Ep. 25: Smoking, Part 2

In these episodes Brandon and Lauren discuss smoking.  They explain its spiritual and cultural importance among traditional societies, its critical role as a pre-refrigeration meat preservation technique, and its incredible ability to enhance the flavor of any meat. They also cover: brining as preparation for smoking, utilizing wood as a fuel source, the difference between hot and cold smoking, why blue smoke is preferable to white, special considerations for smoking sausage, and why smoking and drinking go hand-in-hand.  Finally, Brandon discusses the design of his smokehouse and why he loves his Weber grill. Introduction and Announcements: Help us produce four episodes a month by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/meatsmith. We have upcoming fall classes! Part 1 Show Notes: The burden of abundance, and pondering the history of pigs in the Pacific Northwest, 1:44 Utilitarian function of smoking, 8:00 Smoking as: a component of culture, a flavor enhancer, and a bridge to the divine, 11:30 Curing/brining meat before smoking, 26:22 Difference between hot and cold smoking, 33:15 Our smoker, 38:50 White vs. blue smoke, 44:10 Part 2 Show Notes: How to build a fire for smoking, 1:02 Home-made smokers vs. ready-made domesticated options (Why your smoker should be like ours), 5:16 Traditional English smokehouses, 12:33 Preservational brines and how to reverse their saltiness through cooking, 20:43 Jane Grigson brine recipe, 21:24 Molasses-heavy brine we used for our Christmas ham (taken from thesaltcuredpig.com), 25:13 Smoking sausage, 33:16 Wood as fuel for smoking, 43:35 Farmstead Meatsmith pork shares, 51:28 Links for Episodes 24 & 25: Tales from the Green Valley:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tales_from_the_Green_Valley Weber Grills:  https://www.weber.com/US/en/home/ Manual of a Traditional Curer by Maynard Davies:  https://www.amazon.com/Manual-Traditional-Bacon-Maynard-Davies/dp/1906122083 BNZLpd.com (netting):  http://bunzlpd.com/ The Salt Cured Pig (molasses-heavy brine recipe): http://thesaltcuredpig.com/ The River Cottage Curing and Smoking Handbook, by Steven Lamb: https://www.amazon.com/River-Cottage-Curing-Smoking-Handbook/dp/1607747871/ Culinaria France: A celebration of Food and Tradition by Andre Domine:  https://www.amazon.com/Culinaria-France-Celebration-Food-Tradition/dp/3848008173/ Farmstead Meatsmith pork shares:  https://farmsteadmeatsmith.com/pork-shares/ Farmstead Meatsmith memberships:  https://farmsteadmeatsmith.com/membership/ Farmstead Meatsmith Family Pig classes:  https://farmsteadmeatsmith.com/upcoming-classes/