LOW AND SLOW

 

 

It’s almost grilling season again! I always say we are going to grill on nice days in the winter too but that always seems to go by the wayside. So, although we will be enjoying grilled foods again, this year we are going to venture into home smoking.

Smoking meats adds a whole new depth of flavor. It is a form of indirect cooking that takes place over hours of cooking meat over lit and unlit coals at low temperatures. It is a low-fat cooking process because it avoids cooking with oils, fats and mostly without added sauces. Smoking also tenderizes meats. Various hardwoods are added to give it that signature smokey flavor.

Contrary to what many believe, smoking isn’t complicated if you know the basics. Another myth is that you have to buy a smoker or make your own. Your gas or charcoal grill will work just fine if you just remember to use indirect heat by placing your meat on the part of the grill that is beside rather than on top of the hot coals. Also, keep a few other tips in mind:

 

DIFFERENT SMOKING METHODS. There are three common practices that seasoned smokers use. The first is called the “two-zone fire.” It consists of piling lit coals on either side of the grill, leaving a space in the center with no coals. Place a foil pan with hot water in it in the empty spot to regulate temperature and to add moisture to the grill.

 

The charcoal snake method is simply laying out two rows of unlit coals along the outer edge of the grill, but only three-quarters of the way around. Add soaked wood chips over the line of coals and place a foil pan with hot water in the center. Light six or eight briquets in a chimney. When ready, pile all of the lit coals at the head of the snake. It will burn slowly down the line for hours for a long, slow smoke. If you need more time, just add more briquets to the end of the snake.

For the burn down method, fill the charcoal bed with unlit coals, adding only a few lit coals to the top. Those at the top will light the ones below and slowly burn slowly over time.

Regular smokers have a built-in water pan. Using one is critical because it creates a hot, moist environment that retains the heat and stabilizes the temperature to avoid fluctuation.

 

DIFFERENT WOODS. Various woods have distinct flavors that imparts flavor to food. Hardwoods like hickory, mesquite and oak add bold flavor to beef and pork whereas apple, cherry and other fruit woods are milder and are better suited for pork and chicken. The better the wood and meat, the better the flavor.

Either wood chips or chunks may be used. Chunks will last longer and give more smoke but wood chips are great if you are only smoking for a couple hours. Wood can be soaked in water before use or not, however soaking the wood will not provide as sharp of flavor.

If using a grill, place the wood in a metal pan directly over the flames. Turn all the burners on high for 20 minutes and then turn the burners off that are not directly below the wood chips. Put the meat on the opposite side and close the lid, keeping it cracked slightly for ventilation. Smoke needs to accumulate and also to escape. If it accumulates too fast the temperature will be too high and the meat will have that charcoal, ashy taste. Even a small crack is sufficient.

 

TEMPERATURE. Consistent temperature is the key to successful smoking. Somewhere between 225*F and 250*F is ideal. Put a meat thermometer in the top vent of the grill so that the probe hangs down and measures the air temperature inside. If it is above 250*, close the vents to reduce the amount of oxygen which reduces the temperature and if it is below 225*, open them up to increase the temperature.

 

DON’T PEEK! The hardest part of smoking is resisting the urge to lift the lid for a peek. Every time the lid is lifted, valuable smoke and heat escapes. Leave it on to avoid temperature swings or burning out the coals too quickly. Only lift the lid to check the temperature or to add more coals. Remember the old adage, “If you’re looking, you’re not cooking!”

 

OTHER SMOKING TIPS.

 

*Don’t flip your meats. Since it cooks indirectly, there is no need to.

 

*Do make sure that meat is cooked all the way through. Cooking for at least three or four hours should be good for most cuts but always be safe and use a meat thermometer. A temperature of 160* is enough to kill bacteria in raw meat in the refrigerator. Lower temperatures will also kill bacteria but it takes longer. Beef and pork may still look pink inside even though it is done. This is a side effect of the smoking process known as the “smoke ring.”

