How-to Tea Smoke Meat

Tea smoked meat? What?

O.k..maybe it is because I am in Texas, or maybe it is because I love smoked meat but I think that  smoked meat just has an amazing flavor. Tea has an amazing flavor…You can infuse the flavor of tea into meat by smoking it. Cool huh?

Yeah, just wait until I share about my coffee bbq rub….

If you have a smoker no problem. Everyone has them around here. If not you need a heat proof box to keep the smoke in until the process is completed. Place the tea in a fireproof container at the bottom of the box, on top of the embers. You will need to keep the heat at about 225F. Place a meat rack over the embers and allow the meat to smoke for several hours depending on the meat. If it isn’t done in the time suggested then you can finish it in the oven. Use about one tablespoon tea leaves for each pound of meat.

Internal temps should be checked:

• Steaks & Roasts – 145 °F
• Fish – 145 °F
• Pork – 160 °F
• Ground Beef – 160 °F
• Chicken Breasts – 165 °F
• Whole Poultry – 165 °F

Now. You need to match up tea flavors with meats. Here are some I think are awesome but I am sure you will come up with many on your own.

Poultry with Chai

Poultry with Earl Grey Lavender

Pork with Lapsang Souchong

Fish or Poultry with Oolong

Beef with Yunnan Gold

Beef or Pork with Gunpowder

Poultry or fish with a green tea/mandarin blend

Poultry with Plum flavored black tea

O.k..you get the idea. Use different flavored teas to get different flavored smoke.

Summer is coming and this is a great time to try this technique.  Let me know of any flavor combinations you come up with that you especially like!

Image:MorgueFile