Smoking and curing are two preservation methods you can use for pork. Both processes involve drying the meat, which will help inhibit bacterial growth. This makes your pork cuts viable for long-term storage. Curing meat in your home can be done safely and effectively. You can smoke almost any part of your pig carcass, but in particular the bacon, ham, pork shoulders, ribs, hocks, and jowls to enhance their flavor.
Smoking and curing pork will extend its shelf life and adds a flavor particular to the method used. You can make sausages and patties and use smoke to add another layer of flavor to them. Using proper smoking equipment is essential, and while curing pork can be done with indoor processes such as a dry rub, brine submersion, or pickling with an acidic base, smoking will need to be done outdoors or in a well-ventilated area such as a garage or shed.
HEALTH CONCERNS FROM EATING SMOKED PORK
While there may be legitimate health concerns regarding the consumption of large quantities of smoked pork or other meat products, this should not deter you from using them in moderation. Most of these health issues are a result of the smoke, which contains coal tars and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) that are considered carcinogenic. You may want to use your smoked meats as special treats rather than for daily meals.
Sodium Nitrite and Nitrate Concerns
Many recipes that have been handed down through the years called for saltpeter, or potassium nitrate. Most sausage supply companies no longer sell saltpeter, but you will find other commercial products that accomplish similar results, such as Morton Salt’s Tender Quick mix, which is a fast cure containing 0.5 percent sodium nitrate and 0.5 percent sodium nitrite and is used in some recipes at the rate of 1 teaspoon per pound of meat.
The University of Minnesota published findings in 1992 that a fatal dose of potassium nitrate, or saltpeter, for adults is in the range of 30 to 35 grams (slightly more than 1 ounce) consumed in a single dose. The fatal dose of sodium nitrite is in the range of 22 to 23 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. Nitrates are found in vegetables such as spinach, beets, radishes, celery, onions, and cabbages, so they are not uncommon substances.
The concerns of consuming too much nitrates or nitrites in meat center on the quantity eaten rather than its inclusion as a preservative. The Minnesota report concluded that nitrite as it is used in meat such as sausages is considered safe because the known benefits outweigh the potential risks. You can stay with fresh sausages if you are concerned about limiting nitrites and nitrates in your diet.
Fermento is a commercially available dairy-based product made from cultured whey protein and skim milk. It is used to produce a tangy taste in semidry sausages, such as some summer sausages and Thuringer sausage. The “tang” found in fermented, dry-cured meat is due to a decrease in pH as the lactic acid builds up. This product mimics that taste, as does citric acid. However, citric acid is not lactic acid and will not yield the same flavor. The key to having a tangy-flavored sausage is proper fermentation produced by specific bacteria that are added to the meat as a starter culture. You will have more control over this flavor by adding the recommended amounts.
The recommended level of use is 3 percent, or about 1 ounce per pound of meat. It is possible to double this percentage to produce a more tangy taste, but if you exceed 6 percent, the sausage likely will become mushy. Fermento does not need to be refrigerated and quickens the fermentation process. Instead of several days that is often required for starter cultures to start fermentation, this product can be added and the fermentation will take only hours before you can begin smoking the meat.
TWO TYPES OF SMOKING
There are two forms of smoking meats: hot smoking and cold smoking, and they are identified by the temperatures used with them. These temperatures will be applied to different meats in several ways, always keeping in mind the critical internal temperature that needs to be reached to make the meat safe to eat. These internal temperatures will vary slightly between animal and fowl species, such as pork needing to reach an internal temperature of 160ºF to be considered safe, while poultry needs 165ºF.
Hot smoking means to cook the meat at or above 150ºF in a smoking unit. Pork sausages, which are made from smaller meat particles and often less dense in texture than whole cuts, are recommended to be hot smoked at 180ºF because of the increased exposure the meat particles have from being ground up, along with a higher fat content. For whole cuts, the recommended temperature is 200ºF, allowing for slow cooking and maximum smoke. If unsure of your equipment or your smoking unit has a heat control, hot smoke all recipes at 200ºF for safety, unless specified differently.
