Smoked venison

Local huntsman Larry Bees dropped off a venison roast last week, asking if we'd smoke it for him as an appetizer for a Christmas party. Being the swell guys we are, we accepted and immediately formed a plan of action.

Venison is a lean cut of meat. It requires some tender loving care if you want to keep it moist and flavorful. Bacon larding is a popular option. As is marinating.

No marinating for Hog Wild, though!

What's that, you say? No marinating??!

No, sireebob. Not for here at Hog Wild.

Marinating damages meat fibers, tending to make them mushy instead of truly tender. A marinade also doesn't lend to a meat's true flavor potential, only penetrating the cut by 1/4 of an inch.

We prefer to brine big hunks of meat, when possible. Particularly turkeys and pork loins. It keeps things moist and adds flavor to the meat through the process of osmosis.

A brine is a simply solution of salty liquid, sugar and seasonings. A liquid dry cure, if you will. The salt allows the solution to penetrate quicker and can flavor meat down to its center via the osmosis process. In addition, the salt changes the protein by letting protein cells expand and hold more water--thus a more juicy end product. You an actually overcook a brined meat and still have more juicy than a perfectly cooked unbrined meat.

For Larry's hunk o' venison...

...we chose a standard brine consisting of 1 cup of kosher salt to 1 gallon of cold water. We added 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar for a sweeter meat, since this is going to be used as an appetizer, and then threw in some allspice, granulated garlic, course black pepper, bay leaves and juniper berries. Venison loves juniper.

You can bring your brine to a boil, if you'd like, in order to make sure everything is combined nice and tight, then cool it before submerging your meat. We use a whisk and stir the hell out of it until everything is dissolved.

Larry's venison hits the water and goes into the fridge at World Headquarters for a good 16-hour soak. In order to keep everyone in the pool, we added a heavy plate.

In the morning, we will remove the roast from the brine, dust it down with a rub and put it on the smoker. Larry asked for a final temperature in the ball park of pulled pork, so 190-200 degrees. Personally, I'd smoke the roast to a lovely medium rare and shave it down on our slicer. But that's just me. I like my meat somewhere between still walking and rare.

Ribfests

I was just doing one of my favorite things--dishes--at World Headquarters, when my mind started wandering (because doing dishes is about as exciting as counting a jar of coffee beans) back to our three 2012 ribfests.

It's really astounding the amount of work that goes into pulling off a ribfest as a competing team and a vendor. We basically haul an entire mobile kitchen out to the site, set it up and live there for five days. Our first ribfest, Jose and I were up at 5 a.m. heading to Celoron, NY., where we stayed till 11 p.m. Same thing the next day. And the next day. And the next day. By Saturday, we were so punch drunk from lack of sleep we couldn't speak. Thankfully, we've managed to streamline things since that first year.

2011 was the summer of the nuclear hot weather. It hit 104 degrees on Thursday and Friday at the Warren Ribfest. The fire department used a thermal sensor to take a reading on the asphalt at Betts Park--138 degrees. We were dropping like flies from heat exhaustion. And yet here comes our rib cutter, Chevy, walking down the asphalt in a black t-shirt, from his house--TWO MILES AWAY--whistling on his way to the Hog Wild tent. The man is part jungle ape.

Which brings me to 2012. We've been lucky enough to rack up 12 trophies since our first ribfest in 2010. Last year's Warren Ribfest was the capper. We walked away with five trophies, including the grand championship. It was a very humbling moment. And very satisfying. Except for when we heard two of the other rib teams grumbling and accusing us of cheating. Which is hilarious. Because we also won the "People's Choice Award for Best Ribs" in all three ribfests we competed in in 2012, too. Obviously we cheated in that category, too, paying off the thousands of people who voted for us.

We love what we do. And we put that love into our work. If you are nothing more than a hack, looking to make money, then don't get pissed when the team who puts the love, time and devotion into their product kicks your ass.

Turkey thawing tip

Quasi-busy day. Heading down to World Headquarters after our live radio ad at 10:40 with Dale Bliss to smoke a couple turkeys and throw on some pork shoulders for Howe's True Value's open house on Saturday. The turkeys, as of yesterday morning, were frozen harder than bowling balls. So we gave them a bath: a long dip in cold water in five-gallon stock pots. We used a sweet convection process that I picked up from Alton Brown a couple years ago: you leave the water from the faucet running at a little more than a trickle into one end of your container. This swirls the water, creating a convection force that helps speed up the thawing process. Great trick to use when thawing turkeys, which can take DAYS to thaw in the fridge.

