Taking up smoking...

[Andrewf]

Over the years I have had several smoke houses in previous gardens. The best one was about the size of an outside toilet. I used to smoke mainly kippers and my all time favourite with the neighbours was smoked sprats. The sprats where smoked whole like mini bloaters. The fish where impaled by the heads on nails in wooden slats . At one time i owned a small commercial fishing boat so had plenty of herrings and sprats, as fresh fish they were pretty worthless, and hardly worth the effort to catch. Smoked there were easy to sell and kept well.
Have also smoked cheese, garlic, sausages and bacon.
With a tall shed they take longer to smoke, but find that it's more gentle and easier to get repeat results.
Mainly used oak, but any fruit wood also works.
There are several people in my village with smoke houses, and in January when the herring arrive you can easily smell them, one of my favourite smells.
Perhaps I might have to build another smoke house this winter, and do some more smoking.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I got some Texas mesquite the other day ... if you want to try a bit.

Postie's been. Thank you very much indeed, I shall enjoy having a go with that.
=D>

 

[Tasky]

There are several people in my village with smoke houses, and in January when the herring arrive you can easily smell them, one of my favourite smells.

What, in Maldon? As in Battle Of?
I'm not surprised - I imagine people have been smoking fish, meats and cheeses there for well over 1,000 years!!

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I just got this -
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07 ... UTF8&psc=1
good value if you use decent salt.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I decided to do something a bit different this evening. I'd got a couple of Sheftalia (home-made, natch) in the freezer, and thought I'd have a go at smoking them.
I used a bit of marcros's mesquite, which was a completely different smell to the oak I'd used before. Very robust. I was really looking forward to it.
I have a digital probe thermometer, so I smoked the Sheftalia until they were 65C inside and a nice colour on the outside. Very little shrinkage, a lot less loss of fat, compared with frying them, so they were very moist.
But what a disappointing flavour! I could not taste any smoke at all. I can only suppose that the smoke did not penetrate the caul fat skin.
I suppose that is why sausages are cold-smoked for days rather than hot smoked for half an hour. I'm rather sorry I wasted the mesquite, TBH. Still, plenty left for a go at something else.
So much to learn, so little time.

 

[screwpainting]

What a great thread, I'm having a go at this next year. =D>

Steve, that last sentence, spot on.

 

[marcros]

My wife's family tradition is hot roast pork sandwiches on Christmas Eve. We have continued it since doing our own Christmas rather than travelling. I have a piece of pork shoulder and a mix of hickory and beech chips to smoke it over tomorrow on the BBQ for a few hours.

 

[whiskywill]

On Christmas Eve my No. 1 son turned up with half a pig over his shoulder without any prior warning. Luckily I was able to offload a complete drawer full of gooseberries on him to make freezer space. I may also be taking up smoking.

 

[Benchwayze]

You should be all right for oak chippings from this Forum!
Love my breakfast kippers; thrice a week! Yum-yum!

Mind you, kippers are the only smoked food I like. Can't see the point in making bacon any saltier, and as for smoking pork.. shudderingly awful prospect!

FWIW.

I have taken to using a steamer to thaw out meat when in a hurry. I have noticed that the meat seems to roast better afterwards, being tender and juicy; esp chicken thighs! Just thought it might appeal to some.

Regards
John

 

[Suffolkboy]

why would smoking bacon make it saltier?

 

[Benchwayze]

Hi Suffolkboy;

I really don't know why smoked bacon is saltier than non-smoked.
I just know that in all my years of eating bacon, I never tasted smoked bacon that wasn't salty; more so than 'plain' bacon, as we say in Brum. Perhaps it's just me; although I thought the idea of smoking food was to add flavour.

Yes, smoked bacon has a distinct flavour, but to me it's salty as well as smokey! Maybe my taste-buds are unusual. For instance, I don't particularly like garlic. But I do use it IN cooking, for its health benefits; so I am told! Living alone I also don't have to worry about garlic breath!

Cheers and be lucky

John