Here’s a fun smoked bologna recipe from my new book SMOKING MEAT 101 available HERE. I know people try all sorts of delicious adaptations. Let me know what you do in the comments.
All-Star Bologna Chub
Yield: Serves 4 to 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Smoke Time: 2 to 3 hours
Temperature: 225°F
Wood: Mesquite
If you are looking for an inexpensive way to feed a crowd, or just a delicious conversation starter you, try smoking a bologna chub. Is it mean to call it a chub? Would it prefer “husky?” The birthplace of this smoking novelty is said to be Oklahoma, and it is often referred to as “Oklahoma Prime Rib”.
1 (2- to 3-pound) pre-cooked bologna chub
¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon dry ground mustard
¼ cup mustard and/or barbecue sauce, for serving
Sliced sandwich bread, for serving
- Follow the manufacturer’s specific start-up procedure, preheat the smoker to 225°F, and add mesquite wood.
- In a small bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire, and ground mustard.
- Cut into the chub about ¼” to score all over in a crisscross, diamond-like pattern.
- Rub the mixture all over the bologna, getting into the grooves.
- Place the bologna on the smoker rack and smoke for 2 to 3 hours. Don’t worry about an internal temperature because it is already precooked. It is just absorbing smoke and baking on the sweet and savory ingredients.
- Slice and serve warm, with mustard and/or barbecue sauce, and bread.
Ingredient Tip: Ask around to find a chub or “log” of bologna. You may be surprised to now notice it next to the sliced Oscar Mayer. If not, ask for a whole chub at the deli counter. We asked a grocery store deli to cut a 2- to 3-pound chub off one end of their bologna in the counter. You will need to remove any casing or wrapping (ours did not have it), but feel free to get creative. Some chefs slice the bologna in half or lengthwise, for a more “tenderloin” appearance (and more surface area to be affected by the flavorful smoke). We cut it in half and scored as in the instructions above. So good.