Smoked backstrap?

[Petersen]

Looking for a good brine and smoked backstrap recipe. A buddy wants me to smoke one for him, and I don't want to screw it up.

[wabi]

Are you looking for a brine to flavor it, or to cure it, or both?

I usually use a brine with just salt (un-iodized), sugar, "insta-cure", and water.

For a 5# batch of meat - 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tsp insta-cure #1, 1 qt water.

Mix the dry ingredients, add 1 pt warm water and mix until dissolved, add 1 pt cold water, and you're ready to brine the meat for 12-24 hours in the refrigerator. Remove from brine, pat dry, let it set until a "glaze" forms (about an hour) and it ready to smoke!

[strum]

i tried to smoke a backstrap once,,,couldnt find a paper big enough and it would not stay lite

[Hazmat]

i tried to smoke a backstrap once,,,couldnt find a paper big enough and it would not stay lite

[Petersen]

Wabi

I would like a brine to cure it if I could.....
what is insta-cure and where could I get it?

Thanks

[wabi]

Insta-cure is a salt/sodium nitrite cure used to prevent bacteria growth when smoking meats or making jerky. I get it here - http://www.sausagemaker.com/11050instac ... o18oz.aspx

You can also find Morton "Tender Quick" at many grocery stores. It contains salt, sugar, sodium nitrite, and sodium nitrate. It will do the same job, but last time I used it the jerky was a bit too salty to suit me. Probably my fault for not rinsing it well enough after it soaked in the brine solution.

When you use a cure with sodium nitrite be sure to follow the directions carefully on the amount recommended - adding more is NOT better! Too much can be hazardous (as with any chemical additive), so be sure you read and follow instructions carefully.

My old smoker book just called for salt/sugar/water for the brine, but I feel safer adding the insta-cure to the solution. I do fish without it, though, and so far no bad results.

[Hoss]

just put it in your pipe...it will burn lol.

[strum]

"""i tried to smoke a backstrap once,,,couldnt find a paper big enough and it would not stay lite""" I wonder how many get that joke?? Based on your spelling and grammer you did find something that burned well. JK LOL

somthin rong wit my spelin?...
i learned from vixenmaster..

[awshucks]

I brine smoked to be pork and fish. The oldtime method I use is 'enough pickling salt to float an egg'.

That works out to be a 4 # box in a 48 qt ice chest 3/4 full of water. It's quite the experience to keep adding salt waiting for the egg to float, lol. You control the saltiness of the meat by time in the brine, w/ this method.

For frozen whole salmon, I use 24 hrs, but cut partially thawed ones w/ elec carving knife into thirds asap. The thinner tail sections smoke faster and come out a bit saltier.

Whole roasts of pork shoulder or hams take a few days for my tastes, ymmv. In both cases, I put the ice chest w/ brined meat in shop fridge for the duration.

I have found what a butcher here in Ar calls 'cure' to shorten the seasoning life of sausage, especially the garlic in it.

[WTB]

The best recipe I have done on the back strap is soak/marinate in Zesty Italian salad dressing with the addition of sea salt,black pepper and garlic for several hours then slow cook on the grill.

Serve medium rare thin sliced.

I am sure that smoking recipe this would be right tasty.

While in Texas deer camp this week My brother and I smoked some beef ribeyes over mesquite in his new double 55 gal barrel stacked smoker. Yummy!

[onebigskittle]

i tried to smoke a backstrap once,,,couldnt find a paper big enough and it would not stay lite
Wrap it up in news paper and get someone to help you hold it up while another person lights it