Cold smoking refers to a temperature of less than 100ºF and is usually difficult to achieve without proper equipment. If any recipe calls for cold smoking, it will assume you have a unit that can stay below 100ºF indefinitely. This is hard to do consistently and is not a recommended practice, especially when you are just beginning a smoking career. If you pursue cold smoking, you will need to make certain the temperature doesn’t rise above 95ºF to 100ºF to be safe. You should assume that any recipes appearing in this book that require smoking refer to a hot smoking method.
CURES
If you plan to make smoked, cooked, or dry sausages, you will need to use a cure. A cure, or curing solution, is the addition of salt, sodium, or potassium nitrates that inhibit and/or prevent the growth of the botulism bacteria. Nitrites are made from the natural breakdown of either sodium or potassium nitrate. Older generations used saltpeter, a strong form of nitrate (sodium or potassium) to cure their meats. Better alternatives are available today, and these will be discussed here.
Clostridium botulinum is the bacteria that causes botulism, a potent and deadly form of food poisoning. The spores thrive in meat environments with temperatures between 40ºF and 140ºF, and with moist, low oxygen conditions. This is exactly the environment we provide in sausage smokers, dry sausages, and fresh pork held at room temperature.
This, then, is the main reason for using a cure product with processing meat. At this time, there is no known substitute for nitrite in curing meat and sausages. The benefits of using it far outweigh any health risks that may be associated with it. You can go without using nitrites if cooking fresh pork right after butchering the pig, but sooner or later you will need to consider how best to preserve the rest you can’t eat right away.
The botulism bacteria are present in many soil conditions, vegetables, and other foods we consume. So, how real is the danger of it? If you consume it, it is a very real danger and it comes with a high risk of dying or encountering severe nerve damage. Yet it’s not likely you will ever experience its effects because commercially available food products are strictly regulated and monitored. Most botulism cases occurring in the United States are a result of improper home canning. Botulism spores are hard to kill but aren’t harmful except, potentially, to infants. The spores in the soil and vegetables typically are not found in sufficient quantities to be deadly to humans. However, when these bacteria are allowed to grow in an oxygen-free (anaerobic), nonacidic environment between 40ºF and 140ºF, they will multiply rapidly and start producing the deadly toxin.
Curing Salts
To inhibit the botulism spores and their growth, a curing salt of some form must be used in any dry-cured sausages. There are no exceptions.
Sodium nitrite, often referred to as a pink salt because of its color, prevents these bacteria from growing. Sodium nitrate, for example, will act as a sort of time-release capsule form of sodium nitrite and must be used in all dry-cured sausages cured for long periods, such as salamis, which may be cold-smoked and then dried for weeks.
Be aware that these cures themselves can be dangerous if ingested, such as accidentally licking your finger that may be covered with these salts. There is a reason for curing salts to appear in recipes, and you should always use them in the proportions stated in the recipe. Keep them out of the reach of children!
While you need to take precautions using curing salts, they are beneficial and have three main functions: killing a range of bacteria, especially those responsible for botulism; preserving the pink color we associate with meats; and adding a tangy flavor to the meat.
Nitrates actually do nothing beneficial to food until they convert to nitrite. Potassium nitrate (saltpeter) was used until the 1970s, when it was largely discontinued because it was too inconsistent to be safe. Sodium nitrate is now manufactured and sold under the commercial brand names of InstaCure #2 and DQ Curing Salt #2.
For purposes of discussion rather than recommendation, three commercially available brand-name cures are frequently used: Prague Powder #1 and #2, Morton Tender Quick, and InstaCure #1 and #2. Another includes tinted curing mix (TCM), which is also referred to as Prague powder or pink salt.
Regardless of the name, their composition is the same: 93.75 percent salt and 6.25 percent nitrite. Always use them based on the directions given by the supplier as one brand may have a higher concentration of sodium nitrite than another.
As an example, referring to the above products, the Prague Powder #1 and #2 are used for different products; #1 is for all cured meats and sausages, except for kinds like salami, and #2 is used for dried meat and sausages. Both are used in very small quantities, but, again, you must follow the supplier’s directions exactly. Morton Tender Quick contains both sodium nitrite and sodium nitrate. It has a lower nitrite-to-nitrate concentration (0.5 percent of each) and much more salt than the other cures.
