Smoking Meat (19 page)
Baste the tenderloin with about ¹⁄³ cup of the melted butter sauce, then leave it for 20 to 30 minutes to come up to room temperature while you set up your smoker.
SMOKING
Prepare your smoker for cooking at 250°
F
to 275°
F
. If you are using a gas, an electric, or a charcoal smoker, make sure to have enough wood chips or chunks to produce smoke for at least two to three hours. If you are using a charcoal smoker, also place the whole apples on top of the coals for extra flavor.
Place the pan with the tenderloin on the smoker grate. Insert a digital probe meat thermometer at about the one-hour mark so you can monitor the internal temperature of the meat.
Smoke cook for about 45 minutes per pound, or until the meat has reached a temperature of 130°
F
(medium-rare), or a higher temperature if you desire more well-cooked meat. Baste the meat once each hour with the remaining melted butter sauce while it is in the smoker.
Once the goal temperature has been reached, remove the tenderloin from the smoker and let it rest 15 to 20 minutes with foil tented over the top. While the meat is resting, you can make a sauce or gravy from the drippings in the bottom of the pan, and serve it on the side of or under the sliced meat.
Keep in mind that the ends of the tenderloin will be cooked more than the center; serve accordingly. Garnish with an edible flower blossom, or with slices of fresh melon, a dollop of sour cream, and a few blueberries.
Dutch’s Smoked Shredded Beef Enchiladas
My buddy Earl Dowdle (Dutch) from
www.smokingmeatforums.com
sent in this recipe favorite; it is truly delicious and a great way to do things a little differently with smoked meat. The arm chuck roast is an excellent alternative to brisket, with less fat and a shorter cooking time. I suggest you give this one a try.
RECOMMENDED WOOD
Oak, mesquite, or pecan
ESTIMATED COOK TIME
6 to 9 hours (1½ hours per pound)
SERVES
6 to 8
4 to 6 lb arm chuck roast
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 Tbsp vegetable oil plus enough to oil the baking pan
1 large onion, diced
Two 4 oz cans diced green chilies
2 envelopes (1½ oz each) enchilada sauce mix (or two 15 oz cans enchilada sauce)
Twenty-four 8-inch flour tortillas
4 cups shredded Colby cheese (or Colby-Jack cheese)
PREPARATION
Rinse the roast under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the entire roast, then set it aside for 30 to 45 minutes to allow it to come up to room temperature while you set up your smoker.
SMOKING
Prepare your smoker for cooking at 225°
F
to 240°
F
. If you are using a charcoal, an electric, or a gas smoker, be sure to have enough wood chips or chunks to produce smoke for about four hours.
Place the roast directly on the smoker grate. At about the four-hour mark, insert a digital probe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast so you can monitor the temperature of the meat. Continue smoke cooking for about one and a half hours per pound (about six to nine hours for this size roast), or until the internal temperature reaches 180°
F
.
Once the roast is done cooking, transfer it to the counter and use two forks to shred the cooked beef. Put the shredded beef into a large saucepan and set aside.
ASSEMBLING (optional)
Heat the oil in a frying pan set over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion until tender, then stir half of the onion and all of the green chilies into the shredded beef.
Prepare the enchilada sauce mix according to the directions on the envelopes (or use cans of prepared enchilada sauce). Stir half of the sauce into the shredded beef mixture to moisten it.
Stir the reserved onion into the remaining sauce. Lightly oil two 12- × 9-inch baking pans, and evenly coat the bottom of the pans with half of the onion/enchilada sauce mix.
Fill each tortilla with approximately 3 Tbsp of the beef mixture. Roll and place seam side down in the baking pans, 12 enchiladas per pan. When all are rolled, pour the remaining onion/enchilada sauce mix evenly over the tops of the enchiladas and generously cover with the cheese.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven at 350°
F
for 30 to 45 minutes. If using glass baking dishes, reduce the baking time to 20 to 35 minutes, or bake at 325°
F
for 30 to 45 minutes.
Cherry-Smoked Prime Rib
Smoked prime rib is a staple at our house around the holidays and on really special occasions. You could use a coarse steak seasoning, such as Emeril’s Steak Seasoning, in place of the rub. Occasionally spray some sweet cherry juice on the outside of the meat while it cooks, for a nice, subtle cherry-flavoured crust.
RECOMMENDED WOOD
Cherry or pecan
ESTIMATED COOK TIME
5 hours
SERVES
6
5 lb prime rib
2 Tbsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
2 Tbsp garlic flakes
2 Tbsp minced onion
1 Tbsp red pepper flakes
Spray olive oil
2 cups cherry juice
PREPARATION
Use a very sharp knife to make a cut right next to the bone of the prime rib, all the way down to where the feather bones end but not clean through the meat (i.e., leave the meat attached).
