smoked meat

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 1 kg meat, * see recipe description
• 35 g curing salt
• 5 g brown sugar
• 5 g pepper
• 5 g garlic granules
• 10 g onion granules
• 4 g juniper berries
• ½ g clove pepper
• 0.2 g bay leaves
• 5 g mustard powder

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest period approx. 25 days; Total time approx. 25 days 15 minutes

* The quantities given are based on 1 kg of fresh meat. It doesn’t really matter which meat you use. I mainly use pork (pork loin or ham, belly, neck). However, I’ve also had very good results with roast beef, duck breast, and game (pork, venison). Crush the juniper berries and bay leaves in a mortar and pestle, or even better, finely grind them in a coffee grinder (electric with a cutting blade). Place all ingredients in a dish that fits the meat and mix well. Now roll the meat in the mixture on all sides. Whatever remains is enough. After seasoning, vacuum-seal the meat and let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least two weeks. Turn the meat every two days to distribute the juices evenly. Rinse the cured meat thoroughly under running water and then soak it in water for another hour or two to remove any spice deposits in the folds of the meat. Then dry the meat thoroughly and hang it in a cool, dry place to cure for at least a week. The meat should never become moist, as this will make it sour. Once the meat has finished searing, hang it in the smokehouse and begin the smoking process. I usually find that three to four smoking sessions and a smoking time of between 12 and 18 hours work quite well for me. (Depending on the capacity of my cold smoke generator.) The resting time between smoking sessions should be roughly the same length as the smoking time. Once the smoking sessions are complete, hang the meat up in a cool, dry place to rest so the aroma can develop. I usually leave it hanging for about ten days. As a small aid to improve air circulation, I also set up a fan.