Irish smoker kicks the habit with meaty business

If you thought nicotine patches were the easiest way to give up smoking, think again.

An Irishman who's started a smoked meats business at Pialligo, near Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory, thinks he's found a better way.

Peter Curry was addicted to cigarettes but says since he started smoking free range pig, poultry and fish instead, he's kicked the habit.

"Before I really got into the smoking, I was smoking 40-odd cigarettes a day," he said.

When I really got into the food smoking, I gave the cigarettes up (because) this is better, it's more natural."

The smoked meats business was started last year by Peter's friend, Charlie Costelloe, who was living in Canberra.

"I was missing Irish bacon, simple fact," he said.

Free range pig, poultry and fish are being smoked at Pialligo, in the Australian Capital Territory.

"I was buying stuff in supermarkets over here and I suppose I questioned first why it was the colour it was, and it looks cooked because a lot of the bacon's imported and it's heat treated." he said.

He decided to start smoking local free range pig but needed the help of an experienced smoker.

Peter had worked in restaurants and smokehouses in Ireland and he agreed to move to Pialligo to go into business with Charlie.

The pork loins are cured in sea salt and sugar before being hung from hooks in the smoker, which looks like a large stainless steel cabinet.

The smoke rises from a tray filled with a mixture of oak, apple and beech.

"It marries well with pork," Peter said.

"All we want is a little lingering smoke. We don't want heat because obviously if we create heat, you're going to start cooking products, so low and slow, that's the secret."

Source: ABC Rural News, 8 July 2013