This makes the Morton product good as a rub or in a brine, but it has a more limited use in sausage making because, with the extra salt, it can get very salty before the correct amount of cure is reached. InstaCure #1 and #2 are similar to the Prague powder and can work very well with any sausage making or meat curing. You should do your own research before beginning on sausage making to make the decisions that will affect your resulting products.
The bottom line, if not underlined then in big, bold, letters, is that you need to use a cure if you want safe smoked, cooked, or dried sausage. Sodium nitrate, and the sodium nitrite it produces, is a safe product for curing meats and sausages.
Dry Cures
A dry cure is one in which a salt mixture is rubbed over the meat or the meat is rolled in it to cover it completely. Most salt referred to is sodium chloride and appears as such in the recipes in this book. When a cure is listed, it refers to salts that have nitrite in them and sometimes nitrates. A dry cure may also contain sugar.
A generic dry cure ratio of salt to sugar is 2:1, plus 10 percent of their combined weight of cure. For example, 1 ounce of pink salt is enough for 25 pounds of meat. Salt is important as an active ingredient, and sugar helps mitigate the harshness of the salt, such as adding brown sugar or a maple syrup to curing salty bacon.
Using acid in the dry-cure process is an important part. Many professionals use a live culture that feeds on the sugar in the sausage mixture and releases lactic acid. This reduces the pH level and helps prevent bacterial growth. One commercially available product is Bactoferm F-RM-52. Live cultures are kept frozen until use when they are rehydrated. If using this kind of product, always use nonchlorinated or distilled water to prevent the chlorine from killing the live cultures. Don’t scrimp on using such a culture. While it is not needed in great amounts, you still must use enough, even if you overdo it, to ensure that a sufficient amount of live culture gets into the sausage. This product is completely safe, and adding too much will not be harmful to you.
SMOKING
Smoking pork, or any meat, accomplishes three objectives:
• It gives the meat a unique flavor, depending on the type of wood used.
• It helps to lower the moisture content within the meat, which reduces the chance for bacterial growth.
• It adds color to the surface of the pork cut.
Three factors affect the amount of time the meat needs to be cured: the density of the meat cut, such as whether it is a thick ham or small sausage patty; the amount of smoke generated within the smoking unit; and the ability of the meat surface to absorb smoke.
The density of the pork cut you want to smoke will affect the time required to adequately complete the process. This is because it will take longer for the smoke and heat to penetrate a thicker piece than a smaller piece, such as a sausage link or a flat bacon slab.
The length of time that the smoke fills the chamber will affect the amount of smoke deposited on the surface of the meat. Variations in smoke density will also affect how much the smoke components adhere to the surface.
The meat surface itself will also affect how the smoke is absorbed. Temperature control at this stage will be important because if the meat surface gets too hot, too quickly it will deter the smoke from attaching to it because the surface has dried too fast. To successfully smoke your pork, and to get a satisfying result, the surface needs to be slightly moist so that it can attract the smoke particles. Smoke will not adhere to dry surfaces, although it will blacken it in color. You will need to dry the surface enough to remove excess moisture while still leaving enough moisture to absorb the smoke.
WOOD TYPES FOR SMOKING
Different woods will create subtle, but different, flavors, depending on which you use. Natural wood smoke is generally produced from hardwood sawdust, wood chips, or small logs.
You can use a variety of different hardwoods for smoking. The most popular is hickory, although other hardwoods, such as oak, maple, ash, mesquite, cherry, apple, and other fruit woods, can be used.
Selecting the type of wood to use for smoking pork is more a matter of personal choice than anything. One standard rule applies, however: the best woods for smoking are dried (cured) hardwoods with a low sap flow. Avoid using pine or other coniferous trees because of their high tar content, which will create a bitter flavor on the meat.
Woods can be divided into two basic groups that are based on whether they yield a mild or strong flavor, rather than tree species. For mild smoke flavors, use alder, apple, cherry, maple, orange, or peach woods. For stronger flavors, use hickory, oak, mesquite, pecan, and walnut.
WOOD CONSIDERATIONS
Natural wood smoke contains three major components: solids, such as ash and tar; air and combustion gases; and acids, carbonyls, phenolics, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).
