Coonass Cuisine: Makin Tasso...

Its gumbo time and one of my favorites is a good ole chicken and tasso, hell, anything and tasso for that matter, so I figured i'd show you guys and gals how I make my tasso at home.

I like to start with a nice thick cut Pork Shoulder/Butt Steak.

I get mine custom cut to 1-1.5" steaks at Southend Country Mart in Lafayette, La.

I then debone the steak. You could leave the bone in but this would increase the curing and smoking times. But trust me, the bone will not be wasted.

Coincidentally enough, the bone is my dog Tasso's favorite part.

I then cut the steak up into about 4-5oz pieces since this is the size I usually use for cooking at home. Notice that I did trim off the fat cap but will treat it just like the meat, this "tasso fat" will be very flavorful and a great addition to beans or greens.

Next is the cure. This is a very simple cure made up of Kosher salt, Pink salt #1, and White sugar, all measured by weight.

Ratio:
1) 450g Salt
2) 225g Sugar
3) 56g Pink Salt

I store my cure in a Mason jar, make sure that if you are storing cures including pink salt in your house that you label the container and make sure everyone knows not to eat this mixture.

I then put a layer of cure down into a non-reactive container and place my pork on top.

Then pour more cure on top of the pork and begin to completely coat every inch including all nooks and crannies.

Once completely coated, place the pieces into a resealable bag and store in the fridge for 4-5 hours.

While the pork is curing, I like to get my seasoning together. This is how I season my tasso but by no means is this the only way. Feel free to change the ingredients and ratios to suite your liking, I will say that this ratio produces a rather spicy sample, so cut back on the cayenne if your scared.

Ratio:
1) 1 Tbsp White Pepper
2) 1 Tbsp Paprika
3) 1 Tbsp Black Pepper
4) 2 tsp Cayenne
5) 1 tsp Garlic
6) 1 tsp Marjoram
7) 1 tsp Allspice

Mix these ingredients thoroughly. This will make enough seasoning for two pork steaks worth of Tasso so I like to store my seasoning in a shaker for later use.

Once you remove the pork from the fridge, rinse it thoroughly with cold water and pat dry.

I sprinkle the seasoning into the bottom of the container before placing the pieces in.

Then I add more seasoning to the top and rub it into the pieces.

Once its completely coated, its time to smoke.

I smoke my tasso depending on the thickness and how much smoke flavor I want. For this batch I will be using hickory and smoking at roughly 225° F to an internal temperature of about 155° F. If you don't have a smoker or a thermometer, this can be done on a grill. I would recommend setting one of your burners to as low as it will go and cook using indirect heat. You can then visually and physically tell when the tasso is done by the firmness and watching for when the fat is beginning to render. Keep in mind that you are not trying to sear, brown, char, etc, you are merely trying to add some smoke flavor and reach a safe internal temperature.