Nitty Gritty of Smoke Cooking, The - Dan Stair
Nitty Gritty of Smoke Cooking, The - Dan Stair
Nitty Gritty of Smoke Cooking, The - Dan Stair
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.
ctIY.
so instead of constantly mamtammg
a dense smoke, we suggest merely
Jetting the sawdust burn itself out
and reflling the pan every 1 V2 hours
to two hours. The heat removes
moisture and then impregnates
smoke flavor evenly. Some smoking
recipes will suggest that the smok
ing fuel be dampened . . . DO NOT
dampen pulverized hickory favor as
moisture will be transferred to meat
and the object is to remove the
moisture.
Once the meat is on the racks and
actual smoking has begun. the
smoker should lOT he unplugged
or allowed to cool until alloted time
is completed. ll is important to
maintain a steady and constant tem
perature.
After fsh has been in the smoker
for about six hours, bgin checking
for doneness every half hour. There
are some fairly good indications you
can u. e to tell you when the fsh is
ready to remove from the smoker.
The meat will bcome grayish pale
and then as it approaches comple
tion, it begins to darken and get
frmer. When it is close to being fn
ished the outside has a bronze glazed
appearance that's similar to the out
side of a roast turkey. Since the
meat color is different with each
species of fsh, you can't rely on
10
color alone. Gently break a couple
of pieces open, checking to see that
they are done in the center (the
meat should easily fake apart). To
wards the end, the thinner chunks
are often done before the thick ones
and these should b removed.
When moked fsh is taken from
the smoker, let it chill at room tem
perature for one-half hour, then re
frigerate in air tight containers to
chill for one to two hours before
serving. While the smoked fsh is
still warm, the outside appearance
can be spruced up by brushing it
with melted butter, vegetable oil,
corn oil, soya oil, or cottonseed oil.
Don't count on your home-smoked
fsh to be a vivid red like what you
see ofered at the local meat market,
because much of the commercially
smoked fsh is artifcially dyed red
dish orange for consumer sales ap
peal. The reddish color (kippered)
that is natural to Chinook and Sock
eye salmon seems to h what the
ultimate goal is for the fnished
smoked fsh. no matter what the
species. Most of the time, smoked
cod, halibut, herring, bass, etc., is
colored. If you wish to color your
own smoked fsh pick up some red
and orange food dye, prepare a solu
tion ( l ounce red, l ounce orange
per two gallons of water) and dip
fsh in the solution for approximate
ly one-half minute after rinsing of
the brine.
For favor variation in smoked
fsh. spices are often added di
rectly to the brine. For a more
pronounced taste, the spice can he
rubbd into the meat after removal
from brine and washing (just prior
to air drying). A little experiment
ing may be in order to develop the
exact favor cure you like bst.
White Pepper All Spice
Onion Salt Ginger
Garlic Lemon Juice
Molasses Dill
Honey Mace
Bay Leaves Brown Sugar
Maple Flavoring Taha;;co Sauce
Soy Sauce
If my "Sure-Fire Smoked Fish"
recipe doesn't do anything for you
then here's what most hooks will
recommend as a basic to work up
your own cure with .. .
Standard Seafood Brine
For every 1 Quart of Water
s; Cup Sugar
: Cup Curing Salt
l Ounce Pepper
DRY CURING FISH
Preparing seafood products by
means of the dry cure method is
nothing more than basically leaving
the water out of the brine process.
Clean. cut and ready the fsh as you
would for brining method, except
you rub in the cure instead of soak
ing it in, pieces thicker than one
inch should be scoured with a knife
for maximum penetration.
Standard Seafood Dry Cure
2 Cups Brown Sugar
4 Cups Curing Salt (2 cups rock
salt and 2 cups curing salt may
be substituted)
After rubbing dry cure mixture into
meat thoroughly, put each piece
skin side down stacking one on top
of the other in large deep bowl or
plastic container. With a dinner
plate or plastic lid that has about
five pound of weight exerted on top,
cure meat at room temperature for
four hours. Drain away accumulated
liquids. remove meat from howl and
rinse each piece thoroughly under
running cold tap water before ar
ranging skin side down on a towel.
