Pellet Fan

All Things Considered => General Discussion--Food Related => Topic started by: 02ebz06 on April 11, 2022, 09:50:39 AM

Title: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: 02ebz06 on April 11, 2022, 09:50:39 AM
I've had a pork butt in a brine for two weeks (lower left pic) so now it's time to smoke it and see it magically turns into ham. Got my fingers, toes, and eyes crossed.
Since there all that room I decided to throw another pork butt in to make pulled pork.  Now I have to make some hoagie rolls for sandwiches.
And Bentley's meatloaf got me wanting one, so I put a meatloaf in as well.  Bought sliced green olives for pizza, but decided to add some to the meatloaf.
Ham and meatloaf should come off at IT of 150 and other butt will be in there until it hits 203 IT.
Smoking at 180 for an hour, then will go to 275.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: BigDave83 on April 11, 2022, 10:28:40 AM
It all looks like the making of some good eats.

Was going to do my butt I have i the brine over the weekend but that didn't work out, so maybe this weekend.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: 02ebz06 on April 11, 2022, 02:04:40 PM
Meatloaf was done for lunch.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: pmillen on April 11, 2022, 02:46:52 PM
I love a meatloaf with a smoke ring.  Meatloaf was Bentley’s suggestion to me when I asked what my first Fast Eddy PG500 cook should be to demonstrate to Marcia that it was worth the money.  I cooked one that she loved; she now wants all of them smoked.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: 02ebz06 on April 11, 2022, 03:42:44 PM
Second is done.  Pulled the ham at 150, about 5 and 1/2 hours.
Great color and tastes really good.  I'm pleased with my first attempt at this.
Next time it will be with an actual uncured ham.  They have less fat and stringiness in them.
I had 6 of these in the freezer and they are cheap, so thought it would be a good choice to experiment with.
Remaining butt will probably be done about 7:30 tonight.  Put it on about 7:30 this morning.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: BigDave83 on April 11, 2022, 04:12:08 PM
Both look great so far. for the ham it seems to be about how one cuts it. If I do one for slices, I usually cut out or off the bone portion. Then just have a nice boneless part that I will slice on the long side if that makes sense. 90° to the money muscle may make better sense.

 I have not cure a back leg portion in a long time. Usually just do the front picnic shoulder or the butt.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: 02ebz06 on April 11, 2022, 04:32:01 PM
This was kind of floppy butt.  I had to tie it all up, so I knew going in it wouldn't look like the nice slice we think of when we think of ham, but I'm OK with that.
 Next one will be better.
Too bad I don't have a spiral cutting machine. Hahahahaha
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: 02ebz06 on April 11, 2022, 05:00:35 PM
Looks a little better on the other end.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: Bar-B-Lew on April 11, 2022, 05:42:39 PM
Wow, is that all it takes to make a ham - through a shoulder in a brine for a few weeks and then smoke it?
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: 02ebz06 on April 11, 2022, 06:14:38 PM
Yup, that was it. Just flip it over in the brine every day.
Canadian Bacon same thing. 6 days in brine, then smoke it. Use Pork Tenderloin though.
I'm kinda psyched about this.  Will have to check pork belly prices Wednesday (shopping day). may have to make some bacon.

Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: BigDave83 on April 11, 2022, 06:22:01 PM
Yup, that was it. Just flip it over in the brine every day.
Canadian Bacon same thing. 6 days in brine, then smoke it. Use Pork Tenderloin though.
I'm kinda psyched about this.  Will have to check pork belly prices Wednesday (shopping day). may have to make some bacon.

Was it a good ham flavor?

I like dry curing bacon and Canadian style bacon. I prefer it over a wet brine. For doing butts I like the wet because I need to inject. I have not done CB out of tenderloins usually just loins.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: 02ebz06 on April 11, 2022, 06:36:49 PM
Yup, that was it. Just flip it over in the brine every day.
Canadian Bacon same thing. 6 days in brine, then smoke it. Use Pork Tenderloin though.
I'm kinda psyched about this.  Will have to check pork belly prices Wednesday (shopping day). may have to make some bacon.

Was it a good ham flavor?

