Smokers Weekend Aftermath Q&A - 2016

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slimjimuk

Smoke Blower
Original poster
Apr 7, 2016
96
24
Telford, United Kingdom
Loads of info gathered over the weekend. Cool little hints and tips I WILL be using to up my game over the next few smokes,

Save me making the mistakes I may have done!

But there are a few questions I (and I presume others now have from the weekend) which would be superb if they could be answered on here.

Here are my first two:

1. Corned Beef / Pastrami hot pot.

Pretty sure this is one of yours @Smokin Monkey ... Need to know the recipe.
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Also, as important, the pot you used for the whole process.

Pretty sure it said "SUN" on the lid? But I think my memory was effected by too many sherbets
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2. Pit Beans.

@Wade.... come on man, hook me up. I NEEEEED to try and re-produce the heavenly taste from your side.

Still can't believe there was no meat in them, so flavourful....


Hope everyone else with questions feels free to ask them and have them answered on here.
 
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Jim - the vegetarian pit beans use a small number of ingredients however some of these are also home made.

For the beans themselves:

4 x 415 g cans of baked beans
1/3 cup Woodchurch Smokery Stock BBQ Sauce (see recipe below)
1 small onion

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp garam masala (see recipe below)

1 tsp Ancho chilli powder
1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 tsp Hickory liquid smoke (optional)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Finely chop the onion and fry gently in the oil until beginning to soften.
Add the beans, BBQ sauce and garlic powder, garam masala, chilli, liquid smoke (if used)  and sugar. Mix well. 
Place in a small roasting tray and cook uncovered for 1 hour alongside the meat in the smoker.

Stir in the crust that has formed. Cover with foil and cook for a further 1 hour.

If you really cannot bear to eat beans without meat then simply add 100g of smoked bacon or lardons as the onions are softening - but these are really not required.

Woodchurch Smokery Stock BBQ sauce

This is not designed to be used on food straight from the bottle but if you like a spicy savoury sauce (like the Daddy's sauce used to be) you will also like this. I make it to mostly use as an ingredient - as with the beans. I also Mix 50:50 with tomato ketchup with my ribs during the foiled stage. It freezes well if you make more than you can use in about a month.

4 cups tomato ketchup
1 1/2 cups lager
1/2 cup cider vinegar
3/4 cup medium Piri Piri sauce
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
Juice of 2 lemons
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1/2 cup Worcester sauce

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp Superior soy sauce
1 cup dark Muscovado sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 Tbsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup HP Sauce

Mix all of the ingredients in a large pan and bring to a simmer, stirring regularly.
Simmer with the lid off for 20 minutes to reduce the volume to about half
Pass through a fine kitchen sieve to remove any lumps
Simmer with the lid on for a further 30 minutes to help flavours blend
Allow to cool and bottle.

Garam Masala

You can use shop blended garam masala but once you have made your own you will never go back. I also use a little of this in my burgers to add subtle depth of flavour.

1 Tbs black peppercorns

2 Tbsp Cumin seeds

2 Tbs coriander seeds

2 tsp cardamom seeds (from about 30-40 green pods but I buy mine with the pods already removed)

4 tsp whole cloves

1 tsp cinnamon powder (or 7 cm piece of cinnamon stick)

1 whole nutmeg

Roast all of the ingredients (except for the nutmeg) in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for a couple of minutes until toasted and aromatic

Allow to cool

Add grated nutmeg

Place in a coffee grinder or spice grinder ant blitz to a fine powder.

sift through a fine kitchen sieve or tea strainer, returning any lumps for re-grinding.

<<edited a couple of spelling mistakes>>
 
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Excellent. Exactly what I was looking for, as well as the additional info. Also been looking for a nice BBQ sauce.

I would always argue for more meat but the beans were SO good on their own, I just need to have a go at re-producing them, as they were.
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Spice grinding, that is where the Thermomix comes into it's own
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Hi Jim, this is the Corned Beef Reciepe.

This is for a 2Kg (5lb) Brisket.
I mixing two Recepies together Alton Brown for brining, then BBQ Pit Boys to cook.

Alton Brown Brining,
2 qts Water
1 cup Kosher Salt
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
5 Grams Cure #1
2Kg Beef Brisket
1 Cinnamon
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Whole Black Pepper Corns
8 Whole Cloves
12 Whole Juniper Berries
8 Whole Allspice Berries
2 Bay Leafs
1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

Directions:
Place the water into a large stockpot along with salt, sugar, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger.
Cook over high heat until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Remove from the heat and add the ice. Stir until the ice has melted. If necessary, place the brine into the refrigerator until it reaches a temperature of 45 degrees F. Once it has cooled, add the Cure #1, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 10 days. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and stir the brine.



