Use and Care Manual

9
COLD SMOKING is the process of adding wood smoke flavor to food
without exposing it to heat, while maintaining temperatures below 100º F.
It is ideal to cold smoke when the outdoor temperatures are cooler.
There are a wide variety of foods to cold smoke: salt, peppercorns,
spices, garlic, paprika, nuts, cheese, vegetables, fish and even fruit.
The options are endless. Cold smoking items such as fish will require
a brine (page 20). If cold smoking bacon or ham, these will require
a cure (page 9).
Typical cold smoke times range from 2 to 12 hours, however, some
cold smoke times may be longer. The amount of time you cold smoke
depends on the food that is being smoked. Foods such as cheese,
spices and vegetables typically require less smoke time. Meats, such as
bacon and ham, will be smoked for a longer period of time.
Another great use of cold smoking is adding wood smoke flavor to
your steaks, hamburgers or chicken before cooking them on your grill.
Place the meat on your grill, light your A-MAZE-N SMOKER (not the grill)
and cold smoke the meat for an hour or two before firing up your grill
for cooking. This method adds a great smoky flavor to your ordinary
grilled meat.
HOT SMOKING is a method of enhancing your food with wood smoke
flavor, while cooking it to a safe internal temperature. Hot Smoking is
also known as “Smoking Low & Slow.“ You smoke at lower cooking
temps for a longer period of time. This method tenderizes the meat,
and reduces shrinkage. Normal cooking temps for Low & Slow are
between 175º and 275º F.
Your food will absorb the wood smoke flavor and also deepen in color.
The amount of time you hot smoke can range from 2-12 hours, but will
depend on the amount of smoke flavor you prefer.
What is Cold Smoking?
What is Hot Smoking?
8
BACON CURE
CURE is a process of preserving meat and fish by using nitrates and salt. The
meat or fish is then smoked or dried.
Ingredients
12 lbs. pork shoulder or pork bellies (skin removed)
4 oz Country Brown Cure*
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp allspice (optional ginger)
2 Tbsp cracked black pepper (CBP)
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp Kosher or sea salt (optional 2–3 Tbsp salt)
Directions
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. If brown sugar has clumps, break them
up. Spread dry cure mix liberally on all exposed meat. Place in Ziploc bag and in
fridge for 7–10 days and turn daily.
The meat will “sweat” as moisture is drawn out. This will mix with the dry cure
and spices to form a brine solution. If the meat does not sweat, add 1–2 oz. of
water to each bag. We add 1–2 oz. of water up front.
Remove from the fridge after 7–10 days and rinse thoroughly under cold water.
Test fry. If salt is too strong, soak for an hour in cold water.
Towel dry and place in fridge overnight, to form pellicle. You can speed
up this process by placing slabs in front of a fan, or hang inside smoker for
approximately 1 hour without smoke.
We prefer to Cold Smoke BBB (Buckboard Bacon) or Belly Bacon for 12 hours at
temps below 100°, using Apple pellets. We’ve also smoked bacon at 140°–160°,
to an internal temp of 120°. Again, 8–12 hours of good clean smoke is necessary.
The color should be almost mahogany red as it nears completion.
Ends and pieces will have a stronger smoke flavor, and can be used for beans or
other foods where bacon is used.
Optional:
Before the pellicle is formed, sprinkle cracked black pepper (CBP) liberally
on one side.
Spread honey or maple syrup on one side, with or without CBP.
Inject slabs with a diluted mixture of maple syrup and water.
*Country Brown Cure is available from Butcher & Packer at http://tinyurl.com/oqoyxna
Mouth Watering, Finger Lickin’ Good!
Our Original Recipes to try with the
A-MAZE-N
®
SMOKER MAZE & TUBES