Use butcher’s twine to tie up the prime rib at ¾-inch intervals all the way along the length of the meat. This keeps the meat from separating during the cooking process and makes for a prettier entrée to serve.
In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper, garlic flakes, onion, and red pepper flakes together to form a rub. Spray some olive oil on the meat to act as a sticking agent, then sprinkle on the rub. Leave the prime rib on the counter for 30 to 45 minutes to come up to room temperature while you set up your smoker.
SMOKING
Prepare your smoker for cooking at about 225°
F
to 240°
F
. If you are using a charcoal, an electric, or a gas smoker, make sure you have enough wood chips or chunks to produce about four hours of smoke.
Place the prime rib directly on the smoker grate. Spray the meat with the cherry juice about once every hour. Insert a digital probe meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat at about the two-hour mark. Prime rib should be cooked only to medium-rare, so be sure to remove the meat from the smoker as soon as it hits 130°
F
.
Remove the prime rib from the smoker and place it in a pan with foil tented over the top until it is time to eat. The temperature of the meat will rise as much as 5°
F
to 10°
F
within 30 minutes.
To serve, remove the butcher’s twine, then finish the cut right next to the feather bones all the way through the meat. You will be left with solid meat and no bones. Slice the meat into ¾-inch-thick steaks and serve immediately.
Smoking fish deserves a book all of its own, but a few basics will allow you to do some experimenting. And who knows? Maybe that book on smoking fish will be written soon.
Types of fish to smoke
Oily fish like salmon, trout, and catfish are the best candidates for smoking. Leaner fish tend to get dry and tough when smoked. You can still try smoking them, but be forewarned.
Whatever fish you choose, make sure it is as fresh as possible and comes from a reputable source.
Types of wood to use
Alder, oak, apple, pecan, or other mild woods produce the best results when smoking fish.
brining and drying
I recommend brining both whole fish and fish fillets before smoking; the reaction of the salt and sugar with the flesh of the fish seems to yield a much moister and more flavorful result. The recipes that follow provide detailed brining instructions.
For fish fillets, drying is also crucial to getting that authentic smoked fish taste cherished by so many. Drying keeps the fatty oils on the inside of the fish and stops the moisture from seeping out. While drying, the fish forms a shiny glazed surface that is sticky to the touch. This is known as the pellicle, and it can take from one to two hours to form. Place the fish in a flat pan and refrigerate it while it is drying.
Not too hot, not too cold
Hot smoking is done at temperatures from 200°
F
to 250°
F
, while cold smoking is generally done at temperatures less than 90°
F
. The best results when smoking fish seem to come from somewhere in the middle, from 150°
F
to 180°
F
for most fillets, to as hot as 225°
F
for whole fish.
For oily fillets such as salmon, your smoker should be prepared for cooking at 150°
F
to 160°
F
. It is necessary to stay in this range the entire time to prevent the white fat from seeping to the surface. A nice incremental smoking method I use with salmon fillets is to smoke the fish for two hours at 150°
F
, then at 160°
F
to finish. When the thickest part of the fish begins to flake, it is done. Non-oily fillets like mahi-mahi or whole fish such as trout can be smoke cooked at 210°
F
to 225°
F
.
Be sure to place the fish skin side down on the smoker grate, or use a piece of parchment paper between the fish and the grate to keep the fish from sticking.
Lemon- & Onion-Stuffed Whole Trout
When I think of smoking fish, what always comes to mind is trout. The apple smoke that I usually apply just puts the icing on the cake for a wonderful meal.
RECOMMENDED WOOD
Apple or alder
ESTIMATED COOK TIME
2 hours
SERVES
4
BRINE
1 gallon cold water
1 cup kosher salt
¾ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed (optional)
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
FISH
4 whole trout (1 lb fish are the best size for individual portions)
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
¼ cup (½ stick) butter, sliced in 4 pieces lengthwise
2 cloves garlic, halved
½ small onion, cut into wedges
1 lemon, cut into wedges
3 to 4 sprigs fresh lemon balm, ends trimmed (optional)
PREPARATION
To make the brine, place the water into a large plastic container. Add the salt and stir until it is dissolved completely and the water becomes clear again. Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved. Add the crushed garlic (if using) and lemon juice to complete.
Place the trout into a nonreactive plastic or glass container, and pour enough brine over the fish to cover it completely. Cover and refrigerate for about two hours.
After brining, rinse the trout in cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Lightly sprinkle the inside of the fish with more salt and the pepper.