After 10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool running water.
Then on to the BBQ Pit Boys.

Place in pan with water and simmer for 30-45 minutes, then on to smoker for 3-4 hours indirect heat @ 120'C, until IT of 92'C, Or you can cover in BBQ Sauce after 1 Hour and Wrap, repeat every hour until IT of 92'C.




Dutch oven off EBay, it's a Ronnie Sunshine.

Have fun!
 
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Hi Danny - The Cashews are quite straightforward.

For both spicy and non spicy...

1Kg raw cashew nuts

2 Litres of water

4 Tbs salt

2 whole chillies (split in half with seeds)

To make the spicy ones also add...

1 Tbs Ancho chilli powder

Put the water, salt, chillies and chilli powder into a pan and heat to a simmer

Add the cashews and bring back to the simmer. Simmer for 3 minutes

Drain and spread out on a baking tray to cook and dry

Cold smoke over hickory (or your choice of wood) for 4 hours

Note that at this point they will still be quite soft in texture.

Heat your kitchen oven to 100 C (212 F) and place the trays of nuts inside with the door left slightly open. Let the nuts dry and roast for 3 hours, turning every 30 minutes.

Allow to cool and store in an air tight container.


 
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Belly Pork.

Whole Belly Pork, rind on, ribs removed.
Favourite Rub
Chopped Onions
Chopped Carrot
Chopped Celery
Any Beer
Spray Oil
Salt

Set smoker to run at 130'C with any wood of your choice, I use Apple.

Apply the rub to the meat side, I leave overnight.
Score the rind of the belly pork in any pattern you like, I score mine, into the portion size I will be serving. Dry the rind with paper towel, spray with any oil and grind salt on top.
Place chopped veg in a foil tray. Place belly pork on top. Pour beer down the side of the meat, trying not to get any on the rind.


Place Belly Pork into smoker and cook for around six hours, I do not go by IT on this one.

Top up beer, do not let it dry out as you are braising the meat.
Once ready to serve, reverse sear the rind side, or place under a hot grill to crisp the crackling.

 
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Porchetta.

Pork Loin, cut to 1 inch thick, raided the Herb Garden, Chives, Mint, Parsley, Rosemary and Basil. Zest of one Lemon.

Chopped herbs added a little bit of Rapeseed Oil.




Made a Stuffing mixture with Sausage Meat a Sage & Onion Stuffing Mix.



Place Tenderloin onto stuffing.


Rolled and tied.


Cooked at 120'C (250'F) for three hours then 135'C (275'F) for one hour. IT 76'C.



 
Brisket Chilli.

Beef Brisket left over (about 1.5 Kg)
2 Tins Chopped Tomatoes
2 Tins Red Kidney Beans
2 White Oinions
2 Red Chillies
Beef Stock

Cubed the cold left over Brisket
Chopped the onions
All into a Dutch Oven
Cooked next to hot coals for 2 hours.
I added stock from my corned beef if it starts to get to dry, but good beef stock will do.
 
I will post my recipes here tomorrow when I'm not on mobile, but while I'm here, Danny, do you have a recipe for those sausages you did? They were great!
 
Hello Paul.  Glad you like them.  
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  Short story.  Those sausages are how I found SMF and eventually started the U.K. Group.  I LOVE sausage; ( by the way; I didn't get any of mine Saturday.  I had to smoke a ring Monday ) and as you can tell by the taste of those I am not so thrilled by bangers.  I looked online for years to get an American ( Texas ) style and even ordered some from Germany.  I finally decided I need to learn to make my own and then I found SMF.


I do have a recipe but I'd have to kill ya!  
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  Not really.  I am lucky that I have a butcher that makes sausage to my recipe.  I buy in bulk and then bring it home, tie it into rings and you know the rest.  Recipe to follow:


SAUSAGE

2kg. - LEAN PORK + (30% - 35% FAT) = 2KG. TOTAL

1kg. - BEEF - MARBLED BEEF SAME AS USED FOR MINCED

27g. - SALT  23g. IF ADDING CURE

8g. - GROUND BLACK PEPPER

2g. - GROUND GARLIC GRANULES

1/2 tbs. - DRIED MARJORAM

3g. – PAPRIKA

6g. - RED CHILI FLAKES

3g. - GROUND FENNEL SEEDS

7g. - CURE NO.1

1 c. – WATER

NO RUSK IS ADDED TO THE SAUSAGE.  1 TIME THROUGH THE GRINDER.  THIS SHOULD BE A COARSE GRIND/TEXTURE SAUSAGE.  SAUSAGE SHOULD NOT BE DRY, IF IN DOUBT ERR ON THE SIDE OF MORE PORK FAT.  THESE ARE MORE FATTY THAN ENGLISH SAUSAGE.   THE FAT IS THERE FOR THE HOT SMOKING PROCESS.  ADD MORE OR LESS WATER TO ALLOW FOR GOOD GRINDING, MIXING AND STUFFING.