*Pre-cooked meats can also be smoked, however use a shorter time or you will have too much of a smoke flavor.

*Rubs, marinades and sauces can still be used when smoking. They add layers upon layers of complex flavors. Vegetables and cheeses can also be smoked.

*NEVER smoke frozen meat and it is better to bring meat to room temperature before smoking it because it accepts the smoke flavor better.

*Liquid in the drip pan, besides helping to control temperature, can also add flavor by using beer, fruit juices or other liquids in place of water.

*The rule of thumb is to leave meat exposed for half of the cooking time, then wrap it in foil for a third of the overall time and then unwrap it and leave it open for the remainder. For example, if the total cooking time is to be two hours, then leave the meat exposed for one hour, wrapped in foil for 40 minutes and unwrapped for 20 minutes. Following these guidelines will produce juicy and tender meat.

Smoking is more of an art than a science and it takes time, patience and practice to get it just right. Experiment with different aromas and flavors until you find the right balance for your taste buds and then….thoroughly enjoy!

 

 

CHANGE IN A FARMER'S WORLD

 

Change is hard, no matter how old you are, what profession you are in or what it pertains to. We all like things to ride along on an even keel and keep things the same, after all, sometimes the old saying rings true of “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” And then sometimes, being open to change makes our world a whole lot better…even for farmers.

Recently, Chris Bennett, who writes for FARM JOURNAL and whose articles appear on AGWEB, wrote an article on The Weed Seed Destroyer which is based on using LED technology to work with a combine and kill weed seed on the go. According to developer Jon Jackson, the innovator behind the invention, “Blue light is going to become a regular tool for weed control in farming.”

The seed destroyer is a bolt-on unit that utilizes mild warming and intense LED rays to saturate weed seed as it passes with chaff flow during harvest. The seed killing device is ready for spring cutting trials in Tennessee wheat and Ohio barley and is currently being tested for soybeans.

According to Bennett’s article, the device attaches to the rear of a combine and warms and exposes the weed seed to blue LED lights as the chaff tumbles through, all done on the fly. It can be adapted for any model of combine and seed kill efficacy is above 98% on waterhemp and Palmer amaranth, according to Central State University. It decreased average percent total germination for the four weed species of morning glory, fox millet, common ragweed and pigweed. Wow! Bennett’s full article can be read here, https://www.agweb.com/news/crops/soybeans/agriculture-invention-harnesses-led-light-inside-combine-kill-weed-seed?mkt_tok=ODQzLVlHQi03O.

This invention is a huge agricultural advance in more ways than one. First of all, it eliminates weeds without applying more chemicals. With the price of farm chemicals skyrocketing this year, this is good news for the farmer, which in turn will be good news for the consumer. It also means less chemicals on the crops that go into the foods that we eat. It’s a win-win all the way around.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimates that between 20 and 40 percent of the global crop yields are lost each year to pests and diseases, despite application of around two million tons of pesticides. In a world where we still have hunger, it is sad to lose this much food and it’s sad for the farmers to lose such a big part of their yield.

Regardless of whether you are a farmer, married to a farmer or even care about farming, these agricultural advances affect all of us when it comes to safety and prices of our foods at the supermarket. Without the farmer, we don’t eat.

 

OTHER AGRICULTURAL ADVANCES. Over the years, advances such as the weed destroyer have helped farmers become better at what they do, giving them better yields while also keeping our prices down. Some of this new technology isn’t as big of stride like the invention of the tractor that replaced horses, but rather smaller discoveries that have made big advances. Some new and upcoming agricultural technology is:

 

*Robots and drones could allow farmers to slash agrichemical use by spotting insect and weed enemies earlier which would allow precise chemical application or pest removal. Red Whittaker, the robotic engineer at Carnegie Mellen University in Pittsburgh, PA, is the one responsible for designing and patenting the automated guidance system for tractors in 1997. In his words, “The market is demanding foods with less herbicide and pesticides and greater quality. That challenge can be met by robots.”

