Black Forest Ham, smoking with pine or fir

[DangerDan]

I've been looking into recipes for a Black Forest ham for a while now. I frequent a sausage making website from time to time and ran across some information regarding smoking with pine and fir, a necessary wood for this type of ham. Interestingly enough this guy says they've been doing it for years.

Here the writer states:
"I am a bit surprised what makes you state that pine is not good for smoking. In Switzerland we used a lot of pine shavings, pine nedles and even pine cones to smoke speciallity meats such as the world famous Black Forest Ham. We even used Pine sap to give the bacon, ham and some sausages their traditional black colour.
Never not once have I, or any other professional butcher, had any complaints about bitterness. What cauases bitterness is when the smoking temperatur is to high or the smoke to much in volume".

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewt...hp?p=5953#5953

with his final post leading to the ingredients to the ham I'm researching.

http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewt...hp?p=9729#9729

His points make sense to me. These hams are the top sold hams in Germany so it would stand to reason his results are authentic.

http://www.schwarzwaelder-schinken-v...te=herstellung

[Kingudaroad]

Hmmm... interesting. Keep it thin and blue buddy, and go with it!! Is it a real long cold smoke?? Maybe that cold smoke is milder then like smoking a brisket at 250.


Do it!

[SMOKE FREAK]

Seems I read that the blackened exterior was from beef blood before smoking....could be wrong...

[DangerDan]

Thats right, Beef blood. The ham is basted with the blood during the smoking process.

[SMOKE FREAK]

And smoked with pine????

[ALX]

I would assume this is the wood they have in abundance - outside of firewood or Coal!!!!

Intersting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[DangerDan]

I believe the correct technique would be with fir. I've seen some evidence that pine is used as well. I've also read where beechwood was the wood of choice. A true black forest ham though is smoked with fir from the black forest.

Alot of consideration would have to be given to the delivery of the smoke. I think by adding in a couple of Y connections into the inlet (smoke) pipe enough diffusion could be accomplished to offer a very thin smoke. I'll play with it a bit over the next months and see what I can come up with.

[Kingudaroad]

I believe the correct technique would be with fir. I've seen some evidence that pine is used as well. I've also read where beechnut was the wood of choice. A true black forest ham though is smoked with fir from the black forest.

Or pine from the Black Forest or beechwood from the Black Forest.

[Gunslinger]

And here I thought them trees were a definite no-no. Learned something new today.

[Kyote]

what the gunslinger said.

[SmokinLee]

Thats why you are Danger Dan, Good luck with this venture, I know you do your homework and I'll bet it all turns out very well. I always enjoyed the smell of a fire with pine wood burning.

[Bbqgoddess]

Hmmm... interesting. Keep it thin and blue buddy, and go with it!! Is it a real long cold smoke?? Maybe that cold smoke is milder then like smoking a brisket at 250.


Do it!

And here I thought them trees were a definite no-no. Learned something new today.

WOW!! Im with Keith, DO IT!!
I can't wait to see this unfold... dangerdan smoke on!

[DangerDan]

It'll be a winter project. I put two sugar cured hams in cure today. Tomorrow I have to cure the loin and bacon for the lendenspeck then its back to the salt minds for another week. Hopefully by next week I'll have my table finished so ole Rich will get his New Years sausage.

[curious aardvark]

looking at the recipe - it's pretty much just bog standard dry cured smoked ham, with juniper berries. That's pressed during curing.

Have to admit I'vbe never considered black forest style hams to be anything overly special.
Maybe pine smoke and juniper are all it takes :-) and the whole 'must be 800m above sea level' is just so you can't make it anywhere in england lol