Hello everybody! Thought I better stop here to introduce myself, and tell everyone a little about myself, my culinary background, and my aspirations.
I am an Oregon native and currently reside on the Oregon coast. I grew up around charcuterie, and am an avid foodie, a fan of all forms. I first filed taxes at age 12 working summers at my grandfather, and fathers smokehouse where we smoked jerky in a 12'x16'x8' custom made (by them) smoker/jerky plant. I was lucky to have had the chance to enjoy growing up eating and producing everything from smoked fish including the great spring Chinook, to jerky's from beef to alligator, along with homemade sauerkraut, pickles, jams, jellies, salsas and the likes.
I currently am a partner of a wholesale food company with my mother who also owns a smokehouse/delicatessen/espresso shop. I also run a small computer/electronics geek business on the side. At the moment I have a batch of wine fermenting, salted eggs brining, Lonzino dry curing in a fridge, and I just finished a small batch of sauerkraut, and a corned beef. I am aggressively preparing to make my first home purchase, so considering this and the size of my current residence I haven't had the ability to set up any sort of dedicated smoker, though the idea is always near the front of my mind. I'm currently in the discovery phase of my journey to smokehousedom which will more than likely (hopefully) end with the construction of a home made convection temperature controlled hot/cold smoker with both old world and new world capabilities + pizza oven (why not go big), which will be immediately followed by the beginning of my more personal journey into these culinary arts.
I strive to embrace and enjoy all food techniques and methods the world has to offer, from the latest in technology to the wonderful methods that have survived throughout time. And though I seriously doubt I will ever own a George Forman grill, I won't rule it out. The George just might work for something I don't yet know about, for instance a hair crimper, or to iron pants. But seriously, I'm not a snob, though I do know what I prefer. I have no organic requirements, or a vendetta against the microwave, microwave hollandaise is a delicious blessing for days when motivation is scarce but hunger for taste is not. I'd prefer wild game and quality small farm raised meats, and a great butcher. I'd prefer the farmers market, or my own garden, and to always use fresh herbs, but who wouldn't. While we're at it, though I have never experienced it, I assume I'd probably prefer Kobe beef and Croizet Cuvée Léonie (1858) Cognac, but I supermarket shop on a daily basis. I am not a Luddite, nor a gadget freak, but dabble in both, and chose preferences based on results. From dry curing to cooking over wood or natural lump charcoal to cooking sous-vide and flash pickling I see opportunity and strive to refine my utilization of each different method and style.
I look forward to perusing this wonderful site, and hopefully soon sharing my adventures in smoking.
Again, hello, and thank you for reading,
Goodballa
I am an Oregon native and currently reside on the Oregon coast. I grew up around charcuterie, and am an avid foodie, a fan of all forms. I first filed taxes at age 12 working summers at my grandfather, and fathers smokehouse where we smoked jerky in a 12'x16'x8' custom made (by them) smoker/jerky plant. I was lucky to have had the chance to enjoy growing up eating and producing everything from smoked fish including the great spring Chinook, to jerky's from beef to alligator, along with homemade sauerkraut, pickles, jams, jellies, salsas and the likes.
I currently am a partner of a wholesale food company with my mother who also owns a smokehouse/delicatessen/espresso shop. I also run a small computer/electronics geek business on the side. At the moment I have a batch of wine fermenting, salted eggs brining, Lonzino dry curing in a fridge, and I just finished a small batch of sauerkraut, and a corned beef. I am aggressively preparing to make my first home purchase, so considering this and the size of my current residence I haven't had the ability to set up any sort of dedicated smoker, though the idea is always near the front of my mind. I'm currently in the discovery phase of my journey to smokehousedom which will more than likely (hopefully) end with the construction of a home made convection temperature controlled hot/cold smoker with both old world and new world capabilities + pizza oven (why not go big), which will be immediately followed by the beginning of my more personal journey into these culinary arts.
I strive to embrace and enjoy all food techniques and methods the world has to offer, from the latest in technology to the wonderful methods that have survived throughout time. And though I seriously doubt I will ever own a George Forman grill, I won't rule it out. The George just might work for something I don't yet know about, for instance a hair crimper, or to iron pants. But seriously, I'm not a snob, though I do know what I prefer. I have no organic requirements, or a vendetta against the microwave, microwave hollandaise is a delicious blessing for days when motivation is scarce but hunger for taste is not. I'd prefer wild game and quality small farm raised meats, and a great butcher. I'd prefer the farmers market, or my own garden, and to always use fresh herbs, but who wouldn't. While we're at it, though I have never experienced it, I assume I'd probably prefer Kobe beef and Croizet Cuvée Léonie (1858) Cognac, but I supermarket shop on a daily basis. I am not a Luddite, nor a gadget freak, but dabble in both, and chose preferences based on results. From dry curing to cooking over wood or natural lump charcoal to cooking sous-vide and flash pickling I see opportunity and strive to refine my utilization of each different method and style.
I look forward to perusing this wonderful site, and hopefully soon sharing my adventures in smoking.
Again, hello, and thank you for reading,
Goodballa