Dry excess water from mrat with a
paper towel, begin preheating the
smoker. and add additional !cason
ing. Meat should air dry for 60 min
utes at which time a tacky glaze
should have formed on the outside
of the fish. Fish is now ready to
begin smoking. (See "How to Use
LHtloCh
SMOKIN' CRAYFISH,
PRAWNS AND SHRIMP
If uncooked, peel and pre-cook
meat in bouillon four to fvt min
utes. Place meat in standard fsh
brine for two hours. rinse under tap
water. arrange on paper towel, dry
ing lxcess moisturP with towels.
Allow to air dry. Srt either an oiled
screen or cheese cloth on smoker
racks and arrange shrimp so they
are not touching. Smoke for l'h
hours or the time it takes to exhaust
two favor pans of hickory sawdust.
SMOKED OYSTERS
If oysters are still in their shell,
sc
.
rub shells under running water
w1th a brush. Normally oysters are
huckd either one of two ways. By
msertmg a strong knife btween the
sh
.
ells, slicing the muscle (this is
tr1cky to master and should h done
carefully with gloves on so as not to
cut hands) or the oysters can be
opened by steaming in a kettle with
about an inch or water in the hot
tom. Turn up the heat and the oys
te should pop open in fve to six
mmutes.
To frm up oysters. afllr removal
from shell, they should be blanched.
efore blanchin
.
g, cut larger oysters
mto smaller p1eces. Blanching is
easy, put the oysters in a metal
strainer and dip them into boiling
water until the edges curl (usually
taes aut two to three minutes).
Rmse w1th cool tap water.
Place oysters in standard fsh hrinl'
for 40 minutes. Rlmove from brine
and air dry 45 minutes. Put oystl'rs
on an oiled screln or cheese cloth in
the smoker and smokl them 50 to 75
minutes. You can tell when the oys
ters are about done. because their
edges look dri<>d out. If in doubt.
remove one and taste it. Be careful
not to overcook oystNS as they'll lw
tougher than H - - -.
SMOKED CLAMS
Clams are opened by st<>amin in
a kettle (see smoked oysters). Shak1
clam meat from shell. split 1wck and
cut out stomach with scissors. wash
clam in cold water, picking out any
noticeable sand particles from meat.
Cure meats in standard fsh hrinl'
for 20 to 30 minutes.'l'akl' from brine
and allow to air dry for 40 minutes.
Place on oill'd scrNn in >mokPr and
smoke for two to 2Y hours.
SMOKEY SMELT
Thesl are delicious and will com<>
out best if prepared freshly taught.
Dress smelt hy rl'moving heads and
guts with a pair of scissors. Place in
standard fsh brine for llh hours.
II
Remove from brin(, air dry for 45
minutes, and arrange in preheated
smoker. Smoking lime for smelt is
three lo four hours.
SMOKED HERRING
OR ANCHOVIES
Only fresh anchovies should lw
used. With a pair of scissors. remove
head and guts. Large anchovies or
herring can be filleted by splitting
down the back with a sharp knife,
making two halves. Prepare a stand
ard fish brine with dcsired spices.
cure fish in brine 30 lo 45 minutes.
Remove from brine, rinse under
running cold lap wal(r, preheat
smoker, and air dry for 60 minutes.
Smoke herring or anchovies two to
three hours.
For saltier and ch('wier smoked
herring or anchovies, usc lhE "Sure
Fire Smoked Fish" recipe. Standard
dry cur( may also he used alloting a
six lo eight hour curing period.
SMOKED SEAFOOD
"QUICKIES" FOR
EVERYDAY COOKIN'
EZ Smoked Fish Filets
I pound fish fllets
V teaspoon paj>rika
2 tabl(spoons butter
1/1 slic(d onion rings
I teaspoon Wore<>sl<>rshire sauc<'
((mon juicc
Place fllcL in grcas<>d shallow bak
ing "dish (haking dish should h('
pyr('x and also ft into Lillie Chid
Smoker easily). Sprinkle with
lcmon, Worceslcrshirc sauce. sail.
pepper and paprika. Place in prc
heqled smoker for I 'h hours (about
lh<' timc it lakcs for two pans of
hickory favor lo burn). Remove
from smokcr. place uncovercd in
oven prcheated to 350 degrees. Bak('
for 20 minul<>s.
