperatures approach freezing and the days are consistently cool.
Nitrites and Nitrates Sodium and potassium nitrite, and to a lesser extent sodium and potassium nitrate (saltpeter)””ingredients that have been used for many centuries in curing meats””have recently come under suspicion as possible cancer-causing agents. These additives have several purposes: they preserve the red color of meat, they are partly responsible for the distinctive flavor of many smoked foods, and they reduce the risk of botulism and other types of food poisoning. Meat that is cured without the use of either nitrites or nitrates must either be kept under refrigeration like any nonsmoked product or else cured with enough salt so that the fluids in the meat contain at least 10 percent salt.
How to Cure:
Salt is the only essential ingredient for curing. It retards spoilage by drawing water out of meat or fish while simultaneously killing decay-causing microorganisms. Meat cured with salt alone will store well but will be tough and dry. Sugar or honey is often added for flavor as well as to keep the meat moist and tender. Herbs and spices can be included in the curing mixture according to personal taste
There are two curing methods: brine-curing and dry-curing.
Dry-curing is faster, but many people prefer brine-curing because the results are more consistent and the flavor milder. In either case do not use ordinary table salt; the iodine it contains can discolor meat and fish. Pickling salt is the best type for curing. It has no additives, it is inexpensive, and since it is finely ground, it dissolves readily in brine cures and is quickly absorbed by the meat in dry cures.
Other acceptable salts include rock salt, kosher salt, dairy salt, and canning salt.
Brine-curing. For a brine cure the curing mixture is dissolved in pure water.
Lay larger pieces of meat or fish, skin side down, on the bottom of a watertight, nonmetal container, such as a stoneware crock, then pack smaller pieces on top.
Brine: 1gal warm water; add salt till a raw egg- (in shell) floats.
Fill the container with brine. To keep the meat or fish submerged, cover it with a plate on which several weights have been placed; make sure no air pockets are trapped under the plate. Maintain the brine at 36°F to 40°E After three to five days remove the meat from the brine, spoon off any scum, stir the brine up, and repack the crock. This procedure need be done only once for most cuts of meat; but if the pieces are large (a whole ham, for example), it should be repeated once a week until the cure is complete.
To check progress, cut off a small piece of meat, wash it, cook it thoroughly, and taste it. When the meat is cured to your taste, remove each piece from the crock and rinse it first in warm water, then in cold. Hang the pieces in a warm place to dry. When dry, red meats will generally have a glossy film of dissolved protein that helps to preserve them.
Dry-curing. In this process the meat or fish is packed directly in a mixture of salt and seasoning. Start by coating each piece; rub it in well and press extra mix into
the crannies on the cut ends, especially around projecting bones. Cover the bottom of the curing box with a thick layer of curing mix and place the pieces of meat (or fish) on it. Pack more mix on and between the pieces, making sure each piece is well covered, especially where chunks touch, then put down another layer of meat.
Continue until the final layer of meat is packed and covered. After three days remove the pieces of meat and recoat any surfaces that are not well coated. This process of checking and replenishing should be repeated every five days thereafter.
Before the meat was eaten it was generally desalted by soaking in cold water.
The main purpose of the smokehouse was not to produce cold smoke to improve taste, but to preserve it so it will last for a longer period of time. Preservation was achieved by salt curing and prolonged smoking which took about 2 weeks or more, with cold smoke.
The meats were not cooked to an internal temperature of 160° F (72° C) because that would require strengthening the fire and the smokehouse would fill with flames.
Making and Using a Smokehouse
The difference between a smokehouse designed for hot smoking and one designed for cold smoking is largely a matter of the distance between the smoke chamber and the fire: the greater the distance, the cooler the smoke. Proper ventilation is important with either smoking method, since smoke that is trapped in the chamber too long becomes stale and gives food a bitter taste.
Too much ventilation, however, dissipates the smoke. Your best guide is the temperature inside the chamber; install a thermometer that can be read from outside, then open or close the vents as needed.
Meats are cold smoked for flavor or for long-term preservation. When the aim is preservation, the temperature should be between 70°F and 90°F; the maximum is 110°F, although large hams are sometimes smoked at higher temperatures.
Locate the fire pit about 10 feet from the smoke chamber on the side from which the prevailing winds blow. The top of the pit should be about a foot lower than the bottom of the chamber with a stovepipe or tile-lined tunnel between.
Hot smoking requires temperatures of 170°F to 210°F, so the smoke chamber should be insulated. Smoke is produced inside or directly beneath the chamber. If you use an electric burner to produce smoke and heat, the job of maintaining a proper temperature is made easier.
The flavor that smoke adds depends on the wood being burned. The best smoke is produced from hickory, apple, or cherry. To use an electric burner, fill a 1-pound coffee can with damp shavings or chips, and place it on the top of a burner set to low; you will need to replenish the fuel about once an hour.
Otherwise, start a fire with dry hardwood and let it burn to a bed of glowing coals before adding damp chips or shavings. Do not use a chemical fire starter””the odor will linger in the smoke.
When the chamber is filled with smoke and the temperature is right, load in the meat or fish. The best method is to hang the food from crossbars near the top. It can also be placed on mesh shelves of stainless steel or aluminum. During smoking, continue to add damp fuel to maintain dense white smoke; should the smoke turn blue, it means the fuel supply is running low.
[end of part one]
