Smoking Meat...

[Rocker1986]

Smoked another batch of bacon yesterday, made from loin. Also have a belly in the freezer for the next lot. Turned out well, could probably use a tad more salt though. Still refining my cure recipe.

 

[mattyh77]

Are you using a dry or liquid brine.
Waiting for my pink salt to arrive next week (cure no 1) then I was going to dry brine a pork belly.
Been reading the book Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn.
Says to use the dry brine for 7 days and turn every day as the liquid comes out.
Firstly time doing anything thus style.

 

[Rocker1986]

I use liquid, it doesn't take as long. I usually submerge the meat for 3 days, turning it at the halfway point. The first batch I only did two days and it didn't penetrate all the way through, and wasn't quite salty enough. Second batch was 3 days and went much better but a little overdone on the salt, and then there's this batch. I have that book too, I'm using the Canadian bacon recipe just without the herb additions.

Sent from my Agora 4G+ using Aussie Home Brewer mobile app

 

[indica86]

I was going to dry brine a pork belly.

That bacon from that book is so good!

 

[seamad]

I've always skinned the meat before curing on the understanding that the cure penetrates evenly ( most recipes say to skin too ). I also cryovac the meat/dry rub, turning not so important then.
Your bacon looks good, will have to make a batch again. Get a bit lazy as my butcher has a smokehouse in shop, and makes good hams/bacon and other smallgoods.

 

[Rocker1986]

I did take the skin off on the second batch actually. Might have to make it a regular thing, I suspect it did penetrate better with the skin off.

 

[nosco]

Beer can chiken in the Aldi smoker

 

[Danscraftbeer]

nosco that chicken could pass as been rolled in spent grain haha.
Perfect job though.

 

[nosco]

Yeah I over did the italian herbs a bit. Tasted great though.

 

[mattyh77]

First go at bacon. A hickory smoked maple pork belly using the Aldi smoker

 

[SponsorSFC]

Bought one of the Adli gas smokers a few weeks ago.

Smoking day tomorrow. Got a Brisket and pork shoulder and the alarm set for 5am.

Will get up get that going then sit around the pool with a few home brew and watch the cricket.

 

[Rocker1986]

Smoked my Christmas ham yesterday after it sat in the cure for 10 days. It is only a small one because I don't have the fridge room to do a full size one, and there's only 8 people to feed. Simmered it for about 10 mins first to drive out some of the salt, then into the smoker for about 4.5 hours with Hickory. The skin was removed after this photo; Monday I'm making a maple glaze for it and will bake it in the oven. It tastes really good too.

 

[Dae Tripper]

View attachment 94855
It's looking so good.

Hey Tugger, that looks great! Could you please elaberate on the brine, smoke times and temps? I am keen to give it a try.

 

[tugger]

The brine is a dry brine.
That is 1 cup brown sugar to 1/4 cup of coarse salt.
Pack the fish in a container with loads of the salt sugar mix on top and underneath.
Stick it in the fridge for minimum 4 hours.
I think 4 hours is perfect but you can leave it longer.
I find it dries out too much if you leave it too long.
Wash off all the salty sugar liquid and let it dry for an hour.
Bung it on the smoker around 100c for about an hour or until cooked through.

 

[Dae Tripper]

The brine is a dry brine.
That is 1 cup brown sugar to 1/4 cup of coarse salt.
Pack the fish in a container with loads of the salt sugar mix on top and underneath.
Stick it in the fridge for minimum 4 hours.
I think 4 hours is perfect but you can leave it longer.
I find it dries out too much if you leave it too long.
Wash off all the salty sugar liquid and let it dry for an hour.
Bung it on the smoker around 100c for about an hour or until cooked through. View attachment 110613

Yum yum, thanks Tugger!

 

[Rocker1986]

Honey maple smoked ham for Christmas. It turned out ****** good, was a bit of a hit with all who tried it.

 

[Digga]

Ohhh hell yeah!! That looks out of this world.. we didn't do a glazed ham this year and that makes me completely hate myself for not.

Well done mate.

