Thread: Sausage and Smoke Cooking

Interesting how the cuts that used to be considered throw away meat have become expensive: tongue, brisket, etc. I have a friend who grew up on a Prince Edward Island farm. Ron said he was so poor he had to bring lobster sandwiches to school while the rich kids had Spam.

I grew up on a farm also. Not much money but plenty to eat!

I laugh when I see restaurants based on chicken wings, macaroni,and ramen among other things.

Originally Posted by 32t

Speaking about expensive meat. I got a wild impulse today and bought a couple of cow tongues to smoke.

$7.29 lb or $18.50 a tongue! I was planning to buy 3 until I saw the price. Oh well I am boiling them now and will smoke them tomorrow.

Meanwhile I got a book that my brother recommended to keep me occupied while doing this waiting.

Originally Posted by DZEC

Interesting how the cuts that used to be considered throw away meat have become expensive: tongue, brisket, etc. I have a friend who grew up on a Prince Edward Island farm. Ron said he was so poor he had to bring lobster sandwiches to school while the rich kids had Spam.

I was talking with 'Benz' the other day and there's a commercial packing house near him that saves livers for him for his cats. They also save hearts and tongues for him all at N/C as there's no market for them.

He got a call to come pick up some boxes and once at home he found 20 tongues amongst the livers. He'll be cooking and smoking them.

I told him that I've seen beef tongues priced at around $30 each locally. While I like them once in awhile, that's way out of my price range.

Dang at that price you could buy a cow and save the tongue and throw the rest of it away!

Originally Posted by DZEC

Interesting how the cuts that used to be considered throw away meat have become expensive: tongue, brisket, etc. I have a friend who grew up on a Prince Edward Island farm. Ron said he was so poor he had to bring lobster sandwiches to school while the rich kids had Spam.

My dad was born breech on the homestead in '30. His grandfather died in '34 and his father had to take control of the farm. Granddad borrowed $300 from the bank. He paid $75 back three days after he took out the loan and paid it off in full within a year. I have the canceled bank note. If I read it correctly if the loan hadn't been paid back within a year then the interest became 'compounded interest'. (Remember that the depression was just starting to end).

Dad used to talk about how from '34 to '39 there was NO Christmas and Damn Little To Eat, even on the farm. He said that things started to get better in '40.

I had bought a cookbook and it included a 'Looing Sauce' from China. The author talked about blanching duck feet in boiling water then peeling the skin off and then simmering the feet in the Looing sauce.

When dad was visiting I told him about this strange idea and said; "Can you imagine eating a duck's foot"? He causally replied "Hell, I've eaten chicken feet, mom would scaled the skin off then dip them in some flour and fry them in some fat". To which I replied; "Dad, there isn't anything to eat on a chicken's foot". And dad said; "They were something to chew on when there wasn't anything else to eat".

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Looking Good!

Don't forget pics from the smoker--

My original idea was to buy 3 and smoke 2 to compare.............

I will see how I feel in the am and decide.

Pretty good the way it is!

Surprised I’m still up, but kinda drunk, kinda full and just chilling now.
Dinner was both an effort, and a success.
Meat went on at 12:30am, got up at 4 to tweak the temp and spritz, up again at 7 to carry on and prep work and up ever since.
Will sleep well tonight though.
Here’s the ready to carve pic. Bark held up through the wrap stage!
And the great northern fridge getting stocked.

Cheers men. Have a great Sunday.

Glad you had a good to time and great food!