Porkopalooza! 150#....

[HalfSmoked]

Sound s good to me I can eat all that.

Warren

 

[indaswamp]

I'm gonna pull out ~7# of pork from the boudin meat to make some head cheese since I will be getting ~10# of pork skin from the butcher.

 

[indaswamp]

Smoked the tasso today. 9 hours of smoke total with oak and pecan. 3 hours @120~125*, then 3 hours @150ish*, then 3 hours @190* to finish @160*...

Inda fridge to cool then package tomorrow...

 

[pc farmer]

Looks great. I am out of tasso.

 

[indaswamp]

Looks great. I am out of tasso.

Thanks pc farmer. Tasso is fairly easy to do, and a quick cure. If there are any beginners to curing watching this thread, this is a great one to start with.

 

[pc farmer]

Thanks pc farmer. Tasso is fairly easy to do, and a quick cure. If there are any beginners to curing watching this thread, this is a great one to start with.

Yes, very easy. I used Len Polies recipe.

 

[indaswamp]

Yes, very easy. I used Len Polies recipe.

I just looked up Len's recipe. Looks legit except for the allspice. That would have been a part of 'Creole' recipes in and around New Orleans, not 'Cajun' way back in the swamps. I'm not being critical of any particular recipe one chooses to use, so please do not misunderstand my post...I know that to those outside of Louisiana they may not know the difference between Authentic Cajun and Creole cooking, but exotic spices rarely made a showing in true 'Cajun' recipes...and if they were, it was for special occasion dishes. Tasso was more of an every day kind of thing where the smoking was done for subsistence. The spices used were for practical purposes. Salt, black pepper, red pepper, garlic for anti-microbial properties....I like to add a touch of brown sugar as well for color....

The same can be said of butter. Cajuns never used butter in a roux. Butter was too precious to them to use in a roux. Only in creole cooking will you see butter rouxs......

I also wonder why Len chose to use cure #2???

 

[pc farmer]

I just looked up Len's recipe. Looks legit except for the allspice. That would have been a part of 'Creole' recipes in and around New Orleans, not 'Cajun' way back in the swamps. I'm not being critical of any particular recipe one chooses to use, so please do not misunderstand my post...I know that to those outside of Louisiana they may not know the difference between Authentic Cajun and Creole cooking, but exotic spices rarely made a showing in true 'Cajun' recipes...and if they were, it was for special occasion dishes. Tasso was more of an every day kind of thing where the smoking was done for subsistence. The spices used were for practical purposes. Salt, black pepper, red pepper, garlic for anti-microbial properties....I like to add a touch of brown sugar as well for color....

The same can be said of butter. Cajuns never used butter in a roux. Butter was too precious to them to use in a roux. Only in creole cooking will you see butter rouxs......

I also wonder why Len chose to use cure #2???

I am in PA. We dont have tasso here. So I followed his recipe. We like it. I will try yours next.

 

[indaswamp]

I am in PA. We dont have tasso here. So I followed his recipe. We like it. I will try yours next.

It's spicy so fair warning....but it's suppose to be that way......

 

[indaswamp]

An I'm certainly not knocking anyone for whatever recipe they choose to use....I'm more setting straight Len's choice to call his recipe 'Cajun' when in fact it is 'Creole'...it just muddies the water on the two distinct styles of cooking. Though I do realize that we are more modern now and the styles have mingled to the point where it is hard to tell the difference between the two.....

 

[HalfSmoked]

Ok its all done now when are you going to make all the things you said you use it for. I'm looking forward to your mail order business.

Warren

 

[indaswamp]

Ok its all done now when are you going to make all the things you said you use it for. I'm looking forward to your mail order business.

Warren

LOL! Well...I have some sun dried tomatoes from last year's crop that I need to use up so I'm planning a Tasso, shrimp and sun dried tomato Alfredo cream sauce over linguini sometime soon.... pics. when I make it.

 

[indaswamp]

I'm in hog heaven! Picked up the fresh liver today...

Also picked up 10# of skin CHEAP!

Butcher threw in a couple feet with the hocks as lagniappe...

Look at all that meat on those hocks!

Since I have plenty of meat already for the boudin and hog head cheese, I'm gonna cure the hocks and smoke them for seasoning meats....

OH-and after chatting with the butcher about charcuterie for about a 45 minutes (I was the only person in the shop this morning), he offered to loan me this book...

I'm skimmed through it...anyone else have this one?

I can't get started until tomorrow, got dinner plans tonight. Pics. to come...

 

[indaswamp]

Well...I went to the store this morning to pick up the ingredients for the boudin and they had a sale on pork loins for $0.59/lb....so I picked up 35# of loin for CB. I am a glutton for punishment! LOL! But damn, just could not pass up such a great sale, and I am out of CB! So-pork loin back bacon has been added to porkopalooza....I'll get it in a 5 gallon bucket with pops brine today since I can not make the boudin...It's been storming with torrential rain since 6am this morning.. I'll make the boudin when the weather clears.

 

[HalfSmoked]

wow $0.59 you kidding hasn't been under $1.59 here forever. A great find for sure and the bacon is my favorite Canadian back bacon. I always use Bears way.

Warren

 

[indaswamp]

wow $0.59 you kidding hasn't been under $1.59 here forever. A great find for sure and the bacon is my favorite Canadian back bacon. I always use Bears way.

Warren

That's what I said....."$0.59/lb. Are you kidding me???"

I like a wet brine on my CB since loin can be dry when cooked and the brine helps to keep it moist. I also leave the fat caps on. These will be seasoned with ham spice and sliced for sandwiches.

 

[indaswamp]

I would have bought more, but 35# is all I can fit in a 5 gallon brine bucket!! LOL!!!

 

[indaswamp]

Got the boudin going this morning....I'll pull the skin out to grind in about 2 hours...

 

[indaswamp]

In case anyone is wondering why I've been going hog wild buying pork, here ya go....
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/better-stock-up-on-pork-now-before-prices-jump.285925/

 

[indaswamp]

Got the boudin mixed up, cooled down, and cure #1 mixed in. I'll let it sit in the fridge overnight and stuff tomorrow. May roll cold smoke to them sat. night.