How to Smoke Meat or Fish - The Fast and Easy Way

I can say that the earliest curing process for fish and meat is by smoking.

Our forefathers or ancestors devised a cooking method so that their catch will last for a week, months or even a year.

Entered smoking. Although, some medical experts warn us to be choosy when eating smoked food, we cannot stop people, specially rural folks to use this method in preserving their produce.

Whatever our locations are, there will be always smoked meat and fish in the market.

Or better yet, you can mingle with residents in nearby villages and learn the hands-on in smoking meat or fish.

Note: I was given affirmation by jimmythejock (aka James Paterson, from Scotland- HP Apprentice Alum but not the famous murder-mystery thriller author) to expound his post on Answers.

More than three decades ago, a 10-year old Travel Man always accompany his mother whenever she will buy kaing or baskets loaded with parboiled fish in salt and pepper.

Those loads of fish will be brought home in order to be smoked and vended at our place and nearby villages.

That's how we earned extra income, aside from farming or planting rice and harvesting copra meat and coffee during the 80s.

So, to inspire you to make an easy-to-follow method in smoking fish, here's what I remember that my mother did.

As the fishes were already cured by half-boiling it with salt and pepper.

Here's what we need (aside from fish):

• wood shavings or kusot (in Filipino)
• round bamboo winnower (used in cleaning palay after harvest, or rice before cooking)
• charcoal

How to smoke fish

1. Place identical stones in circle, similar to the bamboo winnower. It must be half-a-foot or one foot in depth.
2. Make a fire out the charcoal. When done, spread evenly on the stone circle.
3. Place the wood shavings atop the ember of the charcoal.
4. Put the fish on the bamboo winnower evenly. Put on the stone circle.
5. Smoking fish starts and ends for about one to two hours.

Others use different materials, such as chicken wire or galvanized iron dotted with holes as smoke drainer, like the bamboo winnower.

Some will add food color on the fish (tanny or deep brown) to make it look like smoke tint on fish.

My father oriented me on how to preserve food when I was still young. I don't even want to participate because all I think at that time was play outside the house.

Anyway, although he didn't eat much meat, like beef, he still smke it for future use.

Thre was no electricity yet in our village during the late 70s and all he did was to hang the cured beef (salt and pepper) atop the makeshift stove powered by charcoal or chopped dried woods.

He protect it from flies by covering it with cheesecloth (or pranela) until it matured for a week.

When the meat was almost dehydrated, it's time it can be cooked as homemade tapa, our Filipino term for smoked beef.

For a more complete guide on Smoking Meat or Fish , Wilbur F. Eastman compiled methods and personal experience that is perfect for an outdoor or indoor activities at home, especially in the kitchen.

The book also includeds recipes and tips with emphasis on safety and hygience when preparing meat, fish and game dishes.

With this book that will be handy near the kitchen in your home, you'll learn how to can, cure, freeze and of course, smoke meat or fish and even game or wild birds with safety-conscious instructions and procedure.

As for the description of the book, this will entice you to buy this paperback edition.

An excellent resource for anyone who loves meat but hates the steroids and chemicals in commercially available products.