I like dry curing bacon and Canadian style bacon. I prefer it over a wet brine. For doing butts I like the wet because I need to inject. I have not done CB out of tenderloins usually just loins.
It was a good flavor, Don't quite know how to explain it, but I guess I'd say it is a little milder than store bought ones.
Also, I think I will cut back on the salt a little. wasn't overpowering or anything, but I think a little less will be better.
I guess that's what experimenting is all about...

I might try the dry curing as well.
Have a curing chamber on the way, supposed to get here Thursday, but the way Fedex has been recently, probably not.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: cookingjnj on April 11, 2022, 07:41:13 PM
o2, from the pics you nailed it.  Mouth is watering as I am reading, and seeing, each pic.  Niche!  Thanks for sharing your experiment..... Frankenstien it is not!!!
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: BigDave83 on April 11, 2022, 08:43:33 PM
I say dry cured as in just a non wet brine cure. Mix up my percentages of cure 1, salt sugar and spices. Then just rub into the meat well vac seal and stash in the fridge for usually at least 10 days.

I want to build a chamber but, just not sure It would get used as much as I need it to be.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: 02ebz06 on April 11, 2022, 08:48:40 PM
I justified buying mine so I can make pepperoni and won't have to buy it for pizza anymore.    :rotf:
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: 02ebz06 on April 11, 2022, 10:03:52 PM
Just pulled the last out of the smoker and shredded it.
Tomorrow will be vacuum sealing and freezing.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: Bentley on April 11, 2022, 11:03:57 PM
Looking back, I am curious why mine did not have a smoke ring.  Maybe there is something to those Lowes heating pellets.  Hardwood not withstanding...Although I do cook mine at 325° the entire time.  There should still be plenty of smoke even at that temperature.  Will have to experiment with that.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: BigDave83 on April 12, 2022, 07:15:32 AM
Can't wait to see your pepperoni and what you do in the dry ager.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: 02ebz06 on April 12, 2022, 12:31:16 PM
One of the members of the Pizza Making forum had me over to his house to see his setup.
Had made made pepperoni beforehand so it was ready when we got there.
Man that was good. So plan on using same recipe.
Even had it on pizza for lunch.   ;D
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: BigDave83 on April 12, 2022, 03:27:15 PM
One of the members of the Pizza Making forum had me over to his house to see his setup.
Had made made pepperoni beforehand so it was ready when we got there.
Man that was good. So plan on using same recipe.
Even had it on pizza for lunch.   ;D

Hope you start a thread here if Bentley and Meredith don't mind.
 I have never done pepperoni or dry cured salamis. Closed I ever got was I did some snack sticks with just cure 1 and put them in the garage fridge to dry and they turned out nice.
Title: Re: Ham. Pulled Pork, and Meatloaf
Post by: 02ebz06 on April 12, 2022, 03:46:02 PM
One of the members of the Pizza Making forum had me over to his house to see his setup.
Had made made pepperoni beforehand so it was ready when we got there.
Man that was good. So plan on using same recipe.
Even had it on pizza for lunch.   ;D

Hope you start a thread here if Bentley and Meredith don't mind.
 I have never done pepperoni or dry cured salamis. Closed I ever got was I did some snack sticks with just cure 1 and put them in the garage fridge to dry and they turned out nice.

Pepperoni and Salami are the two things I want to get where I am happy with the outcome and I can repeat it.
Then I will branch out into other things to cure.
This unit I have on the way was primarily designed for dry aging meats such as steaks.  They added humidification for doing Charcuterie.
Originally I will be experimenting with just small quantities just to test the unit.
I have some concerns about the humidification as it doesn't have any dehumidification.   
Fortunately it is very low humidity here, so maybe it will be OK and not get the humidity too high.
If not, I will probably remove the humidification unit and replace it with equipment that does both.

I would be happy to start a thread.
I would think it would be OK with Bentley as we have pizza, bread, garden, dog threads etc.
It does involve some cold smoking which I would do in my CampChef Pellet Smoker.

Be warned - this will be my first time doing this so expect a lot of screw-ups. I know I do.  ;D