Thread: Sausage and Smoke Cooking

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

Was that just a block of philly cream cheese?

Yes, a block of Philly cream cheese, coated with mustard, to make dry rub stick. About three hours around 250.

Found this at TermoWorks recipe for Tasso Ham.

"It is very chic right now to have “uncured” hams and sausages. But even those that claim to be uncured are usually made “without nitrates or nitrites except for those found naturally occurring in celery juice and sea salt,” a phrase that exploits a labeling loophole. If the ham or salami is pink, there were enough nitrates in there to turn it pink, no matter where they came from".

By the way, this 'TASSO HAM' sounds interesting.

https://blog.thermoworks.com/pork/ta...21-Sitewide-cs

Another block of cream cheese, I am throwing one of these things in the smoker whenever I use it. I know it sounds asinine, but damn, it is a good late night snack on a cracker or chunk of apple.
I am putting the rub directly on the cheese, no binder or anything, and using the foil packing to set it on the grate.

Charlie I have been doing it too! It doesn’t take hardly any time and space, I’ve used mustard, ketchup, hot sauce, and horseradish sauce. Different spices too. I leave it in the original wrapper. I stay up late so mine gets snacked on while bing watching John Wayne or something like it. Wife found a low carb tortilla chip so it’s my preferred way. I know i can just go buy something to dip but we had a ton of cream cheese in the freezer my wife bought on sale and never used.

So I’m using it, I set my traeger on 180 so it smokes a lot, finish it at 275 now for about 1 hour about 3-4 hours in the grill, thanks for the idea. By the way cholla hot sauce, habanero salt and some chili powder, mmmmmmm

TC I like that you are using the original wrapper.

Why waste tinfoil?

I have tried it and wondered why not cut it into thirds lengthwise or quarters the other way and get more smoke penetration than a whole piece.

With my minimal experiments it seems better for a way to prepare an ingredient for another recipe like a dip than a final product on its own.

Yep the foil is already there, I did forget, while it’s still hard right out of the fridge I poke a lot of holes with a wood skewer, seems to let more spices in and smoke, but ya it would get more smoke. Have to use some more foil though I think but I’ll try this weekend. I have a bottle of Dave’s Insanity Sauce so gonna go for a little heat

What kind of industrial /process thing is going on that this so called cheese doesn't melt?

Originally Posted by 32t

What kind of industrial /process thing is going on that this so called cheese doesn't melt?

I 'think' that Cream cheese melts at about 130 F.

Here's some info:

https://www.finecooking.com/article/...melting-cheese

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

a coarse sea salt rub tends to bark up a piece of meat that doesn’t have a bunch of fat. Any way that’s what I’ve found

Salt exclusive or as the main ingredient in the rub tc?
Wifes hinting she’d like me to do another sirloin roast.
Said it worked with her ‘point system’ and she could have lots.
I’d like to score more points with a better crust next time.

Maybe try that cream cheese accompaniment too, cause those are looking really good Charlie , and I’m not normally a big cream cheese fan.. go more for the hot Brie with stuff on and in it.
Hmmm smoked Brie,,,,,,,

Salt is my main ingredient on any of my rubs, first and foremost, flavor, and second, it always helps to form a good back. The salt will draw moisture out. Get a spray bottle loaded with ACV or Apple juice and mist it towards the end puts a really pretty bark on and adds another dimension. Plus the steam it creates in the grill helps keep the meat moist.

As for the cream cheese, if your not a fan maybe it’s not for you, but making your own dip like this is cheap ( face it us Irish are cheap ) and you can’t flavor it to your liking. When I saw Charlie first use it a lightbulb went off in my head cause the wife got stupid a while back and bought a dozen bars of Philly. So now I get to use them