 

[Rocker1986]

That's the first time I've made a ham although the process wasn't much different to the bacon I usually make. It was the best ham I've eaten in years. I'll definitely be making more hams.

 

[indica86]

Well done mate!

 

[mattyh77]

Did you leave the rind on while brining and cooking?

 

[Rocker1986]

Thanks mate, it definitely exceed my expectations.

Matty, I left the skin on while it was curing in the brine, and through the short boil/simmer and smoking process. After that I cut it off and put the ham in the fridge until Xmas day, when it was taken out and the diamond shapes cut into the fat, baked in the oven for 90 mins at 170/180°C while applying glaze every 25 minutes or so.

 

[Ronwales]

Bought one of the Adli gas smokers a few weeks ago.

Smoking day tomorrow. Got a Brisket and pork shoulder and the alarm set for 5am.

Will get up get that going then sit around the pool with a few home brew and watch the cricket.

How did the brisket turn out? I've only made it a handful of times , but when done good the taste is absolutely delicious

 

[SponsorSFC]

Turned out really well, nice smoke ring and very tender. There was plenty left over so had a few days of it to have with some home brews.

Ended up doing it again on Boxing day.

 

[Ronwales]

Turned out really well, nice smoke ring and very tender. There was plenty left over so had a few days of it to have with some home brews.

Ended up doing it again on Boxing day.

What temp do you do yours and how long. I find getting a nice bark on it a bit tricky

 

[SponsorSFC]

I do mine at 100C.

I keep adding wood chips until it hits an internal temp of 65-70C then just keep it on heat until it hits 95C internal. Roughly 4 hours to get to 65C then 6 hours to hit 95C.

I then wrap it in foil and an old towel and let is rest in an esky for about 2 hours.

I had to use a Texas crutch for the boxing day one as it hit a stall. There was a bit of wind about which probably didn't help things.

 

[mattyh77]

Do you get the crispy bark on it? I've done a couple now but now bark. Using water in the dish so maybe too much moisture. Might try without water next time.

 

[SponsorSFC]

Do you get the crispy bark on it? I've done a couple now but now bark. Using water in the dish so maybe too much moisture. Might try without water next time.

When I used the crutch no. Otherwise yes.

I have seen that some people throw a crutched brisket on the grill for a few minutes after the rest to dry out the bark. Not tried it myself though.

 

[bevan]

Edit: deleted post as I read the small print at the bottom and it was a single use vouch on eBay. Apologies

 

[Hpal]

After some advice please guys. I’m smoking a 2.3kg leg of lamb (boned) in the bbq tomorrow. Haven’t done much of it before but need pointers on temp and time so I don’t stuff it up. I have some Shiraz soaked oak which I plan to split into chips and put in a metal tray.
Should I put anything in or on the lamb?
Should I do it up high in the hooded bbq or on the grill with the smoker tray next to it?
Is my best bet to whack as much smoke in as I can at a fairly low temp for a fair while (4hrs??)
One burner on low will likely be too hot, should I just make a little fire with the chips and let that do the job then make it hotter last half hour to put a nice crust on it?
I am a complete novice
Cheers.

 

[tanked84]

I've been in the process of making bacon for the first time over the last few days. It's being made from pork loin (short cut bacon) rather than the belly, using a variation of the Canadian bacon recipe from the Charcuterie book. It was done as a wet cure, ingredients in that were:

4L water
350g non iodised salt
225 sugar (I used brown sugar)
42g curing salt #1 (6.25% sodium nitrite)
This was boiled on the stove and allowed to cool to room temp then refrigerated overnight, at which point the loin was submerged in it for 48 hours in the fridge. Yesterday I removed it from the cure, rinsed and patted dry and placed on a rack in the fridge in prep for smoking it today. It will be smoked with hickory.

I did cut a small slice off it yesterday to fry up for an early sample tasting and it was bloody delicious so I'm looking forward to the proper finished product.

The three images are the cured loin on the rack, the slice in the pan and the loin submerged in the cure earlier.
View attachment 108791 View attachment 108792 View attachment 108793

Can this be done without the curing salt?