SMOKED SALMON OR
TUNA SPREAD
For sandwiches that are a real
treat, drain liquid from canned sal
mon or eannccl tuna, place in greased
baking dish that will fit casily into
smoker. Flake fsh with fork, spread
ing out over thc dish. Place in pre-
11Caled smokcr and smoke for one
hour (time it takes for one pan of
Hickory Flavor to cxhaust itself).
Removc from smoker, allow to cool
12
and prepare your favorite sandwich
spread with smoked flavor<>d fsh.
WOW!!!!!
JIFFY SMOKED FISH PATTIES
2 cups flaked fsh (eanned or
leftover)
2 beaten eggs
l cup bread crumbs or craekcrs
I tablespoon minccd onion
Dash pepper and salt
Placc fh in greased baking dish
that will fit easily into Little Chief
Smoker. Separatc fish evcnly over
the bottom with a fork and put un
covered in smoker for one hour.
Allow to cool and combine fish with
rest of ingredients. Mix eomplctely.
mold into ;;attics and fry in hot bul
ler or haeon grease until golden
brown. Thcsc will also go ovcr great
on toast with whitc sauec or make
up a smoked fishburger with all thc
trimmings!
As you can scc. thc Little Chief
Smoker is a hig hclp to thc eook that
wants to tur out a mcal that's an
extra treat. Usc somP imagination
and goodies likP the following can
he whipped up, mokpd Clam Dip,
Smoked Shrimp or Tuna Casserole.
Smok<'d Broilcd LohstPr. FrPnch
FriPd Smokcd Shrimp, Smoked
Crah and Chc<'SP Sandwich<'s arP
just a few of many SPafood dishPs
that will delight pveryonP at thc
lahlP.
HICKORY
.
SMOKED: Chicken,
Pheasant, Duck, Grouse,
Quail, Ptarmigan
The flavor of smokpd ehickPn takPs
a hack seal to nom. rrs important
that your SPieetion hP only "GradP
A" fryprs or roast('rS. Tlw frPshPr
thc hcltcr. Chicken can pasily he
favur smoi. Pd whoiP, halvt>d, or cut
111 pilccs. If ehiekPn is froz<>n. thaw
1n refrigcrator complctply. Prepare
the following brine in stoneware
crock or non-aluminum container.
For every 2 quarts of water:
1/2 cup hrown sugar
I cup curing salt
4 tablespoons black pepppr
I tablespoon onion powder
I hay leaf
l1 cup lemon juice
y, teaspoon mapll' navoring
After mixing brine thoroughly.
immerse chicken using weighted
plate or lid to insure no portion of
the meat protrudes from the brine
surface. Let chicken cure one hour
per pound. When brining period is
complete, remove. rinse under cold
tap water. wipe away excess mois
ture, and allow to air dry for one
hour. A whole hird should be sus
pended from built-in meat har of the
smoker rack (see Illustrations # !.
.. , .. ) . Cut-up chickcn pieces should
he placed on smoker racks. out of
the smoker. for air drying. Preheat
smoker while allowing chicken to air
dry for 6 minutes. Be/ore placing
the chic/len in the smoher. rub the
following mixture into the meat:
1h cup brown sugar
I tablespoon onion or
garlic powder
4 tablespoons black pepper
Put chickPn in smoker, if hotlom
rack is not being used. fabricate a
drip pan from aluminum foil to lay
on bottom rack. Smohe I Y hours
per pound.
Even though it takcs only 45 min
utes for a pan of hickory flavor saw
dust to exhaust itself. it's not nec
Pssary to dump thP ashes and refill
flavor pan pvery 45 minutPS. Refll
flavor pan only four times during
entire smoking uf (
'
hicken (lw sure
and r<ad section "Adding Fuel to
the Fire" about thc usc of "chunks"
with hickory flavor).
