Smokehouse recipes and smoking times

[bettymae83]

So here on the Rez we have smoke houses that are the size of outhouses or even bigger. My uncle has one the size of a studio apartment, but it hasn't been used since before I was born. My family normally smoke salmon and deer, the family upriver smoke bear (I don't eat it, let alone kill it. We believe she our Grandmother). However no one seems to smoke rabbit, chicken, turkeys, ducks, pig or beef!!! So that is why I am writing this thread. I would like to know how long you smoke your meats. Let me tell you about our smoke houses. Unlike the smoke houses on youtube, our fires are in the smoke houses with the meat, not piped in. We normally have small vents, towards the top to let mall amounts of smoke out. Now I don't know if that makes a difference or not, but some elders say its hot smoke, and the smoke that is piped in is cold smoke.

How do you smoke your

Rabbits?
Chickens?
Ducks?
Turkey?
Goat?
Pig?
Cow?
Whatever you wanna share?

Now I know everyone will do their own thing, and do it different than the other so all variations are welcome.

 

[BBQJOE]

I spent 9 years owning a BBQ joint.
I did lots of different stuff.
The main attraction was whole briskets and pork butts.
After a good rub with seasonings they went in the smoker for about 12 hours at 225°.

 

[bettymae83]

I really want to smoke my rabbit and chickens. how long do you think I should smoke them? Our smoke houses usually have rods to tie the fish and deer strips to, but I should be able to put racks in, if need be. Would cutting them up into piece be better or can I smoke them whole?

 

[BBQJOE]

Personally I'd smoke them whole to keep them from drying out. My favorite smoking temp is 225°.
A whole chicken might take 3-4 hours depending on size.

 

[bettymae83]

Okay so I just string them up and let them hang whole for 5 hours... sounds so simple. Not sure why no one around here does it any more.

 

[iawoodchip]

My first thought on smoking meats is, are you trying to preserve it for later use like for fish or ham, Or for smoked for your next meal. I've cooked chicken slowly (180 -200 deg.)over charcoal in a Brinkman, & added wood chips to the coals for the smoke. It turned out great top my taste buds, I'm sure you could do something similar with rabbit & more. For smokehouse warm smoking, and storage I think I would be thinking about some kind of curing process, and smoke to about 180 deg. meat temp. I've have never attempted or even thought about a cold smoke. Please don't take me for my word on my comments. I rely on GOOGLE a lot when I want to try something new. Jim

 

[BBQJOE]

My first thought on smoking meats is, are you trying to preserve it for later use like for fish or ham, Or for smoked for your next meal. I've cooked chicken slowly (180 -200 deg.)over charcoal in a Brinkman, & added wood chips to the coals for the smoke. It turned out great top my taste buds, I'm sure you could do something similar with rabbit & more. For smokehouse warm smoking, and storage I think I would be thinking about some kind of curing process, and smoke to about 180 deg. meat temp. I've have never attempted or even thought about a cold smoke. Please don't take me for my word on my comments. I rely on GOOGLE a lot when I want to try something new. Jim

Good points!
The only meat I ever cured before smoking was pork, mainly butts.
Here is an excellent brine, it contains Salt, Brown Sugar, Sugar, Maple Sugar, Sodium Nitrite (0.7%) with not more than 2% glycerine added to prevent caking.

You can get it here: https://www.himtnjerky.com/Buckboard-Bacon-Cure.html

IIRC it takes 15-21 days to cure. The box comes with exact instructions.

 

[iawoodchip]

I worked almost 40 years in a large packing plant. Lots of smoked products. With hams & bacon, brine was injected and only hung to cure for a day or two. Lots of new processes to speed up the farm to market. Any more the smoking process is a liquid that is mist sprayed into the house while the house is at the full temperature. A far cry from what the OP was asking about.. Wish the OP good luck, & shares his results. Jim