Making a Winning Smoked Product

Is the successful production of top quality smoked meat and poultry products an art? A science? Or some combination of both? Processors of award-winning smoked products tell their secrets.

by Dr. Joe Sebranek, Director of Graduate Education for Meat Science

It is clear that some processors have achieved near-perfection in manufacturing smoked products. A review of products entered in cured and smoked meat competitions and shows around the country reveals an impressive display of the science (or art?) in practice. The winners of these competitions provide a mouth-watering display of rich mahogany reds and golden browns, coupled with exquisite, delectable smoke aromas that only the most dedicated vegetarian could resist.

Reaching the level of quality demonstrated by winners of smoked product competitions requires a thorough understanding of the process from start to finish. Not surprisingly, this understanding begins with selection of raw materials. Rick McLimans of The Butcher Shop in Fennimore, Wis., considers raw material quality to be critical. "We slaughter hogs from producers who we know produce high-quality animals, and this gives us better muscle texture and color for hams and bacon," says McLimans, who is president of the Wisconsin Association of Meat Processors. McLimans also prepares for product competitions by processing hams or bellies from selected animals as pairs, using one to check the product texture, color, and flavor before entering the other, a common practice among top show competitors.

Formulation and handling of products and brines after raw material selection is another important consideration before smoking. "Make sure salt, nitrite, and all other ingredients are what you want and are exactly the same each time," says Chuck Bogaard of Leighton Processed Meats, Leighton, Iowa, who has won several Iowa Grand Champion Awards for his bacon and hams. Allowing adequate time for development of cured color and flavor prior to smoke application is also critical for achieving the best overall flavor. Mike and Merlyn Eickman of Eickman's Processing Co. of Seward, Ill., note, "The biggest problem we see with processed meats is rushing through the process too fast. It's important to allow time for curing, salt dispersion, and flavor development."

McLimans, who won several awards at the 1998 American Cured Meat Championships, agrees. "We will hold sausage batter products for a day before smoke application to bring out the flavor," he says. Steve Eaker of Steve's Meat Market in Ellendale, Minn., emphasizes, "It is very difficult to separate smoke flavor and cured flavor. We allow one to three days time with bone-in hams, for example, before smoke application for complete cure development to get the best cure-smoked flavor combination."

When products are ready for smoke processing, the concern becomes one of smoked color development. Tim Haen of Haen Meat Packing, Inc., in Kaukana, Wis., says, "Development of good color is the first concern in the smoking process," McLimans agrees, indicating that, in general, he looks for a "deep mahogany color."

Several other successful competitors describe mahogany or golden brown as preferred colors, while avoiding excessive darkening or development of dull brown/black coloration. Mahogany seems to be a preferred color of hams, bacon, and sausage in natural casings, whereas a golden brown is used more frequently to describe frankfurters and other products in cellulose or collagen casings. Eaker, who has won numerous national awards for hams, suggests that external color is important "because smoked color is related to smoked flavor."

Bob Hanson of ALKAR in Lodi, Wis., points out, "In contrast to American processors, European processors prefer dark brown smoked color or even a muddy brown color. To them, this means more smoke deposition and implies more smoked flavor." During smoke application, control of smoked color and flavor is dependent upon several factors, the most critical of which, according to Hanson, is product surface moisture at the time smoke is applied. A dry product surface will not accept smoke well and results in light-colored product, while an overly wet product surface will result in a darker, muddy color with possible two-toning or streaking. Hanson emphasizes that product conditioning prior to smoke application is essential to achieve a consistent surface moisture level in preparation for smoking.

Conditioning can be accomplished in a number of ways, including showering to equilibrate surface moisture levels followed by a drying step to remove the excess moisture, or using a high-humidity step followed by drying to reach the "right" surface moisture level. Eaker of Steve's Meat Market starts boneless hams with a steam step followed by drying before smoke application. The key to consistency is in reaching the right surface moisture level for each product. The difficulty with this procedure, however, is that the right moisture level will vary for different products.

With sausage products, natural casings tend to hold moisture, and these are usually dried at relatively low temperatures to prevent excessive toughening. The result, according to Hanson, is that natural casings are sometimes under-dried prior to smoking. Products in cellulose casings, on the other hand, dry faster and are often over-dried prior to smoking.

It is at this point in the process that science and art begin to intermingle. "There is no good way to measure surface moisture of products," says Hanson, "so processors need to know the product and recognize when the surface is ready to accept smoke. Natural casings should seem dry, fibrous casings should seem tacky, and cellulose casings should seem wet." Ed Woods of Woods Smoked Meats in Bowling Green, Mo., suggests, "Open the house and feel the product. It should have a slightly wet, tacky feel." Eaker, who has used product surface temperature to monitor product surface properties for smoke application, notes: "We use temperature probes on the product surface in addition to those for internal temperature, and we have found that the product surface needs to reach about 100°F for good smoke deposition.

In our ham process, for example, it takes about an hour of drying at 150°F dry bulb, 100°F wet bulb, to bring the surface up to 100°F. We then apply smoke starting with 35-percent relative humidity and decreasing to 20-percent relative humidity over the course of the smoke step to give good color."

