3 Meats, 3 Smoked Recipes Using Pastured Proteins

The grill is glowing, the sun refuses to set, and the backyard has become your home’s go-to spot this summer. When slow afternoons call for slow-cooked meals shared around the patio table, smoking pastured, grass fed meats are the way to go. This technique infuses bold flavors and pull-apart textures for tender, mouthwatering bites you can’t get enough of.

What Is Smoked Meat?

Hot smoking meat is the culinary art of exposing meat to smoke from burning wood at a low temperature over several hours. This low-and-slow magic tenderizes tough cuts by breaking down connective tissues while leaving the meat with an unmatched, deep, smoky flavor.

Often, conventional store-bought “smoked” meats get their flavor and color from chemicals or artificial flavoring. These items typically use nitrates and nitrites for preservation as well. Smoking your own pasture raised meats at home means knowing exactly where they and your smoke components come from and avoiding fillers and preservatives.

Recipes

• Pit Master-Worthy Chicken: Looking for one meal to feed the whole family? Time to smoke a pasture raised whole chicken. After brining your bird overnight, season it with a BBQ rub and olive oil. Lay your chicken breast-side up, with its thighs close to the heat source and its wing tips tucked in. The smoke-and-crisp method (smoke low for a few hours, then crank up the heat for the last hour or so of cooking) delivers perfectly crispy skin and juicy bites for unbeatable flavor.

• A New Take on Tortas: Bring Mexican street-style flavor to your backyard with this fresh grass fed beef tri-tip recipe. The bold, beefy cousin of carne asada, grass fed and finished steak pairs wonderfully with fresh, vibrant veggies like lettuce, tomato, onion, and avocado. Smoke low and slow until medium-rare, then let it rest before slicing thinly against the grain. Layer on toasted Bolillos packed with refried beans, Oaxaca cheese, and your choice of toppings.

• Sweet and Savory Salmon: Never thought of smoking seafood? Here’s your chance! Wild-caught salmon’s buttery, rich flavor melts in the mouth, while the sweet rub and smoky flavor leave you wanting more. After patting your salmon dry, coat it with a brown sugar and spice blend. Place it skin-side down on a wire rack with olive oil and smoke until its internal temperature reaches 145°F
  
  
  
  
  

About Primal Pastures

What started with 50 backyard chickens in Southern California has grown into a mission to deliver the cleanest pasture raised meat across the country. As stewards of the land, Primal Pastures is a family-owned regenerative farm that works with nature to create change from the ground up for nutrient-dense goodness you can taste. Every protein and product, from corn and soy free pasture raised chicken to grass fed and finished beef tallow, is born, raised, and harvested in the USA for transparency you taste at your table.

Shop pastured meats for grilling season at https://primalpastures.com/