Permanent structures suitable for smoking meat should be constructed if large quantities of meat are to be smoked. Tight construction and well-fitted ventilators provide effective regulation of the air flow past the meat. An outside firebox makes temperature control easy and reduces fire hazard. Consult the local extension agent for detailed plans for the construction of permanent smokehouses.
Smoking Process:
All meat to be smoked should be soaked to remove surface concentration of salt. Cuts should be allowed to dry since a wet surface will not take a uniform smoked color.
Hang the cuts in the smokehouse in such a way that cuts do not touch each other or the wall. Suspend hams and shoulders with string or clean galvanized wire through the shank. Prior to hanging bellies, reinforce the ends with hardwood skewers or clean galvanized wire to hold them square. Bacon hangers can also be made from strips of non-resinous wood through which several small galvanized nails have been driven.
In the firepit, build a fire of any hardwood, such as hickory, oak, apple, pecan, and maple. Hickory is the most popular. NEVER use soft woods (pine, cedar, spruce, or other “needle leaf” trees) because their smoke is sooty and contains resin which gives the meat a dark color, bitter taste, and strong odor. Once the fire is burning, hard wood sawdust can be added to deaden the blaze and generate more smoke. Dampen the sawdust with water to prevent it from flaming. A thin haze of smoke is as effective as a dense cloud.
The absorption of smoke and the change in color of the outside surface of smoked meat is hastened by high temperatures. The type of smokehouse and the outside temperatures are important factors in the length of time required to smoke meat. Federal meat inspection regulations state that whenever the fresh appearance of a product containing pork muscle tissue has been altered to resemble a product that may mistakenly be eaten without cooking or with less than thorough cooking, it must have been treated in an acceptable manner to destroy possible live trichinae by heating to an internal temperature of 137° or otherwise treating (see page [62]).
A suggested schedule for smoking pumped or pickled cured hams is as follows:
- 4 hours - 120° F damper open - smoke off
- 6 hours - 140° F damper one-quarter open - smoke on
- Raise temperature to 170° F and hold until internal temperature reaches 142° to 146° F.
To be fully cooked, it is recommended that the cuts remain in the smokehouse until their internal temperature reaches 152° to 155° F.
For smoking bacon, the following schedule may be used: