Have any of you got a recipe for smoking venison or squirrels? Either smoked and cooked or smoked first and then put in the oven is fine. I have books but trust hunters more.

Smoker ? be carefull. I know one fellow who got a smoker .He carefully set it up to smoke a chicken then went inside to do other things . After an hour he went to check the smoker - and he found a family of possums feasting on the chicken !!!He packed up the smoker and gave it away .... There is a difference in "cold smoking" and "smoke cooking" . Cold smoking is for preservation and is done at 70-90F for a few days. Smoke cooking cooks the food with smoke as a flavoring.

Just had ribs tonight.

The market had beef ribs and baby backs on sale.

I marinated with Yoshidas Gourmet sauce on the beef and maple syrup on the pork.

Beef tends to need to be brushed with BBQ sauce every so often because of its lower fat content.

I would assume it would be even worse with game meat because it is so lean.

My advise would be to try some with a rub of your choice or try a marinade. If you can, try to brush with some sauce every 30-45 minutes.

-Spencer

Thanks for the info. I plan on cooking it completely in the smoker after using about 3 pans of chips. I guess checking the meat with the thermometer will tell me when the roast is done. I plan on a short cure and basting it often, maybe putting some bacon on top too.
I also thought of putting a chicken above it and putting bacon on the chicken so the drippings fall on the venison. What do you think?
Thos possums would be the next fare on the smoker!

BFR,

I did a doe right hip a couple weeks ago in a water smoker using mesquite chips and it was awful strong with smoke....really didn't like it much. Hickory, apple or white oak seems to work better....more delicate flavor. I really need to use the water smoker with cheap beer or just water in the pan to keep it moist...otherwise I end up with "wet jerky" and it's not very good.

No offense, but possum is buzzard bait around here. Got one the other day with a 35x12.50 using a BFG M&S pattern.

Mesquite is known in the "Smoker Afficionados Circles" as Devil Wood. Better for openfire and grills than a true, enclosed smoker. If you must use it, go light with it.

Based on my experience with smokers, one should never use more than 4-6 ounces of wood. That is plenty and will prevent bitterness. Also remember that a peice of meat is through taking in smoke flavor at an internal temperature of around 150-160. I usually cook my tru BBQ up to 185-190, this allows for all of the cartilidge and collagen to competely dissolve. Tender cuts of meet I take to 150, 160 if wild game, and turn the smoker down to 140 and hold for an hour.

For lean meat, just throw some thick cut bacon on the top before you put in the smoker. It will keep it moist. Plus, you add 15-30 minutes cooking time, everytime you open the door.

Hunt4Life is correct it doesn't take much wood to get the smoke flavor we are looking for, not much at all. More wood MORE bitter the meat.

I don't trust wood I havent cut myself.
Cut the tree during hard freeze conditions and you will get the "good smoke" flavor and not the creosote bitterness.
In a pinch you can use the bark from a Shag Bark Hickory tree. The sap is long gone even in wet and warm conditions.

If you can find it, use apple wood and a dry rub with ginger and onion for pork ribs. Keep the smoker temp around 215 deg. for 4 hours.

Has anyone tried maple? I've been burning it this winter in the wood stove and it smells pretty good....just wondering!!

I use maple and it works fine.

the chef

Black birch is another one that works well !

You'll find thousands of smoking recipes on the net. Some smoking salts or brines have rum, pickling spice, clove, garlic salt and other odd items in the mix.
Forget all that.
I've been smoking trout at my British Columbia cabin, and at home, for over 20 years.
Here's what I came up with that works with everything: meat, fish, fowl and even oysters.
The recipe is simple:
2 lbs. of regular table salt.
1 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of Liquid Smoke
That's it. Mix well and store in a non-rusting container. I have an old Tupperware beverage jug that works great.
FISH - Fish should be cleaned and then split down the back, from the inside, so they lie flat. DO NOT remove the skin.
Sprinkle a little salt mix in the bottom of a plastic washtub. Add the first fish, skin down. Sprinkle more salt over the fish's flesh. Add another fish. Sprinkle salt mix over the fish and add another, and so on ...
Eventually, you create a stack of fish with salt on both sides. Cover with cheesecloth to keep flies out and place in the shade.
After an hour, pour off the brine in the bottom of the tub. Allow to soak another hour, then remove from the tub and rinse thoroughly under running water.
No need to towel or shake dry, just put them straight into the smoker.
My smoker in B.C. has its fire source away from the smoking box. The smoke is funneled to the smoker via a pipe. My smoker at home is a Little Chief, with the heating element inside the box.
Smoking time varies with the type of smoker. However, you should always put the largest fish on the bottom, nearest the heat source, and the smaller ones on top.
To smoke porkshops or other meat, layer them in the salt mix as you did the fish. Rinse thoroughly and place the largest near the bottom. It's the same as smoking fish.
Got big chunks of salmon? Cut them into 4X5 inch pieces and salt as you would regular fish.
How do you know when your fish is smoked? Press the middle of the thickest piece. If it is resistant to being depressed, it's probably done. Let it go another half hour if you have any doubts.
Smaller fish will look dry along the edges.
Of course, you can smoke fish very dry, for better storage, but dry smoked fish is not as palatable.
Oysters?
Drop fresh, shelled oysters into boiling water and blanche for one minute. This firms them up. Then just salt them in layers as you dish fish.
Grease the racks with oysters, though. They have no skin and unless the racks are greased the oyster will stick and tear when pulled off.
Homemade smoked oysters are dry, not oily like those you find in the can. Watch them carefully after about an hour of heavy smoking, or they get too rubbery.
I tried smoking fresh shrimp once. Disaster! In the shell, the smoke wouldn't reach the meat through the shell. So, the next batch I shelled them. They dried up to lil' nubbins and still didn't have much of a smoky flavor. I don't suggest you try smoking shrimp.
Smoked game hens? Salt them thoroughly inside and out, then rinse thoroughly after two hours. Stand them cavity down on the rack, so the smoke can reach inside. You may have to wire them upright.
A small pan of water in the smoker will keep them moist, otherwise, the thin-meat areas will dry to a crisp before the thick-meat areas get smoked.
Wet smoking like this is not so good for preseving food, but it's damned good eating!

My favorite way to enjoy fresh-smoked trout?
A chunk of trout on a saltine, with a bit of Bleu cheese on top of the fish, washed down with dark beer. Gawddddd .. what a meal!

Smoked meats and fish, if properly done, make wonderful Christmas or birthday gifts. You can freeze raw trout for months, pull it out, smoke it, and refreeze it for another few months.
Doing this, you only have to smoke the raw fish when you get a full load. Then put the full load back in the freezer for Christmas dinner or as a gift.
It's great romantic fare to offer your favorite lady too ... "And for this evening, we have champagne, my personally smoked trout, and a variety of cheeses and crackers. Bon apetit!"