Eating with your eyes
Eating with your eyes
In Mr. Marianski's book Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages, his canadian bacon recipe calls for brushing the pork loin with beaten egg yolks prior to smoking for a nice sheen.
Does anyone else have any tips or tricks to improve the appearance of their products, without compromising quality?
Does anyone else have any tips or tricks to improve the appearance of their products, without compromising quality?
Different wood species result in different finished color of product. Some sites address this.
Wood smoke has been analyzed and found to comprise some 250 chemical components but not all in the same proportions so that maple may produce a different color of finish than pear or than hickory or than oak. Oak and beach are in the same genus but different species. I remember that dad said that corn cob produced a dark color smoke. I would have to play with small samples to find what pleased me. I think that 6 inch squares of bacon would be good subjects for testing a variety of wood species smoke. Go to a local saw mill and ask for slab wood of all of the species that they run. Label them and try each one. Then make a contract with the saw mill to save you the slabs of that species. I would bet that the cost of a pick-up truck load would be about one ham.
Wood smoke has been analyzed and found to comprise some 250 chemical components but not all in the same proportions so that maple may produce a different color of finish than pear or than hickory or than oak. Oak and beach are in the same genus but different species. I remember that dad said that corn cob produced a dark color smoke. I would have to play with small samples to find what pleased me. I think that 6 inch squares of bacon would be good subjects for testing a variety of wood species smoke. Go to a local saw mill and ask for slab wood of all of the species that they run. Label them and try each one. Then make a contract with the saw mill to save you the slabs of that species. I would bet that the cost of a pick-up truck load would be about one ham.
Ross- tightwad home cook
Cool comments guys. I have heard of using corn cobs but I have never heard of anyone noting their ability to promote sheen. I wonder if there is a chemical or perhaps something to do with residual sugars in the cobs caramelizing -- but that sounds a little out there.
Im not so curious about different woods imparting different colors as much as these less familiar techniques of basting with egg yolks or quick hot showers to allow fats to migrate, or whatever the case is. I have always found those little tips and tricks worth seeking out when it comes to working in fancy kitchens, so I am trying to find some within the realm of charcuterie & salumi
Im not so curious about different woods imparting different colors as much as these less familiar techniques of basting with egg yolks or quick hot showers to allow fats to migrate, or whatever the case is. I have always found those little tips and tricks worth seeking out when it comes to working in fancy kitchens, so I am trying to find some within the realm of charcuterie & salumi
It goes beyond just the species, etc. etc. etc....temp makes a difference...moisture content makes a difference....heart wood vs. sap wood makes a difference...blah blah blahssorllih wrote:Different wood species result in different finished color of product. Some sites address this.
Wood smoke has been analyzed and found to comprise some 250 chemical components but not all in the same proportions so that maple may produce a different color of finish than pear or than hickory or than oak. Oak and beach are in the same genus but different species. I remember that dad said that corn cob produced a dark color smoke. I would have to play with small samples to find what pleased me. I think that 6 inch squares of bacon would be good subjects for testing a variety of wood species smoke. Go to a local saw mill and ask for slab wood of all of the species that they run. Label them and try each one. Then make a contract with the saw mill to save you the slabs of that species. I would bet that the cost of a pick-up truck load would be about one ham.
I'll take a few pounds of swamp hickory heart wood for a truck load of slab wood any day!! And please, keep the slab wood! LOL
~Martin