I DO like mine a bit more spicy so would add more chilli flakes but this is for the masses.  I don't link mine.  I tie into rings.  Easier to hang or even turn on the smoker.

I have one other thing you may want to try Paul.  Have you tried the "sausage and egg mcmuffin"?  You know from where I mean.  Well that is a MILD version of the American breakfast sausage.  My version is full on real deal.  Since it is pork do not low and slow it.  Hot and fast so it doesn't dry out.  The outside MAY blacken because of the sugar but all will be good.  Fried as a pattie and served for breakfast or this is the recipe for sausage gravy. As in biscuits ( savoury scones ) and gravy, which you may have heard of.  This is part of my database recipe book so sorry for the format:

    BACK                                    

    BREAKFAST SAUSAGE                                    

        INGREDIENTS:                                

        1 lb. GROUND PORK                                

        2 tsp. GROUND SAGE                                

        1 1/2 tsp. GROUND MARJORAM                                

        2 tsp. GROUND THYME                                

        1/2 tsp. CAYENNE PEPPER                                

        1 tsp. BROWN SUGAR                                

        1/2 tsp. SALT                                

        1/2 tsp of BLACK PEPPER                                

    DIRECTIONS:                                    

    "MIX ALL INGREDIENTS TOGETHER.  FORM INTO PATTIES AND FRY 5 TO 6 MINS. EACH SIDE.  KEEPS IN FRIDGE FOR A WEEK.  CAN BE FROZEN AND COOKED FROM FROZEN.  ALLOW A LITTLE MORE COOKING TIME.  VERY HARD TO SLICE IF FROZEN IN 1 BLOCK, MAKE PATTIES AND WRAP INDIVIDUALLY TO MAKE IT EASIER.  THEN PLACE ALL PATTIES IN ZIPLOCK BAG AND FREEZE.  THE SPICES ARE A PLACE TO START, TRY IT AND ADJUST TO YOUR LIKING.

"                                    

    APRIL 02, 2012                        FROM:    DANNY LANE    

This sausage will also work well as a Main for a dinner menu.  Just need some gravy.  So now I just need to show you "white gravy" ( a seasoned "Béchamel" sauce ) and "chicken fried steak".  Wade knows what I mean.  Once you go down that road I'll take you to proper collard or spring greens and down other roads.  Be afraid!  NAW!  I think as a chef you will like the new tastes.

Do I get a cut if you use these in the restaurant??  
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  Anything else I can help any one with please just ask.  Keep Smokin!


Danny
 
Paul.  Side note:  Most breakfast sausage recipes call for more sage.  I am not a lover of sage so I cut it down.  Vary both recipes to suit your tastes.  The ring sausage recipe is exactly what you ate at the smoking weekend; no changes.  NATURAL CASINGS.  Keep Smokin!

Danny
 
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Hi Danny. I followed your recipe for your link sausages and they were lovely. I added a little more fennel and used my Ancho chilli instead of the chilli flakes. I also cold smoked them for 3 hours before leaving them overnight before cooking. The result was really good - thanks.
 
Hi Wade.  Like that cold smoking idea.  Bet that adds to the smokey flavour.  I have the chili powders you brought back from the states.  Maybe something to play around with.

I did forget to mention in my recipe that the skins should be dry to take the smoke ( hence the cure ) and these were made to be hot smoked low and slow, slowly bringing up the temp until they reach IT of 158F , nah nah, nah nah.  But you guys know all that.  I find that the British weather doesn't always co-operate so I usually wind up freezing them and cooking what I need on the day.  I'll bet the cold smoke really helps.  Gonna try that.  Keep Smokin!

Danny
 
Hey folks.
I'm gutted I didn't get to come to the weekender! Hopefully I can get time off next year.
Thank you all for posting your recipes though I've pinched every one of them [emoji]128077[/emoji][emoji]128516[/emoji] and will be trying them all out as soon as I can.
Looking forward to seeing more pics and vids from the weekend.
Happy smoking.
Bob.
 
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