Smoked pork loin with maple syrup

[Oregon Bill]

A freind was telling me about a favorite recipe in which he takes a pork loin and slices it in 1-inch thick steaks, then coats them in maple syrup. These he then smokes for four to five hours before baking, I believe. This sounds like it would work in a dutch oven. Anyone tried this? Del?

[Delmonico]

Never tried it, but don't see where it wouldn't be good. 

Old ham recipes often call for maple sugar or syrup added to the brine that they are held in before smoking.  The salt and the sugar are both hydroscopic, this pulls the moisture out of bacteria and either killing it or preventing it from growing.  The skoke has the same affect.  Today our bacon and ham are onlu lightly salted and smoked to give them flavor.  The old type hams and bacon would keep two or so years if kept cool and dry.

[Ozark Tracker]

I can remember my granddad using  (I think) a surgar cure also.  I know he salted down the bacon and some of the hams but I also remember the smell of the surgar cure, he would almost cover the hams with it.  I always enjoyed goin into the smoke house and smelling all the different smells in there.

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[Oregon Bill]

Got the details on this recipe. After mapling and smoking, you just grill'em till they plump up and the center is cooked. Gonna try 'em real soon, if the dang rain will slack off.

[Camille Eonich]

Seems as though if you smoked 1 inch slices for 4 or 5 hours they would be cooked through.  Yes?

[Oregon Bill]

Camille: Depends on the smoker. I use a Luhr Jensen Little Chief, and runing two panfuls of chips through it would not in my opinion bring the internal temperature high enough for pork. My pard says it does do a wonderful job of sealing the meat, so that when grilled it is surprisingly juicy inside.

[Hemlock Mike]

Camille --

I think there are two kinds of smoking -- Hot and cold.  Cold smoking isn't intended to "cook" the meat.  There are probably other methods too....  Someone will tell us -- Film at 10 :-)

Mike

[Delmonico]

I've got a reprint of a 1950's Dept of Ag home butchering and preseving meat book.  I'll get it as soon as I'm able to climb the stairs in a day or so, it is a good referance book.  I don't know if it is still in print, I got it about 20 years ago.

[gophergrease]

Sounds good to me, will have to give it a go.

With that much sugar it would have to be a cold smokeing, temps under 150 or so. Used for cureing meats like ham. Useing a hoter smoke 200+ for that time you would end up burning the sugar which is not so tasty.