Working solo in the kitchen today, tending the Smoke-a-saurus (our giant mobile BBQ pit), doing some office work, and returning some client phone calls. Then, turning my attention to a exciting new project we are working on. Plus, looking into hiring a part-time person to handle corporate and wedding catering sales. After that? Piano lessons with the girls, some dinner and a nap.

Off Kilt

Strange day on Tuesday. Jose showed up for his shift at World Headquarters a day early, and then almost passed out when the wall heater pilot light went out and he spent 45 minutes sucking in gas fumes. I found him looking dazed and confused, like someone clubbed him over the head. He staggered off when he realized he was a day early for work, saying something about "going to take a nap."

Then I almost stabbed the mailman to death when he surprised me when I opened the door.

That would have been a tough one to explain to the local fuzz...
 

Turkey time

You want the best-est, tastiest, juiciest bird on your table this Thanksgiving? Then maybe it's time to toss out what you learned from grandma and take a stroll through a new culinary neighborhood.

Turkey, by nature, is not what you'd call a juicy meat.

Made up of about 75 percent water, the big bird made so popular by our Pilgrim forefathers, does a lot of drying out in a hot oven. Too much roasting can make a turkey downright inedible, particularly the white meat, or breast, which has very little natural fat to keep it moist.

So, if one has visions of succulent turkey dancing in their heads on Thanksgiving eve what can be done to prevent you from turning the main course of your feast into a bone-dry culinary wasteland?

Brining or salting.
While the techniques are as different as night and day in their approach brining is a wet process, requiring a gallon or more of liquid; salting is a dry process both use the same concept: salt triggers osmosis, which moves liquid and flavor inside proteins, i.e. meats.

Both processes take time: brining takes at least 12 hours; salting one to two days.

Brining involves a simple solution of salt, sugar and herbs and spices. To brine a turkey, you submerge it in the solution for 12 to 24 hours in a large non-reactive container. When the salt enters the meat, it unravels the protein structure and opens it up. Because the amino acids are no longer bonding with each other as much, they are open to finding another partner to bond with.

Enter the brine.

The meat can suck up as much as 10 percent extra water during the brining process. That's a hefty amount, in meat terms. It keeps the meat juicy during the cooking process and packs the protein full of flavor.
A typical brine recipe calls for one gallon of water, three-fourths to one cup of kosher salt, a half a cup of sweetener (sugar, honey, molasses, etc.) and an assortment of your favorite herbs and spices.

Salting a turkey is a variation on a meat preserving process that goes back thousands of years.

To salt a turkey, you cover it in a liberal douse of salt, spices and herbs and let it sit for 24 to 48 hours before roasting. The salt flavors the meat and breaks down the proteins. It also draws the moisture from the interior to the surface of the turkey, where it combines with the salt and seasonings. Eventually, the flavored liquid is reabsorbed, seasoning the meat internally.

Salting a turkey gives its meat a more natural texture (brining can give the turkey a hammy texture and flavor). A salted turkey is dryer than a brined turkey, but it has a more full turkey flavor as the end product.
Picking the right bird

Turkeys to avoid.
Self-basting, birds with pop-up timers, wild turkeys.

What? No wild turkey? Isn't that what the Pilgrims ate?

Yes, it was. But this is 2008, not Colonial Massachusetts. You might think you're getting back to your Pilgrim roots by serving a wild turkey, but it's probably a mistake. Wild Turkey is an acquired taste, far more gamier and drier than commercially raised turkeys. Spare your guests and the bird and leave the turkey in the woods.

Self-basting turkeys are injected with a solution of butter or other fats, broth and water. The solution can turn the texture of the meat into mush.

Turkeys with pop-up timers are simply unreliable. The pop-up device, itself, leaks valuable juices from the interior of the bird. Worse? They can malfunction, leaving you with a half-raw turkey or an overcooked hunk of shoe leather at dinnertime.

So what does that leave?

