# Tasso Time!!!



## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

Bought 60# of pork butt on sale this morning. Half of it is for processing into venison sausage later, the other half is in bags now curing. They hit the smoker this afternoon....






6 bags, 4# per bag. got about a 8 half pound slabs per bag. I'm gonna hang them on poles in the smokehouse this go around. Should get 20# or so after I smoke them.


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## swinefan (Feb 1, 2018)

I would like to see your Tasso recipe, I have been intrigued ever since my first New Orleans visit...


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## Rings Я Us (Feb 1, 2018)

Cure? For a few hours?


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

Rings Я Us said:


> Cure? For a few hours?



The meat is 1/2" slabs and there is cure solution between the slabs. 

I flip the bags and squish the meat around every hour or so. I used a cure calculator. There is only 1/2 cup of liquid in the bag with 1 tsp. of cure. It'll turn pink, promise.


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## Rings Я Us (Feb 1, 2018)

I was just wondering if it would help the flavor in that time. I have only tried on chicken . :)


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

The solution is a high enough concentration of cure to penetrate to the center of a 1/2 thick cut of meat in 7~8 hours. You could go as long as 12. The key here is not to stack the meat. What I do is pour 1TBSP. of the cure mixture between each piece as I stack them in a gallon ziplock, then after massaging the bag, I lay it on it's side in the ice chest so that the meat is vertical, not stacked flat. This allows the cure liquid to flow between the pieces when I flip the bags. <wink>

BTW, cure travels fast at the surface, but slows down the deeper it penetrates. The meat is only 1/2" thick and  the cure is penetrating from both sides.....


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## biaviian (Feb 1, 2018)

What do you call on sale?  I always wonder what people pay and feel is a good deal.  A local store has them for $1.89 a pound this week and I see that as a great deal, compared to normal prices.


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## Rings Я Us (Feb 1, 2018)

That sounds good. I don't think I ever have heard of anyone here buying or making it. We don't have it in Michigan much I'm thinking. It's spicy and good for beans and soup though hey?  Good luck and happy smoking.


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

biaviian said:


> What do you call on sale?  I always wonder what people pay and feel is a good deal.  A local store has them for $1.89 a pound this week and I see that as a great deal, compared to normal prices.



$0.99/lb. is what I paid. Regular price has been running around $1.59~$1.79/lb. for double packs of butts.


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## biaviian (Feb 1, 2018)

indaswamp said:


> $0.99/lb. is what I paid. Regular price has been running around $1.59~$1.79/lb. for double packs of butts.



Wow


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

Just in time for processing deer at the end of the season....


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

Started pulling the tasso out of the bags @4pm. Seasoned, on SS wire hooks, in the smokehouse to dry.

Season...







You want to coat the slabs of meat good but still be able to see the meat...about 1/2TBSP. (or more) per side.
Up close...








SS wire hooks drying on paper towel after a good soak in bleach water..






The seasoning...





In the smokehouse to dry...





That's 24# of tasso on the top rack. I still have 1 1/2 poles empty so could put 30# on the top rack easy and still get at least 1" of air space for good smoke.


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

Gonna smoke 'em with hickory pellets and pecan dust. But I gotta run the the store and pick up some more hickory pellets while the tasso dries.


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

Put the wood on @ 6:30pm, good smoke rolling out da vents. Q-vue when I check it in about an hour.


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## Rings Я Us (Feb 1, 2018)

Nice.. your working at this more than I figured.. good stuff


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

swinefan said:


> I would like to see your Tasso recipe, I have been intrigued ever since my first New Orleans visit...



Here ya go, along with some history of Tasso...
http://www.lpb.org/index.php/programs/folse_hooks_recipes/110_garfish_tasso

other firm fish can be substituted <hint, hint> I've even made tasso with nutria.
Same recipe for pork butt tasso, just substitute pork for the garfish.

I make a few changes:
1. If you follow the recipe as is, and mix the spices into the cure mixture, you will end up with a very salty, very highly seasoned product that you will not be able to eat alone as an hors d'oeuvre. I do not mix the seasoning into the cure mix. I season the meat when I pull it out of the cure.
2. I add cure #1 and recommend you do to. I use a cure calculator which takes into account the volume of liquid and the thickness of the meat to give you grams of cure #1 and the cure time. I like to use 4# of meat per bag because the cure works out to 4.7 grams or 1 tsp. of cure. 
3. I add 1/4c. brown sugar to the seasoning mix. Looks like a lot of seasoning, but 1/5 or so of it is sugar. The sugar really sucks up the smoke.