For some small-diameter products, it is important to remember that product surface moisture can change quickly. When processing natural-casing frankfurters, Eaker starts smoke generation in the smokehouse before the product is added, using a temperature of 135°F to 140°F and 30-percent relative humidity. "We have found that there is only a five-to- seven-minute window of time for good smoke deposition for these products, so we hit them with smoke as soon as they enter the house," he says.

Moisture added during product formulation is yet another consideration. Woods, who recently won five medals at the 1998 International Meat Trades Fair (IFFA) in Germany, points out that "smokehouse processes will need to compensate for the higher moisture content of products like high-moisture tumbled hams, compared to premium products with 12-15 percent pump."

Another factor contributing to smoked color and flavor is the chemical composition of natural wood smoke, which is dependent on the wood source and generation temperature. According to Jim Peterson of ALKAR, the use of hickory chips or sawdust is an overwhelming favorite, and is used for about 75 percent of natural-smoke applications because hickory provides "stronger flavor and darker color."

On the other hand, Louis Muench of Louie's Finer Meats in Cumberland, Wis., prefers mixed hardwoods, because of "a better color which is not too dark." This choice has worked extremely well for Muench, who has received more than 100 product awards, including gold medals for summer sausage and cotto salami at the 1995 IFFA show in Germany.

Other woods that can be used include maple, which Eaker indicates will result in lighter color and has a "sweeter aroma," and mesquite, which Hanson indicates produces a less red, more golden color. Hanson also suggests that smoke generator temperatures be kept at 550°F to 600°F for maximum generation of carbonyl compounds, which give much of the smoked color and flavor.

Other factors important to smoke deposition include air movement and smoke density. Here again, art mingles with science. "Smokehouses vary a great deal. Study your smokehouse and know it well. Determine air flow characteristics, incoming air properties and humidity effects, then concentrate on product surface temperatures for smoke deposition," advises Eaker. "We have found that keeping our smokehouses clean improves control and product consistency. Deposits modify air flow and slow the removal of humidity from the house.

Haen, who had the 1998 Wisconsin Grand Champion Boneless and Semi-Boneless Hams, agrees, noting that "differences between smokehouses are very important, and may change with environmental changes like external air temperature and humidity. It's also important to keep an eye on the product through the smokehouse process to make sure all equipment is functioning properly. You shouldn't put a load in and walk away without checking before it's finished."

When smoke deposition is complete, a color fixation or color-setting step must be included in the process. Hanson, Eaker, and Wood all agree that a hot, dry environment at the end of the smoke application step or just after smoking is needed to intensify and blend product color. Eaker uses a temperature of 160°F to 165°F and 25 percent relative humidity to achieve color fixation. Hanson says, "While inadequate drying before smoke application will result in muddy color, inadequate drying after smoke application will result in blotchy color." Once the color is set, the process can be completed with a high-humidity finishing step to reach the desired final internal temperature.

When your process is perfected, the challenge is to keep everything the same. For example, "Fifteen hams or 50 hams in the same smokehouse will be different due to humidity from the load," says Eaker, "and humidity during the drying step may need to be adjusted." Hanson adds: "If two trucks of product are produced and one goes in the smokehouse while the other goes in the cooler until the first one is finished, they may result in different smoke color, because product temperature and surface moisture going into the smokehouse will be different."

Clearly, successful processors are applying a lot of science to the smoking process - and yet there is evidence of art as well. As Hanson notes, "The scientific principles of smoke application, color development, and surface moisture are well understood," yet the ability to recognize the correct surface moisture level on a variety of product surfaces takes a certain subjective ability gained through experience.

The best answer to our question is probably that production of smoked meat and poultry products is largely science - with a little art included to fine-tune the process. Mp

Winning Product: Louis G. Muench, with his sons Louis and James of Louie's Finer Meats prefers to use mixed hardwoods for smoking. This choice has worked extremely well for Muench, who has received more than 100 product awards, including gold medals for summer sausage and cotto salami at the 1995 IFFA show in Germany.

As director of graduate education for meat science at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, Dr. Joe Sebranek teaches and conducts research in animal science, food science, and human nutrition.

"The biggest problem we see with processed meats is rushing through the process too fast. It's important to allow time for curing, salt dispersion, and flavor development." - Mike Eickman, Eickman's Processing Co.

The Eickman Secret: At Eickman's they don't rush through the smoking process. Pictured is Mike Eickman, many years ago, moving product in the plant. The Eickmans say the secret to a top-quality smoked product is to allow time for curing, salt dispersion, and flavor development.

"We use temperature probes on the product surface in addition to those for internal temperature, and we have found that the product surface needs to reach about 100°F for good smoke deposition. - Steve Eaker, Steve's Meat Market.

A Cured-Smoked Flavor Combination: Steve and Donnavon Eaker, of Steve's Meat Market allow one to three days time for complete curing of bone-in hams before smoking. This three-day period results in a good cured-smoked flavor combination.