Adapted from Charcuterie, “The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing”; by Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn.
Got caught up on the holiday sausages last week and figured it was time to replenish my Tasso. There’s nothing like a good bowl of gumbo or jambalaya on a chilly winter day; and the only thing better than homemade gumbo or jambalaya is using your own Tasso in the recipe. For those not familiar with Tasso, it’s simply a Cajun style of curing pork shoulder.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds, boneless pork shoulder
Curing Ingredients
- 7 Tbsp kosher salt
- 5 Tbsp dextrose or (3 Tbsp sugar)
- 1 Tbsp pink salt (aka InstaCure #1; Prague Powder #1; Modern Cure; TCM)
Cajun Seasoning Ingredients
- 3 Tbsp ground white pepper
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
- 3 Tbsp dried marjoram
- 3 Tbsp ground allspice
Curing
- Combine all curing ingredients and blend well.
- Slice the shoulder into long steaks or slabs. For a five pound pork shoulder, try to slice it into 5 slabs.
- Dredge the slabs in the cure, pressing down and be sure to coat all surfaces. Shake off the excess and place in the fridge for about 4 hours.
- Remove the pork from the fridge, rinse under cold water making sure to remove the cure completely, and pat with paper towels to dry.
Smoking
- Mix all Cajun seasoning ingredients until well combined, and coat all the slabs evenly.
- Place them into a 180 – 200°F preheated smoker, apply smoke for at least 2 hours, and continue to cook until they reach 150°F.
- Remove from smoker and allow to rest. After the rest period, cube or slice according to your recipes, or store whole in the fridge or freezer.
Reviews
Comment by MoSmoke: I thought I would smoke a couple of butts and make some Tasso. The wife was going to make some split-pea soup and we added the Tasso to it, during the long slow simmer. It was excellent. I had never had Tasso before, but it’s on my list of things to have on hand for winter cooking. A little goes a long way in spicing up food, but the flavour was awesome. Thanks again!