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

I also shoot for 2.75~3% salt by weight. If you are looking to make a product for a charcuterie plate, or to fry up with some eggs for breakfast I recommend reducing to 2%.


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

Rings Я Us said:


> Nice.. your working at this more than I figured.. good stuff


Thanks Rings for the kind words and the like.


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## motocrash (Feb 1, 2018)




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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

The good thing about making tasso while cutting up meat for sausage is that I can pick and choose the best cuts for the tasso. Sausage don't care if it gets ends and misshaped pieces, it's gonna be ground up anyways! I also trimmed the fat cap off the butt prior to slicing and set aside 9# of fat to add in the sausage. Less I got to buy later.


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

Lookin good...


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

Typically, Tasso was dried until the moisture content was very low like jerky. It was done like this to preserve the meat. Once again we see heavy garlic, black pepper, salt and sugar being used with smoke to preserve meat. The meat was so heavily seasoned that nothing else was needed when adding it to gumbos or beans. This reduced what the trappers and fishermen in the swamps had to carry with them. Dry Beans, dry tasso, and rice. If they killed fresh meat, they made gumbo....


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## motocrash (Feb 1, 2018)

Oooie dat look good!;)


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## indaswamp (Feb 1, 2018)

Got the color I'm looking for...






INT is @ 115*, now to crank the heat up to ~190* and finish the tasso to 160*. I'm going to 160 to dry the tasso out a little more. It'll be cooked way before it gets to 160*. 
I also trimmed some of the low hanging pieces that were holding on by fat. Put those on hooks in the front.


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## indaswamp (Feb 2, 2018)

Almost forgot to post up the pics! 9 hours in the smokehouse. 
Done...





Cured to the middle...as promised. All pink-no grey.






The two clear lines are melt in you mouth smokey fat lines. OMG SO GOOD! Best part on tasso IMO....

Hanging to cool, then on ice until tomorrow, good night.


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## ab canuck (Feb 2, 2018)

That looks really good, I have yet to try this. I am hoping to be riding through Louisiana this spring on a holiday. Any places you recommend stopping and or trying? I have been to New Orleans once a couple years ago and loved it, But want to see more of it.


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## indaswamp (Feb 3, 2018)

What kind of places are you looking for?


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## ab canuck (Feb 4, 2018)

I am looking for any ideas to visit and try new stuff, Tasso, Seafood, authentic cajun foods were a hit with us, smoke pit / houses.


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## indaswamp (Feb 4, 2018)

You ought to stop by @ Wayne Jacob's in LaPlace and buy some andouille. Ask to look at their smokehouse. Tell them a family friend told you about the place, I'm sure they will give another smoke head a tour. LaPlace is only 16 miles north on I10 from the New Orleans airport. Middendorf's Seafood Restaurant is not far from there going up I-55 from LaPlace. 
While in New Orleans, check out Don Link's butcher shop named Cochon. Get you some boudin and check out the meats he has on the menu..

Other meat shops in town:
https://nola.eater.com/maps/10-great-spots-for-cajun-meats-in-new-orleans


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## indaswamp (Mar 17, 2018)

If you are traveling on I-10 out by Lafayette, you need to stop by at the Best stop in scott louisiana....


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## ab canuck (Mar 17, 2018)

Awesome Thx, I was wanting to do the stop at Wayne Jacob's. I have heard about that and would like to try that one for sure. thx for the tips as well. I am looking forward to the trek through Louisiana. I am sure there will not be enough time to see everything I want to see and do but will make the best of it when the time comes.


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## Diehardmason (Apr 3, 2018)

Where did you get the hooks?


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## indaswamp (Apr 3, 2018)

Diehardmason said:


> Where did you get the hooks?


I made them from some stainless steel tie wire I had on hand.


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## Diehardmason (Apr 3, 2018)

That must be fairly thick tie wire. I’ll try that. I normally just lay them on the grates.


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## indaswamp (Apr 3, 2018)

It's roughly 1/16th of an inch thick. Plenty strong enough to hold the 1/2 lb. slabs of meat....


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## Diehardmason (Apr 3, 2018)

Heading to lowes shortly!!  Thanks.


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## mosparky (Apr 3, 2018)

Lets see if I got this straight. You add cure 1 to the wet portion of the seasoning then marinate up to 12 hrs. Then season and into the smoker ? I assume you pat dry before the seasoning.