He predicts that drones, mounted with RGB multispectral cameras will take off every morning and identify where there is a pest problem. These cameras would be able to collect data from invisible parts of the electromagnetic spectrum that could allow farmers to pinpoint fungal disease before it becomes established. They have already started to test this method on sorghum.

*AGRIBOTIX. This is an ag data analysis company based in Boulder, CO, that supplies drones and software to map unhealthy vegetation and its possible causes. It currently processes drone data from crop fields in more than 50 countries.

*USING DRONES FOR APPLICATION. Research is currently underway for applying pesticides from the air with a drone. This allows farmers to only spot treat an area in the quantity needed as opposed to spraying an entire field. This is better for the consumer because less pesticide is used and it is better for the farmer’s pocketbook since he will use less chemicals.

This same procedure will also be used for the smarter application of nitrogen and fertilizer.

*Devices to measure vegetable growth so that harvest can occur at the prime time is underway.

*Livestock-sensing  technology that can help manage the welfare and health of animals will make it more viable to keep every animal in a large herd healthy.

*Better ways of monitoring and maintaining soil quality. Soil quality is the basis for a good crop and there are many variables so having a system where all variables can be plugged in and produce a plan for adding the correct nutrients in the right quantities will be a huge advantage for farmers.

 

NEW TECHNOLOGY CAN BRING BACK THE SMALL FARMER. The bottom line for any of this advanced technology to work is that farmers have to be willing to give it a try. Change is hard, especially when they have developed personal techniques that have been handed down through the ages that work on their piece of ground. It’s hard to give up the old ways when they work.

 

In the last couple of decades, the trend has been toward “bigger is better.” Farming more acres and buying bigger equipment is the dominating trend in farming. Sadly, the downside of trend is that it renders small scale farming impractical, leaving no room for the little guy. This is why many family farms are ceasing to exist.

But there is good news on the horizon for small farmers. George Kantor, a robotics engineer also at Carnegie Mellon University, predicts “there is potential for intelligent robots to change the economic model of farming so that it becomes feasible to be a small producer again.”

Who would have thought that the latest technological advances would help the little guy as much as the big producer? In the end, we all want the same thing and growing is all about change, knowing what change to embrace and what to let go.

 

WHEN CRITTERS COME TO VISIT

 

 

I overheard them talking the other day. Well, maybe it was more like snickering.

The deer were at the edge of my yard…again. One whispered to the other, “Well, you know, Junior, it’s almost spring and you know what that means.”

With a whimsical look, Junior looked up at Mom and asked, “What?”

With a twinkle in her eye, she answered, “It means the human will be putting out her huge garden again which means appetizers and dessert for us after we eat the farmer’s beans and young corn shoots.”

“Hey, save some for me, you know I like the young leafy vegetables,” the woodchuck chimed in.

“Oh, there will be plenty for all of us, especially with all the sweet hostas and other plants she puts out,” Mama replied.

Well, surprise, surprise this year. I have decided that the garden is off limits for wildlife and I have a few tactics up my sleeve to make sure of that.

Truth be told, as annoying and destructive as they are, it’s not all the fault of the wildlife. People are leaving the cities and suburbia and headed for the country. They think it is so nice to build right up near the woods so they can see the wildlife. What they don’t realize, is that they are taking over wildlife habitats and feeding grounds. Critters are being driven out, which is why they encroach on us. In a weird twist of fate, deer and other wildlife are even finding their way into our suburbs and cities in search of food and living space.

Even so, I will not put all my time and money into a garden and let deer and other creatures wreak havoc there. There has to be some peace.

There used to be a herd of five or six deer that stayed in my swamp and would venture out to eat some crops in the field behind my place and across the road from me. So, naturally, my garden was a nice stopping place for a few choice bites.