Research has shown that the ash and tar and the gases do not contribute very much to the flavor, aroma, or preservative properties of smoked products, while the phenolics have been identified as the primary source for them. The carbonyls are the source of color, typically the amber brown, generated from the smoking process.
If you use natural wood for smoking, it is important to use only air-dried woods and never use moldy woods that may contain toxins, have paint on them, or have been treated. Many of the woods you use can be purchased at specialty stores, outdoor outlets, or cut and dried by yourself.
The dry wood used for smoking usually needs to be soaked in water for a short time prior to being used in a smoker. This will prevent it from burning. Although burning wood will create some smoke, it won’t be enough for your purposes. The idea is to create smoke, not a flame, and to add flavor rather than heat—although some heat is a partial requirement for successfully smoking pork. But more on this later.
CURING
Cured ham or cured bacon are terms that are familiar with many people. They conjure up smells and tastes for those who have experienced them. For those who have not, there are pork products that you will be able to create yourself with the help of this book. The curing process will be explained and you will be able to use it with a variety of pig parts.
Curing is the chemical or physical processing of meat to allow it to be safely edible for a long period of time. This process includes the use of salt and other preserving agents that kill, retard, or inhibit the production of spoilage bacteria.
Salt is the essential ingredient in any successful curing process. It draws moisture from the muscle cell by osmosis. This process distributes the salt through the muscle tissue. It checks the action of bacteria, which need a moist environment to propagate. Without this moisture, the bacteria cannot grow. Unless spoilage has already occurred within the tissue before it is cured, any bacteria present will be in insufficient quantities to become harmful. This is the main reason to keep fresh meat chilled between the times you butcher and cut up the carcass and when you process or package it.
The amount of salt you use is also a consideration. Too little salt used in the curing process can allow those bacteria that are able to grow in the presence of salt to get an upper hand by not being adequately checked. From this, spoilage can follow. On the other hand, if too much salt is used, the meat can become hard, dry, and taste overly salty.
Large portions of pork, such as hams and shoulders, generally will take a longer curing time than smaller pieces. It takes more time to allow the salts or brine to reach sufficient concentration in the tissues to protect the centers of these larger cuts. This likely will mean that you will need a storage space dedicated to this purpose, as well as one free from insects, pets, and children while the curing processes work their way to their intended conclusion.
SMOKING UNITS
You can use a variety of smoking units. They can range from home grills with covers to substantial upright units that sit in your backyard. They can be electric or fully powered by wood. Or, you can construct a smokehouse for your own use. The amount of meat and the size of the cuts will largely determine the type of smoking unit needed. Also your budget and the space available for a unit may be considerations.
You can use traditional smoking units, such as smokehouses or metal chambers specifically designed for smoking meats, that accomplish two things at once. They provide a proper temperature to kill harmful pathogens, and they produce a pleasing smoky flavor.
Units made for home use include vertical electric water smokers, insulated variable- temperature smokers, electric smokers, stovetop smokers, covered grills, and charcoal-fired smokers. Understanding their advantages and limitations may help you decide which is best for you. The following are just brief descriptions of a few types of smokers, but you should research all the models that are commercially available to determine which one will work best for you. Their prices range from modest to expensive, and this may give some indication of their durability. Some are stationary, while others may be set on rollers for easier movement. They may be rectangular or round, and the number of racks may increase with larger units. Several types of digitally controlled smoker models are available and are popular because they allow you to easily monitor the temperature and time.
One concern about smokers, depending on the model used, is the potential loss of heat caused by opening a door to add water to a pan or to replenish wood chips, pellets, or logs. Models are available that have external wood chip or pellet loaders so the unit doesn’t need to be opened. Some smokers have a tray that can be pulled out, have fresh chips or pellets added to it, and be pushed back into the unit without opening the door. This is an outdoor model not meant for indoor use.
Vertical electric water smokers are popular because they are generally the least expensive smokers on the market. The less costly models may not reach the high temperatures you need. The more expensive models, however, have better temperature control. These units have either a gas or electric heat source and typically have three components: a bottom heat source, a water pan that stores heat and regulates the internal temperature, and a smoking chamber. The biggest disadvantage is the loss of heat when the lid is opened. You can mitigate this by having a thermometer that can signal the temperature to an outside receiver.