Brush the outsidP of m<'at "ith
butter every llh hours. Othcr s; ..
may be addcd to bullcr for Pnnch
ing favor of thP chickPn. sauc , 1'"'
t<>riyaki saucc, harlwcuP sauce, or
beer.
.
Your ch1ckcn should cook eom
pletely in the Little Chief Smoker
hut, to hc sure of don!'ness. use the
old reliable joint tcst. M<>rcly twist
the leg hone gently. if it movps freely
in the socket joint the bird is ready
to eat. If for some reason the chicken
didn't cook completely (may hap
pen during cold wpather), preheat
oven to 30 degrees and finish of in
oven, being careful not to over-cok.
One thing that's great about
smoked chicken is you can eat what
you want and freeze the rest for up
to seven months. Take what's left.
individually wrap pieces in plastic
bags or foil for freezing, or chicken
can be flaked from bone and then
frozen. Whl'n it's thawed, smoked
chicken makes dPiicious sandwiches,
soup, salads, snacks and makes a big
hit on a fshing trip.
FLAVOR SMOKED:
Turkey, Goose
Turkey is one meat that is made
to be smoked, the flavor's superb and
when done, it turns a scrumptious
golden bronze. A 10 to 15 pound
turkey fts very nicely in the Little
Chief Smoker. Whether you prefer
fryers, young hens, roasters, or
young toms, purchase the freshest
"Grade A" bird you can gel. If the
turkey is frozen, complctPly thaw
before placing in turkey brine (for
thawing instructions, sec turkey
label).
SMOKED TURKEY BRINE
For each four quarts of water ...
l1h cups curing salt
'h cup brown sugar
3 cups cider
1h teaspoon ginger
4 tablespoons black pepper
'h cup lemon juice
'2 ounce maple favoring
Thoroughly mix all above ingredi
ents in a non-aluminum container
that is large enough to completely
submerge the hi rd. Sinwoer ot(r me
dium heal five minutes for pound.
Remove bird from brine and allow
to air dry for at least one hour, begin
preheating smoker. Rub skin with a
modest amount of brown sugar. us
pend the whole-ird from meat bar
on smoker rack after removing grills
from rack (sec illustrations :.. , . . ,
. ) . Leave bottom raek in smoker
and fabricate a drip pan out of
aluminum foil. Smoh(' one hour per
pound. basting with melted butter
every 11/2 hours. Refill flavor pan
with hickory flavor PV<ry thrN
hours (spe section "Fuel for the
Fire'' ahout USP of chunks with
hickory favor).
\
Remove turkey from smoker and
place in roasting oven preheated to
300 degrees. The turkey should have
a rich golden brown color and the
leg joint will move freely and easily
in the soket when done. Turkey
smoked in the above manner will
keep about the same as a normal
roasted turkey. To freeze, remove
meat from bnes with sharp knife,
freezing in individual useable sized
packages. Keeps up to seven months
frozen . . . that is if there is any left!
JIFFY SMOKED TURKEY
OR CHICKEN
Place pre-cooked turkey or chicken
in open greased baking dish that will
ft in smoker and smoke for one
hour. Remove from smoker and
serve. Makes lip smackin' salads
sandwiches, gravy, casseroles . . .
'
OLD FASHION
The mountain men that relied on
jerky as an everyday foo would
never have thought that today jerky
would bring over $10.00 per pound
in the groery store. The long-last
ing munchin' flavor of jerky is still
as popular as it ever was. Whether
it's on a fshing or hunting trip,
skiing at the mountain, or watchin
'
a good TV show, we never seem to
b able to get enough smoked jerky.
You can't buy venison or bufalo
meat but. it's easy to make mouth
waterin' beef jerky at home. The fol
lowing is an excellent recipe for not
only beef but, elk, moose bear, deer,
etc.
There's one thing about jerky, the
poorer the cut of meat, the better
,he jerky is. No matter what grade
of meat you use, the taste will be the
same but, the texture will be dif
ferent. We've found that flank or
round steak is dandy jerky meat.
To prepare jerky for smoking, it
must be sliced with the grain. not
against the grain as meat is nor
mally cut. Before beginning, make
sure that the knife is very sharp.
