I've been wanting to start a thread on smoking and curing, recipes, tips etc...
We butcher, and make our own bologna, sausage etc...
i rarely ever buy pre packaged mixes, and use mostly homemade recipes etc...
Years ago i made a smoker from an old refrigerator i had gutted, that served the purpose for a number of years.
I always used a hotplate and chips, but was never quite satisfied with the results.
I could never seem to get that good uniform controlled temp inside the smoker.
recently we upgraded our gas range in the kitchen, and i set about making a smoker out of the old one.
I gutted the gas lines, removed the top burner etc...I used the steel plate that covers the gas line on the bottom of the oven, drilled holes in it to spread the smoke out evenly, cut a hole big enough to run a 6" stove pipe in the bottom of the oven, then placed the steel plate which is bent so that it sits up off the bottom of the oven over top of the stove pipe. I then made a foundation for the stove and raised it approx 2' off the ground.
I dug a shallow hole approx 10' from the smoker and made a firebox from some red brick.
stovepipe out the back of the firebox slopes up to bottom of smoker.
WORKS GREAT!....much easier to control temp within the smoker, nice working height, oven door makes it very easy to load racks with meat etc....racks can easily be raised and lowered etc..i eventually want to screw steel roofing on the sides and put a roof over it, just haven't had time.
I was going to install a vent pipe to help control smoke, but discovered i got a nice continuous flow of smoke by simply using the vents the stove already has. Time and a little more experimenting, if i need one i'll put one out the top.
i control my temp with my fire, starting small, then add to it to increase temp etc...
I just took out a batch of venison bacon, which we really like.
I call it venison bacon but in reality, it tastes just like smoked sausage which is the way we prefer it because it can be used in so many ways from sandwiches, fried with potatoes or eaten with eggs for breakfast.
It can be made very easily, sliced and frozen and lays very flat in the freezer which aids in storage space.
per 10lb batch...
7 lbs ground venison 3/16" plate
3 1bs fatty pork
2c powdered milk
2 c water 1/2c brown sugar
1/2 cup immitation maple syrup 1TBL liquid smoke 2 TBL paprika 6 TBL salt 2 1/2 tsp of pink cure...(i use tender quick)
grind your meat, i grind mine partially frozen.
then blend your mix together, water etc...mix it all in with your meat, mixing well.
regrind
Then line a shallow aluminum cake pan with wax paper, pack your meat in it approx 1 1/2" to 2" thick...cover with wax paper, and let sit in the fridge over night to firm up.
next day turn your pan upside down and remove meat, it should be in the form of a cake.
place on rack in smoker and smoke.
You can smoke yours by starting out cool and keep raising smoker temp till your meat reaches an internal temp of 145 to 150 degrees.
I prefer to cold smoke mine for 4 hrs then put in the oven at 195- 200 degrees till the internal temp is reached. that gives us the flavor we prefer.
You want to have your meat up on a rack not flat on a pan, because liquid will form on the bottom.
place in the fridge overnight, next day take your cake out and slice it in a slicer.
really easy...very good, it'll make you have second thoughts about eating tag soup.