Smoked Steelhead

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup canning salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup Liquid Smoke
2 quarts hot water

Cut fish into 3- to 4-inch steaks.

In a large glass or porcelain pan combine all ingredients (make sure the pan is large enough to combine all the ingredients and large enough so the fish will be completely covered with brine mixture), then add the hot water. The water should be hot enough to dissolve all the ingredients completely. Add the fish after all the ingredients are dissolved. You may want to double the brine mix to make sure the fish is completely covered.

Brine the fish for 24 to 36 hours in a refrigerator, turning every 12 hours. After 24 to 36 hours, remove the fish from the brine and put it directly into a smoker. If you like a smokier tasting fish, add hickory or mesquite chips to smoker. About 8 hours at 140 to 165 degrees F works best. If you are unsure about the temperature, check fish every couple of hours.

After removing fish from the smoker, let it cool for several hours before eating.

Smoked Fish

Brine fish with either the Basic Brine solution or the Rum Brine solution:

Basic Brine
1/2 cup non-iodized salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 quart water

Mix and stir until completely dissolved. Place fish in the solution, being careful to ensure that the fish is completely covered with the brine; place in refrigerator. Thick chunks 1 inch or more should be in brine 8 to 12 hours. Thin chunks less than 1-inch should be in brine 6 to 8 hours.

Rum Brine
1 quart water
1/2 cup non-iodized salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 ounces rum
1 ounce lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons pickling spice
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
3 bay leaves

Mix and stir until completely dissolved. Place fish in the solution, being careful to ensure that the fish is completely covered with the brine; place in refrigerator. Thick chunks 1 inch or more should be in brine 8 to 12 hours. Thin chunks less than 1-inch should be in brine 6 to 8 hours.

After brining, remove fish from brine and lightly rinse each piece under cold water. Gently pat dry and lay pieces on paper towel to air dry for one hour. (After one hour the fish will have a glazed film on it. This is a normal result of the fish soaking in the brine.)

If using an electric smoker, preheat for 15 minutes. Load fish into smoker. Add your favorite wood chips to chip pan. Add wood chips about every other hour for 5 or 6 hours (depending on how much smoke taste you want. Thick chunks 1 inch or more should take between 8 and 12 hours. Thin chunks should take between 6 and 8 hours. To cut down on smoking time, remove skin from fish before putting in brine, then put in cheese cloth after the brine process. This helps get rid of fish oils faster and cuts smoking time by about 1/4.

Smoked Cheddar Cheese

Brick of Cheddar cheese (preferably
    "Old Fort" or aged Cheddar)

Place cheese on the rack.

Use a mild smoke flavor such as maple or fruit woods. Or try hickory flavor briquettes, which will give a very distinct flavor. Open the damper wide and make sure you do not go over 100 degrees F or else you will melt the cheese. Smoke for 1 to 2 hours. If temperature rises to a point where the cheese starts to melt, stop smoking, cool the cheese and the smoker completely, and restart the process.

Cheese is now ready to as an appetizer with your favorite wine or with apple pie and ice cream.

Smoked Bacon

4 pounds raw pork belly
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup curing salt
1 gallon cold water, or as needed
1 (10 pound) bag charcoal briquettes Hickory or apple wood chips

In a 2-gallon container, mix together the brown sugar, curing salt, and water. Submerge the pork belly in the mixture so that it is covered completely. If the meat floats, you can weigh it down with a dinner plate or similar object. Refrigerate covered for six days.

Light charcoal in an outdoor smoker. Soak wood chips in a bowl of water. When the temperature of the smoker is between 140 and 150 degrees F, coals are ready. Smoke the pork belly for 6 hours, throwing a handful of wood chips on the coals about once an hour. Store in the refrigerator.

Slice and fry as you would store-bought bacon.

Canadian Bacon
Use a pork tenderloin. Use the same amounts of ingredients per pound as for pork belly. Increase the temperature of the smoker to 180 degrees F after 4 hours, and cook until the internal temperature of the meat is 165 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Smoked Mushrooms

4 cups mushrooms
2 tablespoons lemon pepper
2 tablespoons garlic powder

Cut mushroom stems off and wash. Sprinkle lemon pepper and garlic powder lightly over mushrooms. Smoke at 225 degrees F for 45 minutes. Cool; serve immediately.

Yields 4 cups.

Kansas City Smoked Pork Ribs

Makes 4 racks of ribs.

4 racks baby back ribs
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup mild New Mexico red chile powder
1/4 cup mild paprika
2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 1/2 tablespoons freshly-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated onion
1/2 tablespoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Kansas City Barbecue Sauce (below)

Remove membrane from back of ribs. Combine sugar, Chile powder, paprika, salt, pepper, onion, garlic and cayenne together and rub about 2/3 of the mixture well into the ribs. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, rub remaining mixture well into the ribs. Slow-smoke for about 3 hours, until rub is fully caramelized onto outside of ribs.

Brush the ribs with Kansas City Barbecue Sauce and continue to smoke for at least 1 more hour.

Kansas City Barbecue Sauce
1 cup cola
1 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup dark molasses
1/2 cup white vinegar
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup sweet butter
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon mild New Mexico red chile powder
1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon freshly-ground black pepper
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
1 tablespoon summer savory
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 dashes Tabasco? Habanero Sauce

Mix all ingredients together and simmer over low heat until thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.

Tasso

Tasso is a highly seasoned, intensely flavored smoked pork. It adds a wonderful flavor to a variety of dishes. Tasso is used extensively in Louisiana cooking.

Brine
1 3/4 cup curing salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 gallon water
1 (10 pound) pork butt roast

In a medium bowl, combine salt, sugar, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and water. Mix until the salt and sugar are dissolved in the water. Pour brine over pork. Allow pork to soak in brine for one week in the refrigerator.

Remove pork from brine, then discard brine. Rinse and pat dry the pork.

Preheat an outdoor smoker for 200 to 225 degrees F (95 to 110 degrees C).

Rub
2 tablespoons ground mace
2 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon dried sage
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons honey

In a medium bowl, mix together all ingredients. Evenly coat the pork with the rub and work it in with your fingers. Place a roasting rack in a drip pan and lay the meat on the rack. Smoke at 200 to 225 degrees F (95 to 110 degrees C) for12 hours, or until internal pork temperature reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Makes 30 servings.