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Easiest Meat to Smoke? (Beginners Guide with Pictures)

Here are some details on what I consider the easiest meat to smoke and some tips so it can be done with ease. Sometimes I want convenience and that awesome smoke flavor. What is the Easiest Meat to Smoke? The internet has a lot of the more complex styles of BBQ smoking like the 10 hour plus brisket journey, I …

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Easy Wood Selection for Smoking Meat (Chart with Varieties)

Meat & wood selection can get a bit confusing. There is a huge selection, sometimes I buy it. Most of the time somebody is trimming an apple tree or grapevine and I get ample wood stock. Blind taste tests have highlighted the variations are mainly whether its a ‘light’ hardwood or a ‘heavy’ hardwood. However, the internet reviews of woods …

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What is the Difference Between Hot Smoking and Cold Smoking?

Smoking meat in general seems to get confusing especially hot and cold smoking. Seeing a lot of artisan smokers and practicing it myself – I thought it would be helpful to clarify the difference. There is one fundamental difference between hot and cold smoking that I will explain in detail. It is to do with temperature. I will attempt to …

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Which Salt for Meat Curing? Quick & Dry Curing or Smoking

There is salt and there is curing salt, I hope to help explain which salt is for which application in this post. When I started meat curing and had never heard of Prague powder, pink curing salt, instacure, and many others. Now, I thought it would be useful for others to know what I have learned. It makes bacon taste …

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50 Examples – Cured Meats, Charcuterie & Salumi of the World

Here are 50 examples of common and some cured meats you might not of heard of. I could have easily written 100 salami variations, but decided to focus on familiar & interesting unique flavors of the meat curing world! Maybe you want to find something for an epic charcuterie board or just want to learn a bit more about various …

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Does Hot Smoking Preserve Meat? (and Some Preserving Ideas)

When I started hot smoking meat, I did wonder if it had any preserving aspect to it.  I’ve been reading a lot of books on preserving and smoking, so thought I would share the answer, because I couldn’t find it online intially. It seems alot of people make the assumption that smoking is preserving. However, there is a difference between …

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How To Smoke Meat on a Gas Grill – (Pictures & Techniques)

I love my gas BBQ, and over the years I have tried a lot of methods to get the most out of my hot smoking adventures. It’s easy, and I reckon once you get the basics you are going to be hooked! How to Smoke any Meat on a Gas Grill BBQ Salt cure or brine meat Refrigerate and form the pellicle Heat up indirect burners & reach the …

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Equipment for Meat Curing Guide – What You Do & Don’t Need

The equipment for curing and smoking meats can be quite simple, and you may already have what you need. It is a vast category that has evolved into a skill and craft with numerous options that can be done at home. We will break down all the necessary steps, whether you want to dry cure, hot smoke, cold smoke, or make a healthy protein snack that will last for a while, such as jerky (which can be stored in a cardboard box if desired). It’s all cured meat! To start with I …

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How to Hot Smoke Fish (Pictures,Techniques & Temperature)

There are some key points when hot smoking fish, with a few techniques and temperatures you can use. Hopefully, I can share some of the successes I have had over the years. We will also talk about the different equipment for hot smoking, you can use. To say I love smoked fish is a super understatement. More often than not …

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How to Form a Pellicle on Smoked Meat (Salmon & Bacon)

Here is a quick guide about the pellicle, and why it helps when smoking meat. I’ve been meat smoking for decades and have always been looking for helpful traditional & new techniques. I love smoking all kinds of meat, including store-bought, farmed & wild meat. This is a mistake I’ve seen many times with online content about smoking meat, for …