Trim ofl all fat! Fat will spoil giving
14
a rancid tast to the jerky. Slice the
meat approximately one-half inch
thick, four inches wide and six to 1 2
inches long. (I've got my butcher
talked into cutting mine on his meat
slicer. You can partially freeze the
meat and it is often easier to cut.
Prepare the following brine for
jerky . . .
Jerky Brine
For every two quarts of water:
I cup curing salt
1h cup sugar
4 tablespoons black pepper
* I teaspoon liquid garlic
optional
Using a non-aluminum container.
place strips of cut meat in brine
solution so that they are completely
submerged. If they appear crowded,
repeat the above brine mixture. A
plastic lid or dinner plate placed on
the surface will aid in holding down
the meat strips. Cure meat in brine
for eight to 10 hours.
When brining time has elapsed,
remove meat strips and wash each
piece thoroughly under cold running
tap water. With paper or cloth
towels, remove excess water and let
air dry completely for 6 mi nutes.
Once air drying process is complete
rub in any seasoning of your choice:
Some popular ones are onion salt
garlic salt and pepper. Place meat
strips in preheated smoker.
Smoke meat nine to 1 2 hours, re
flling the hickory flavor pan every
2' hours (see section "Adding Fuel
to the Fire" about use of "chunks"
with hickory flavor) . You'll know
when jerky is done, it will become
stilT like a twist of rope. For a quick
check for doneness, break open a
stick and check the center. Remove
from the smoker and cool. Jerky
sh_ould be kept refrigerated. Jerky
sttcks can b cut relatively easily by
clipping with a pair of scissors.
You can also make jerky from
lamb brisket, and even turkey. Slice
the turkey up, follow the above rec
ipe and before ye know it . . . "TUR
KEY JERKY!
HICKORY GLAZED HAM
The following recipe adds a smoky
flavor to a precooked ham that no
commercial meat processing plant
could aford to produce. Remove any
outside skin and score ham fat with
a sharp knife one-fourth inch deep,
making diamonds by cutting criss
cross parallel lines. Preheat smoker
rub the outside of the ham with thi
mixture.
1 CJP brown sugar
1 cup curing salt
spike with cloves-ptional
Remove the two top racks from
the Little Chief Smoker and place
ham on bottom rack. Smoke four
hurs, reflling flavor pan every 8
mmutes. At the end of the third
hour of smoking, brush ham with a
solution consisting of one-half tea
spoon diluted in one-fourth cup
water. When smoking time has
elapsed, remove and cool. Ham
should be wrapped and refrigerated,
preparing with favorite precooked
ham recipes.
JIFFY HICKORY FLAVOR PORK
For old fashioned hickory favor
in a hurry, place any of these cuts
in a Little Chief Smoker until one
half pan of Hickory Flavor is ex
hausted (about 25 minutes) . Re
move from smoker, allow to cool and
prepare with your favorite recipes.
Mmmmmmmmm!
BACON
PORK ROAST
CANADIAN BACON
r?Si s z
PARERIBS
PORK CHOPS
PORK HOCKS
The electric Little Chief Smoker
opens up a brand new family menu
for such dishes as smoked pork
chops and sauerkraut smoked ham
with scalloped potatos, smoked bar
becued spareribs, or smoky pork
roast.
Preheat smoker. Prepare your
favorite pork and ban casserole in
a pyrex container that will ft easily
into the Little Chief Smoker. Smoke
beans for three hours, stir ocasion
ally, reflling hickory favor every
6 mi nutes. Remove from smoker
and bake covered in preheated 350
degree oven for one hour.
SMOKEY HICKORY CHEESE
Cheese can't be bought with the
smoky favor that can b added with
this quick smoking method.
Jack or swiss cheese seems to
work best. Usc baking cup that
cheese can mold into without spill
ing over. Smoke cheese for 1 '/2
hours. placing cup on middle grill
of smoker. Refll favor pan with
Hickory Flavor every 45 mi nutes.
Allow to cool after removing from
smoker and refrigerate. Once chilled
shake from mold and serve. Keep
refrigerated.