"For the turkey, fresh is always best, if available," says Todd Singleton, graduate of the Pittsburgh Culinary Institute and founder of the Liberty Street Cafe in Warren and Forte in Jamestown. "Look locally for fresh capons."

A capon is a male turkey that has had its reproductive organs removed at a young age. Capons have tender, fatty flesh because they are not as active as roosters. They also have a less gamy taste due to a lack of sex hormones, which affects the flavor of the meat.

"Don't fall victim to the 19 cent per pound cryogenic poultry disaster," Singleton says. "While they work to feed a big family, the fresh capon is a holiday treat."

If you can't get a fresh turkey, you're going to have to thaw out a bird frozen as hard as a bowling ball. It needs to be thawed correctly.

Never thaw a turkey at room temperature. Take it from the freezer and put it in the fridge. Give it one day for every four or five pounds. In a pinch, go with a cold water bath: submerge it in a five-gallon bucket for 30 minutes per pound, changing the water every three to four hours. A 16-pound turkey can be thawed in eight hours.

After brining or salting your turkey, it's time to get the bird in the oven.

"Stuff fresh herbs under the skin and slather it with butter," Singleton says. "Baste the turkey with melted herb butter. Basting with juices will rinse out the fats that make a good bird moist."

To get that beautiful brown skin on your turkey, put it in a 500 degree oven for a half an hour, uncovered, then turn it down to 350. Check the temperature by inserting a meat thermometer in the inner part of the thigh. When it reaches 165, your turkey is done. Let it rest for 15 minutes before carving.

To stuff or not to stuff
In the words of Food Network expert Alton Brown: "Stuffing is evil."

Indeed.

Stuffing a turkey slows down cooking time and provides a playground for dangerous bacteria to take up residence smackdab in the middle of your Thanksgiving feast. Stuffing must reach 165 degrees in order to kill any bacteria that would lead to food poisoning.

Instead of putting the stuffing inside your bird, cook it separate. Stuff your turkey with sliced apples, quartered onions and bunches of fresh herbs, like rosemary and sage.

"I always, always put dried cranberries in my stuffing," Singleton says.

Singleton starts with a loaf of fresh crusty bread, cut into cubes. He sautes celery and onion in a generous amount of butter, then adds fresh rosemary.

"Toss in the cranberries and a couple cups of stock," Singleton says. "Saute until it's all nice and hot. Pour it over the croutons and bake the whole mixture on medium heat, covered, for about 45 minutes to an hour."
Singleton finishes the stuffing by uncovering it and cooking it until it's browned.

Typical morning

The morning of a pit boss.

Alarm goes off at 6:30. Smack clock radio off the nightstand, yell at dog to lay back down, bury head under pillow and curse.

6:39. Repeat process.

6:48. Repeat process.

Sometime after 7--roll out of bed, hit floor, stare at alarm clock. Wonder how it got there. Tell dog to stop licking face.

Shower, dress in Hog Wild black T and work camos. Head to Bilo for lettuce, tomatoes and other stuff for today's lunch prep. Get call from Jose, who is equally happy to be up this early in the morning.

Get to world headquarters. Check emails. Print out the day's prep list. Light fire in firebox. Make giant pot of coffee. Wish for IV bag to inject coffee straight into veins. Tim "Mr. Scott" Carlson is busy working on the prerinse sprayer on the sink, which sprung a leak on Saturday. And by leak, I mean a geyser. We need full power, Scotty, by 1 p.m. or we're dead!!!!  Or doing dishes in the utility sink. One or the other...

9:30. Fully awake, firing on all cylinders. 50 lbs. of brisket on the smoker for a catering job for the Boy Scouts tomorrow night. Jose and Kurtis are in full prep mode, getting lunches ready for pickup and delivery today. Working on Friday's lunch menu. Smoked brisket cheesesteaks? Absolutely! What else? Got some ahi tuna in the freezer. A slab of cured salmon.Toy with cranking out 40 lbs. of dry cured Spanish chorizo this afternoon, which gets hung for 20+days to cure. Freaking wonderful. In a sidenote, going to try to touch base with an up and coming charcuterie student at Penn State to discuss techniques and share what we are doing at Hog Wild World Headquarters.