An insulated variable-temperature smoker has good temperature control. This variety is becoming more popular with those who want to do home smoking. They are typically more expensive than other models but are easy to use and generally conform to the same dynamics as a vertical electric water smoker.
Electric smokers are another popular type because they are easy to use and don’t take up a lot of space. The more expensive models typically have a rheostat that turns down the electricity flow to the coil, much like that found on an electric stove or hot plate, and they may have multiple settings ranging from low to high. Some of the more expensive electric smokers have thermostats that have a temperature probe inside the cooking chamber. The thermostat monitors the temperature and will raise it if it’s too low or lower it if it’s too high. This makes a unit with a thermostat better than one with a rheostat, but also makes the unit more expensive. One drawback to this type of unit is that it doesn’t work well outdoors in cold weather.
Stovetop smokers have become available in recent years and may solve space concerns, but they cannot be used for very large pieces of pork. They will work well for sausages or other smaller size pieces that may be left over from processing the carcass. Stovetop smokers are stainless-steel units with an enclosed system that uses your stove’s burners for heat to activate the flavored wood chips that are sprinkled across the inside bottom of the pan. The sausages are placed on a grill rack that is set above the base. The cover tightly seals in the heat and smoke.
Stovetop smokers work well in apartments or places where other smoking units can’t be used. They are inexpensive, easy to use and clean, and will work with other meats as well. One drawback is their size. Most of these models range between 7 and 11 inches wide and 11 and 15 inches long, limiting the amount of pork or sausages they can hold at one time.
A covered grill and charcoal-fired smokers can be used to smoke pork, although it is more difficult to maintain an even temperature and smoke with them than with enclosed units. You will need to monitor the internal temperature and add wood chips or charcoal briquettes to maintain a proper temperature.
THERMOMETERS
You will need two types of thermometers to make sure the pork is smoked safely: one for the meat and one for the smoker. A thermometer is needed to monitor the air temperature in the smoker or grill to be sure the heat stays between 225ºF and 300ºF throughout the cooking process. Many of the new model smokers have built-in thermometers to help.
Using a food thermometer to determine the meat temperature is a good practice. Oven-safe thermometers can be inserted in the pork and remain there during smoking. Once the meat is removed from the smoker, you can use an instant-read thermometer to check the temperature. Again, the cooking time will depend on several factors, including the size of the pieces, their shape, the distance they are from the heat, the temperature of the coals, and the weather.
SMOKEHOUSES
If you are considering an annual butchering schedule, you may want to consider constructing a stationary smokehouse for long-term use. While these are more elaborate structures than the smoking units previously discussed, they will accommodate larger quantities of meats at one time and will last for many years. They have the advantage of making temperature control easier, and their tight construction and well-fitted ventilators can control airflow past the meat.
Any smokehouse you construct should have four features: a source of smoke, a place to hold smoke, a method to hold the meat in the smoke, and a draft regulator near the top or bottom. A smokehouse is a very slow oven in which the temperature does not exceed 200ºF. Even though you will use and maintain low temperatures, build your smokehouse in a safe location away from other buildings, particularly your home, and away from combustible materials. Be sure to check with local ordinances and fire codes before you begin any construction. You can get construction diagrams from many contractors or your county extension service.
While smokehouses are excellent for processing meats, they do not make a good storage area for smoke-finished meats. After your smoking process is complete, flies will eventually get in.
SMOKING FROZEN PORK
You can smoke pork that has been previously frozen. However, you must first thaw it out completely before smoking it. Because smoking uses low temperatures to cook food, the meat will take too long to thaw in the smoker. This will allow it to linger in the danger zone mentioned earlier of temperatures between 40ºF and 140ºF, where harmful bacteria can multiply.
Never thaw out pork at room temperature. Keep it cold in your refrigerator while the frozen pork is thawing. This is essential to keep harmful bacteria from growing while it is thawing. You can microwave the pork to thaw it more rapidly. But you then must smoke it immediately because some of the areas of the meat may begin to cook during the microwave thawing process.
You can also thaw the pork by wrapping it in an airtight package and submerging it in cold water. Then change the water every 30 minutes to maintain a temperature below 40ºF. When it is thawed, it must be cooked immediately.
