What is a good substitute for tasso ham?

Ham hocks also make a good substitute, although you'll need to cook them long enough to make the hocks tender (two to three hours). Sausages like Spanish chorizo, Portuguese linguica or andouille sausage are fantastic options, too.

How to get tasso tender?

Tasso ham benefits from simmering or braising , where it has a chance to soften and become tender. In some recipes, it's browned like bacon at the beginning of the cooking process, so its flavorful fat can be used to cook other ingredients.

Does tasso need to be refrigerated?

Transfer the pork to a airtight container or resealable plastic bag then refrigerate for at least 3 days, but up to 5 days. On the night before cooking the Tasso, open the bag or unseal the cover so that the pork can air-dry in the fridge overnight.

What is the best tasso brand?

Teet's Smoked Pork Tasso is the best tasso on the market. You can use it in many dishes: Pastas. Salads. Soups.

What cut of meat is used for tasso?

The meat for tasso comes from the shoulder of the hog and not the leg of the hog like traditional ham. The word tasso comes from the Spanish word “tasajo” which means “slice of cured dried meat”.

What is the difference between tasso and andouille?

What sets it apart from Tasso, of course, is that while Andouille is similarly a smoked pork, it's a sausage that's stuffed into a traditional casing . There are plenty of good gumbo recipes that incorporate both Andouille and Tasso, however, and that's all that really matters.

Is tasso ham already cooked?

Versatile tasso ham can be left whole, chunked, sliced or diced. It's fully cooked and ready to use.

What is the difference between tasso and ham?

Tasso is a type of pork or meat used in Cajun-style cuisine. Though it's often referred to as tasso ham, it technically isn't ham. Tasso is made from the pork shoulder butt instead of the more traditional pork shoulder leg.

Can you eat tasso by itself?

In fact, though you may snack on a cube while prepping a stew, you generally won't eat tasso by itself . It is used as a flavoring meat, an ingredient in other things to give them salt and spice and porky goodness—we don't need it to be mega-tender, per se.

Is Pickled Pork the same as tasso?

Tasso is a highly seasoned dried, jerked, smoked meat that is not eaten alone, but instead used to as a flavoring agent like salt pork or pickled pork .

What can I use instead of tasso?

Our suggestion is to use cubed bits from locally smoked pork ribs. One local barbecue pit - Kentucky Greg's - even has seasonings on the ribs that are very close to those on authentic tasso.

What is the best substitute for ham?

Instead of using ham or other processed meats in sandwiches, wraps and salads try: BBQ chicken with skin removed. Canned tuna or salmon. Boiled eggs. Falafel. Hummus. Cheese. Leftover home-cooked meat such as slices of roast. Home cooked rissoles. Apr 9, 2024

What cut of ham has the best flavor?

Rump, Butt, Or Sirloin The rump contains the femur and pelvic bone, which can be challenging to carve around. It is a more tender and flavorful cut of meat and can often be more expensive.

What is similar to capicola ham?

Capicola and prosciutto are two of the most popular types of salumi. Learn how to differentiate between these classical Italian meats the next time you're surveying cold cuts at the deli or ordering an antipasto plate.

Homemade Tasso Ham Recipe - Texas Recipe Workbook (2024)

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Step-by-step instructions follow after the discussion below.

Tasso ham is a Cajun-style cured meat that resembles small, spicy country hams. You can dice it up and mix it into eggs, red beans and rice, jambalaya, or throw a few chunks into a pot of beans or collard greens to add a nice smoky Cajun kick.

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One really nice thing about it is that it’s cheap. It’s just a chopped up pork shoulder that’s cured with spicy Cajun seasonings. Pork shoulder is one of the cheapest cuts of meat you can get at the store.

All you need to make this recipe happen is some pink curing salt, some seasonings, a wireless meat thermometer, a barbecue pit, and some time.

How to Make Tasso Ham

Tasso is generally made out of a pork shoulder-blade roast. Sometimes called a pork butt or boston butt.

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It actually isn’t a pig’s butt though. It is a pig’s front shoulder and includes the shoulder-blade bone.

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This recipe calls for a 5 or 6 pound pork shoulder, but you can do up to 7 pounds without making any adjustments to the amount of seasoning.

To get your pork butt ready to break down, first you want to trim some of the fat off of the outside.

Don’t try to get it all off, but get as much as you can without cutting down into the meat.

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Next, cut it into approximately 3 inch by 3 inch chunks. Don’t worry about getting it perfect though. This recipe is very forgiving.

You’ll also be removing the shoulder blade bone in the process of cutting it up.

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Any trimmed off meat and fat can be frozen for later use in things like gravies or rendering for frying.

Now, you need to make your Tasso seasoning.

4 tbs. paprika
4 tbs. Morton’s Kosher Salt
2 tbs. cayenne (adjust down if you don’t want it spicy)
2 tbs. onion powder
2 tbs. granulated garlic
1 tbs. dark brown sugar
1 tbs. granulated white sugar
1 tbs. chipotle powder
1 tbs. black pepper
1 tbs. dried sage
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. pink curing salt

Combine all the ingredients and mix very well. It is highly recommended that you use a wire whisk to ensure that the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Related: Learn to make your own bacon.

Next, roll each pork chunk in the seasoning until it is completely covered. When that’s done add whatever seasoning you have left to the bowl with your seasoned pork chunks and toss.

You want to be sure to use all of the seasoning.

Special Equipment Needed for Smoking

This recipe requires that you have some special equipment at home.

First, you need an outdoor grill of some sort. Most any will do.

You’ll need to know how to set your grill up for two-zone cooking. You can learn how to do that here.

You’ll also need a special wireless thermometer for monitoring the internal temperature of the pork shoulder pieces as well as the temperature of the grill itself.

The thermometer has two temperature probes. You want to insert one into the center of the thickest part of the meat. The second probe should be attached with its provided clip on the coolest side of the grill.

Your goal will be to maintain a temperature of 225 degrees in your grill the entire time you cook. This keeps the outside of the Tasso chunks from overcooking before the inside reaches the proper temperature.

To get that awesome smoky flavor, you are also going to want to make a wood-chip foil pack. Just take about half a fist-full of wood chips (you can get wood chips at most grocery stores in the charcoal section) and place them on a large rectangle of heavy-duty tin foil. Fold it up loosely and seal around the edges. Stab a bunch of holes in each side with a fork, and you’re ready to go.

Now that your grill is set up for two-zone cooking, throw your wood-chip pack over the hottest part and let it sit until smoke starts coming out.

Finally, close the lid and let your grill come up to 225 degrees and you’re ready to go. When it comes to temperature, your Tasso chunks will go on the coolest part of the grill, next to but not touching the probe that’s attached to the grill. The other temperature probe will be inserted into the center of the thickest piece of pork on the grill.

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Cook until the internal temperature hits 150 degrees.

Pull your smoked Tasso ham off your grill and let cool.

Finally, having a vacuum sealer is nice. We package about four pieces per bag and freeze it for use whenever we need it.

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It should hold up for about four months in the freezer.

If you’re looking for a way to use your tasso ham in everyday cooking, try it in one of these recipes:

White Beans and Tasso
East Texas Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya
Braised Collard Greens
Red Beans and Rice
West Texas Style Pinto Beans

Or, you can just dice it up and cook it with some scrambled eggs and a little caramelized onions. Wrap a tortilla around it and throw a little salsa on top and you win breakfast.