10:25. Printed out orders, planned delivery times and routes. Procrastinating by writing a blog. Getting ugly looks from Jose, who is putting wrap together. Time for another cup of coffee and get back to work.

Curing bacon

Busy day at Hog Wild World Headquarters. We got pork shoulders on the smoker. We got hams on the smoker. And we got bacon curing in the fridge.

We purchased a pig from a local farmer earlier this year. We picked up the meat from the butcher on Saturday. We have 35 pounds of pork butt cubed to make some serious gourmet artisan sausage, and the hams went into a brown sugar-salt brine with garlic, black pepper and juniper 15 minutes ago. (stay tuned for a blog on curing ham). The pork bellies (above) are in the fridge for the next week, slowly turning from fresh meat into slab bacon, which we then smoke over hickory and oak for about 3 hours for a finished product.

For the local farm raised pork, we wanted to try something a little different: honey glazed bacon with black pepper and sage.

10# pork belly, halved
1 cup kosher salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. Prague Cure #1
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup powdered sage
Honey

Mix dry ingredients. Apply honey to both sides of the pork belly halves. Apply dry ingredients. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in non-reactive dish in refrigerator fro 5-7 days. Rinse bacon under running cold water. If you like your bacon with a less salty taste, cover slabs with cold water and soak for 30 minutes to one hour. Smoke at 225-250 degrees until bacon reaches 155 degrees internal temperature.

Brrrrrrr

Waiting down at the kitchen for Jose to arrive so we can fire up the Smoke-a-saurus and feed it a case of pork butts to replenish our supply of pulled pork. It's pretty damn chilly out, compared to yesterday: 70 degrees to 30 in 24 hours.

Anywho. We're firing up the smoker, which means getting some charcoal going, dumping it into the fire box and adding chunks of hickory until we have a nice hot fire. Since it's chilly out, we'll use the 6-foot propane pipe burner at the bottom of the smoker that runs under a steel plate to get the pit up to temperature quicker.

At least I don't have to shovel a path to the smoker and clear off two feet of snow from the top of it. Yet. I'm looking into picking up a large welding blanket to try to insulate the pit when it's up and running this winter. It's a tough job, trying to keep a 10-foot long smoking chamber up to temp in 20 degrees with the wind whipping off the river.

Gumbo is manna from the Gods

I lived in Md. on the Eastern Shore on the Chesapeake Bay for a couple of years. Met some really interesting folks, including a couple of Cajuns for Louisiana. They introduced me to things you don't normally get in Warren County, Pa., including gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish boils, eutoufee, fine scotch, good beer, etc. Out of all of it, a good bowl of gumbo and some andouille sausage might be my favorite. I got a couple of fine Cajun recipes out of my buddies. And we make our own smoked andouille at Hog Wild Headquarters.

That being said, I'm sitting here eating a mighty fine bowl of chicken and sausage gumbo (using Hog Wild andouille) whipped up by Jared Villella, who lives in Warren, Pa. I've said it before, and I'll say it again--the guy makes a killer gumbo. In the top three I've ever had the privilege of shoveling in my mouth. So while I wait for the bacon to finish up on the smoker, I'm going to lick the bowl, throw in another heaping serving and enjoy the fact that I'm eating some top notch bayou cuisine in the mountains of northwestern Pennsylvania.

Makin' bacon

Ahhhhh! The creation of a new blog. Not that there was ever an "old blog..."

We're making bacon today down at Hog Wild World Headquarters. I suppose the "we're" isn't quite correct. I'm the only one "in da house" today, catching up on paperwork for the week, rendering under Caesar (Pa. sales tax is due. It's always due. It's annoying). I got 150 lbs. of pork belly on the mighty Smoke-a-saurus--our giant trailer-mounted smoker. We cured it for seven days in brown sugar, Kosher salt and different herbs and spices. Haven't tried it yet? Shame on you. It's phenomenal. Thirty pounds is earmarked for Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, WV. They get a monthly order. The rest will be for sale starting tomorrow.

On a sidenote, the wind is howling like a banshee outside. Must be a real dip in the temperature coming up. I stepped out from behind the smoker a while ago and had both of my eyes unpleasantly sandblasted by grit and debris blowing down from Fifth Avenue. I need goggles. Or a welder's mask. Or a Darth Vader mask...