BE SAFE
Depending on where you place your smoking unit, make sure there is adequate ventilation so that any escaping heat and smoke does not create air-quality problems, such as carbon monoxide in your home, shed, or apartment. Carbon monoxide is an invisible, odorless gas that can be produced by malfunctioning appliances, such as gas- or wood-burning stoves, fireplaces, and smokers. Carbon monoxide alarms are available, and you should have one installed inside your home if you use a smoker indoors.
SMOKING PORK
Any cut from the carcass can be smoked, and this section will guide you through the smoking processes for them. If you choose to smoke pork cuts, you should be aware of certain dynamics involved. This is due to the possible presence of trichinae, a small slender worm that may be present in the muscle. It is a parasite when in a larval stage in the voluntary muscles of humans and hogs. An infection occurs after the pig ingests the parasites. They burrow into the muscles and can cause muscle pain, fever, and other physical effects.
Not all pork will be infected by these parasites, whether you purchase your pork at a market or raise the animal yourself. Because these parasites are too small to be seen without using a microscope, you need to be cautious and take several steps to eliminate any potential problems.
First, cook all fresh pork to a minimum internal temperature of 145ºF and allow for a 3-minute rest. During this rest time, its temperature remains constant or continues to rise, ensuring the destruction of any harmful germs. The internal tissue does not stop cooking at the exact moment you remove the meat from the heat source. The internal heat will continue to penetrate into the tissue until the heat source is removed. Once it is removed, there is no longer a heat penetration into the tissue, and the internal temperature will start to drop after about 3 minutes.
WHICH PARTS TO SMOKE
Almost every part of the pig carcass can be smoked. Some cuts are larger than others and will take more time to complete the smoking process, but all can be used. Bacon, hams, and shoulders are the cuts most often smoked. Jowls, ribs, and loins can be smoked too. Sausages can be smoked, and these are covered elsewhere in this book.
Bacon comes from the belly section of the carcass. If meat from other portions of the carcass is used, it may carry the name of where it came from, such as pork shoulder bacon. Pork bacon must be cooked before eating. Most bacon made from your pig carcass will be streaky bacon—the long narrow slices cut crosswise from the belly that contain veins of pink muscle layered within the white fat. These muscles and surrounding fat hold the internal organs intact and protect them from outside injury. You will have trimmed the belly into rectangular or square shapes before slicing into strips. Although you may smoke and heat the bacon, it must be cooked before it is eaten.
Hams are popular for smoking either boneless or with the bone intact. A ham that has the center bone removed will take less time to heat and smoke than one in which the leg bone is still intact. It will take the heat longer to penetrate completely through to the bone and reach the critical 145ºF internal temperature next to the bone. If smoking a ham, it is best to remove the skin and fat as the smoke will not penetrate into the meat if it is still on. Then when this outer layer of skin and fat is removed, all smoke flavor will be removed too.
Pork shoulders can be smoked, and as the name applies, they are located in the front part of the carcass. These will be large cuts and, like hams, will take longer to smoke and heat unless they are cut into smaller pieces.
Ribs, jowls, and loins are smaller cuts that can be smoked and will take less time to finish. The term Canadian bacon involves round slices of pink meat from the loin.
Try to cook pieces that are similar in size, as this will allow you to cook them at a specific temperature for an equal time and have a uniform result. Unevenly matched pieces may become overdone and too dry, or undercooked and unsafe.
SMOKING CONSIDERATIONS
The length of time that the smoke fills the chamber will largely determine the amount of smoke deposits on the surface of the meat. Variations in smoke density will also affect how much the smoke components adhere to the surface.
As a general rule, high smoking temperatures (110ºF and above) with a light smoke will speed up the drying while lower temperatures (80ºF to 110ºF) with a dense smoke will intensify the smoky flavor in the meat.
Once the smoke cycle is completed, you can gradually increase the temperature inside the chamber to cook the meat. Don’t increase the temperature too quickly or it will dry and overcook the surface before the required internal temperature is reached. By increasing the temperature in increments, you will be able to conduct the heat through the meat to minimize the difference between the surface and internal temperature. A long, slow cook will tenderize the meat to maximum effect.
