dpeacock1 - Posted - 04/19/2012:  12:08:52

Video from one of our Raleigh TV channels, a weekly program named "Tar Heel Traveler"

wral.com/lifestyles/travel/vid...d10989009

This got my attention today at noon because my grandfather had a smoke house and I have fond memories of going with him to  his farm to get sausage, bacon, and ham, to take back to his home in town. 

It also connected because I've been splitting hickory & white oak the past two hours. Will be cooking for a private party of 60+ adults  tomorrow on my 10 year old Lang model 84. 

 Will fire up the pit in the morning around 4am. Then around 5am, load 8 seasoned Boston Butts and 2 hours later,10 split chickens. onto the cooking grates. Chicken should come off around 2pm and the pork @ 3pm. Cooking temp is about 225 degrees.

The pork will then rest for an hour; before all fat and gristle is removed; meat will then be coarse chopped and put into  deep stainless steel pans.

Next, we'll add a little Eastern NC sauce ( cider vinegar, apple cider, coarse salt, coarse ground black pepper, crushed red cayenne peppers.. Extra sauce is provided on the side that my wife makes by doctoring my sauce with brown sugar, tomato sauce, and one, two, or three other ingredients.

A lot of hard work and long hours, but worth it when I see folks enjoying traditional wood cooked bbq  outdoors on a beautiful Carolina Spring day. And, I will have a few bluegrass CD's playing in the area where folks fix their plates.  Larry Sparks's, Blue Mountain Memories recording, will certainly be one of the recordings..

Doug

pandjlocke - Posted - 04/19/2012:  12:15:13

You just made me REAL hungry. Must be time to pull out the Horizon. I've got a corned beef that needs to be turned into a pastrami, anyway. Might just as well throw some butt and chicken on there, too. It would be a shame to waste all that smoke.

Kenneth Logsdon - Posted - 04/19/2012:  16:51:29

Yep... Up until the last few years we still had a few old timers that wouldn't have anything to do with "storebought" no count stuff... And still fixed their own meat, some sold a few, very high demand, yes there is a difference Petunia...
I know how and still have a smoke house, but I converted it to a reloading and muzzel loading shop many years ago... If I get the "urge", I'll buy a few slices of Cliffy Farms, pretty close and that takes care of it...

erikforgod - Posted - 04/19/2012:  17:20:22

I saw this a while back on "KentuckyAfield" where they went to eastern Kentucky and an old guy was teaching about smoking those old hams the old-timey way. He leaves those old hams hanging for like 7 years...when he wants some...he heads out to the smokehouse and cuts off a big slab. I forgot what he did to keep the bugs off of em...pretty simple hillbilly technology Kentucky style nothing more

Here is the video...just found it:

youtube.com/watch?v=S6UkXhHUTf...re=relmfu

youtube.com/watch?v=UawRK6nxFhY

Edited by - erikforgod on 04/19/2012 17:24:22

dingo - Posted - 04/19/2012:  18:13:02

There is a really good show on PBS, called a Taste of History, he cooks at all the famous historical 18th century homes, and one show they had Virginia hams, he said that nobody knows how to cook them anymore.we are losing all kinds of good food every year.

Prof - Posted - 04/19/2012:  18:18:24

Smoking hams...

banjotom2 - Posted - 04/20/2012:  03:53:30

The 'other' out house...

banjotom2 - Posted - 04/20/2012:  03:54:16

quote:

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Originally posted by Prof

Smoking hams...

 

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Great pic!

erikforgod - Posted - 04/20/2012:  04:05:55

Youy oughtaa here that old Kentuckian in those videos I posted talking about having some good ole "red-eye-gravy" after all that smoked ham he put up---he had a twinkle in his eye talking about...heck I think I even saw a few tears LOL!! The video shows the whole process.

figmo59 - Posted - 04/20/2012:  04:08:04

I tha home that we live in...

Duruin tha rehab...we had ta demallish...tha old in tha house smoker..made fer curin meats..

It wud purdy neet..
I can see where it woukd have worked real well too..

House wud oridgenanaly built round 1700...actually..it wud first an old stage coach in..
Fer ..settlers....headin...West.

Chimney base...id apx 12ft x14ft...had 4 fireplaces...(one huge fer cookin) 3..fer heat..
N....ah beevive oven....
All has been rebuilt..n.....that id how we do ah lottah of our cookin taday..

It id kindh...like ah indoor...spit.

Smoker wud neet tho..had 8 hangin hooks in it..

rinemb - Posted - 04/20/2012:  05:12:01

I am no expert, but I also love "dry cured" hams.  Used to order a well cellared ham every year from Virginia, from a small gas station, I think.  Smellier the better.  However, I drink water by the gallon for a week.  These American dry cured hams compete with the more expensive Spanish dry cured hams, anytime.  Unfortunately, in my parts, I find no others share my enthusiasm for hard salty dry cured aged hams.  That said, Doug, when did you say we should come on down?

BTW, someone please explain the process of an aged "dry cured" ham?

Brad

Edited by - rinemb on 04/20/2012 05:13:21