History of Smoked Meat
Food was originally smoked as a means to preserve it. The practice may have started as early as the stone age and was probably discovered by accident when food was left out in the sun. The discovery of fire would have made the smoking of foods more prevalent. Throughout the centuries, until the development of refrigeration, smoking and salting meat for future use was a regular practice. Here we would like to share some ideas which can make you a very good Homemade Smoker.
Pork has always been a popular meat for many civilizations due to the ease of raising pigs and preserving the meat. People began raising pigs about the same time that they established group settlements. By 600 BC pig breeding was a thriving industry. Pigs were brought to the New World by Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto in the sixteenth century and soon became a major commodity here as well. A number of cultures such as orthodox Jews and Muslims forbid the eating of pork. This food prohibition dates to ancient times when Egyptians only ate pork during the feasts of the gods Osiris.
Raw Materials Today, pigs are raised around the world, primarily in areas of temperate climates and dense human populations. China and the United States are the largest producers of pigs. Pig breeding incorporates a combination of pen-rearing and pasture feeding. Domesticated pigs are fed a diet consisting of corn, grains, roots and fruits. Domestic pigs usually reach their market weight of 175-240lb (79.4-108.9 kg) between the ages of 5 and 11 months. At that time they are taken to the slaughterhouse. The specific cuts are then treated from the carcasses. The ham portion, cut from the leg, is then cured and smoked. Get the chart of Pork primal cuts below.