Largely because of strict restrictive hunting laws, the herds have over-populated. This is even unfortunate for the deer because more and more are being killed along the roadside and others are succumbing to disease. Until the states make changes to control deer populations, we homeowners have to learn to co-exist and also to protect our gardens and lawns. Have heart, there are some ways to do that.

 

MINDFUL OF WHERE GARBAGE GOES. Do-it-yourself compost for the garden is a good thing. What better place to throw your grass clippings, leaves and table scraps than on a pile at the edge of the garden? After all, it will be close by and easy to spread. Well, hello, this is just a big invite for wildlife to come and dine. Last year, I started a pile out by the barn…at the opposite end of my three-acre yard from the garden. I take a little walk each night with my table scraps to throw on the pile and when it is “cooked” I take it up to the garden with the tractor and bucket.

Also, be mindful of where you throw your garbage. We country folks are lucky that we can toss ours at the edge of the field. It decomposes and adds nutrients to the land. However, I have to remember not to throw it directly behind the house because that too draws critters.

 

FENCES. Stringing 30-weight fish line around the perimeter of the garden works pretty well. The deer can’t see it so it scares them when they run into it and they retreat. However, if you don’t string it close enough, the smaller deer step through it and lower strings get tangled up in rototillers and other equipment.

 

Also, it is not enough to keep groundhogs and other smaller critters out. Last year, I lost three rows of small greens overnight to a family of groundhogs.

 

So, this year, I will be going with black mesh deer netting fastened to metal t-bar garden posts. This can be rolled up at the end of the season and used year after year. It can also be placed close enough to the ground to keep small animals as well as deer out. I did not want a permanent fence because there would be no way to get the tractor and plow in every other year to turn the soil.

Deer can jump high but not both high and long distance at the same time. So, a single fence needs to be at least eight feet high. Lower fences of four to six feet can be used if you use a double row with enough distance between them that they can’t jump across the expanse. I am not fond of this idea because the space in between is wasted space and is an ideal spot for weeds to grow.

Electric fences work well but are more labor-intensive to install and maintain. You have to be vigilant that no weeds grow up and short them out.

Large rocks around the perimeter of the garden are also a deterrent as deer don’t like to walk on rocky, unstable areas. However, they have to also be wide enough that they can’t be jumped.

 

DEER-RESISTANT PLANTS. As much as they like to peruse the garden, deer are picky eaters. They don’t like fuzz or heavy foliage against their tongues. This makes plants like lambs ear, tuberous begonias and yarrow good choices. They will eat between the thorns on roses and raspberries to get the tender leaves, so prickly foliage with spines on the leaves also are a deterrent.

Heavily fragranced plants will also deter them because they confuse the olfactory systems. Plant sage, bee balm and lantana.

All ferns, daffodils, bleeding hearts, poppies and many other plants are toxic to deer and they inherently leave them alone. Also good choices are plants with leaves that are hard for them to digest like irises, wax begonias, peonies and viburnums.

Although they consume grasses, they cannot live solely on them and they prefer plants with woody stalks. Thus, ornamental grasses are good barriers. Using these deer-resistant plants add versatility and beauty to the garden while also keeping deer at bay.

 

DEER REPELLANT SPRAYS. There are many varieties of these on the market. Many use essential oils, garlic, chili peppers, eggs and other putrid smells. The key to them working is being consistent. This is not a spray once and forget thing. It’s more like a weekly ritual to be effective.

Other strategies include motion activated sprinklers that will scare deer away. However, you need either more than one or to keep moving one around the garden to keep the element of surprise. There are also ultrasonic deer repellers, although they can be a bit pricey.

As for hostas, hydrangeas and other plants that are desserts for deer outside of the garden, dusting them with cayenne pepper or hot pepper flakes is very effective…apparently they don’t like hot spice on their tongues! Of course, you have to be diligent and apply after rains, dew, etc. 

I plan on using a little bit of all these strategies this year. After all, I am selfish when it comes to the garden, it is for us. So, all you deer and other critters, bring it on…I have a surprise for you this year!