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## indaswamp (Apr 3, 2018)

mosparky said:


> Lets see if I got this straight. You add cure 1 to the wet portion of the seasoning then marinate up to 12 hrs. Then season and into the smoker ? I assume you pat dry before the seasoning.


Yes, You got it. I used Dr. Blonder's cure calculator for the amount of cure and the cure time. I did pat the meat dry, then season it. Remember that heat accelerates both the salt and cure penetration and being that the meat is only 1/2" thick, the cure time does not need to be very long.


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## mosparky (Apr 3, 2018)

From the discription it sounds like the meat is basically 1/2 inch thk pork steaks. Correct ?


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## indaswamp (Apr 3, 2018)

yes.


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## mosparky (Apr 3, 2018)

awesome, I got a bunch in the freezer that need a purpose.


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## Gwanger (Apr 4, 2018)

indaswamp said:


> The good thing about making tasso while cutting up meat for sausage is that I can pick and choose the best cuts for the tasso. Sausage don't care if it gets ends and misshaped pieces, it's gonna be ground up anyways! I also trimmed the fat cap off the butt prior to slicing and set aside 9# of fat to add in the sausage. Less I got to buy later.


Inda, what is your meat to fat ratio for your venison sausage since venison is so lean


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## indaswamp (Apr 4, 2018)

20~25% fat.


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## Gwanger (Apr 4, 2018)

indaswamp said:


> 20~25% fat.


wher do you buy pork fat, last time I bought they charged me same price as pork shoulder and I am sure they just dug it out of fat cans in cutting room


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## indaswamp (Apr 4, 2018)

I buy it locally at small A&G grocery stores. The butchers keep it in stock for in house sausage making. The stores bulk up on fat to sell after the hunting season is over for people making sausage. I get it for $0.69/lb. normally. They also carry back fat cut in 1" strips with the skin still attached for making cajun cracklins. I can get that for $0.99/lb. but I have to trim the skins...not a problem for me with a very sharp filet knife-it's like filleting a fish. I keep the skins for making boudin and head cheese.


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## pc farmer (Apr 4, 2018)

indaswamp said:


> I buy it locally at small A&G grocery stores. The butchers keep it in stock for in house sausage making. The stores bulk up on fat to sell after the hunting season is over for people making sausage. I get it for $0.69/lb. normally. They also carry back fat cut in 1" strips with the skin still attached for making cajun cracklins. I can get that for $0.99/lb. but I have to trim the skins...not a problem for me with a very sharp filet knife-it's like filleting a fish. I keep the skins for making boudin and head cheese.




Would love to have a store like that here.


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## indaswamp (Apr 4, 2018)

Back in Feb. when we processed all the deer, I bought 42lbs. of pork Boston butt trim fat for $0.79/lb. for all the sausages we made. Paid about $35 bucks with tax for it.


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## indaswamp (Apr 4, 2018)

c farmer said:


> Would love to have a store like that here.


No butcher shops where you can buy fat?


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## pc farmer (Apr 4, 2018)

indaswamp said:


> No butcher shops where you can buy fat?


Not anywhere close. So I made sure when I butchered I got back fat.  I have 10 lbs I think.


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## indaswamp (Apr 4, 2018)

Gotcha...you must live back in a remote area in PA....


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## indaswamp (Apr 4, 2018)

Gwanger said:


> wher do you buy pork fat, last time I bought they charged me same price as pork shoulder and I am sure they just dug it out of fat cans in cutting room


Check with any asian or mexican markets in your area...you will more than likely be able to buy what you need there for a great price....


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## Gwanger (Apr 5, 2018)

indaswamp said:


> I buy it locally at small A&G grocery stores. The butchers keep it in stock for in house sausage making. The stores bulk up on fat to sell after the hunting season is over for people making sausage. I get it for $0.69/lb. normally. They also carry back fat cut in 1" strips with the skin still attached for making cajun cracklins. I can get that for $0.99/lb. but I have to trim the skins...not a problem for me with a very sharp filet knife-it's like filleting a fish. I keep the skins for making boudin and head cheese.


Don't have any small grocers anymore, all replaced by big box stores, Jewel, Meier, Walmart, Butera and one custom butcher sells prime beef for a big price.I have been looking for veal shoulder for German sausage, 6 or 7 $ per pound.Very cost prohibitive.


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