Malabar's Smokehouse

Malabar's Smokehouse. . , Malabar's smokehouse was built by Louis Bromfield after he purchased the farm. The bricks you see came from the home of Henry Wallace's grandfather in Mansfield. Wallace as Vice-President of the United States from 1941 to 1945 under Franklin D. Roosevelt., What does a smokehouse do? , The smokehouse was the pioneers answer to the need for preserving their food without refrigeration. In the fall, the meat to be smoked was cut into sections and soaked in brine (salt water solution) for several months. This process would draw out all the blood and body fluids., The smoking process took place in the following spring. The salt cured meat was hung from the rafters of the smokehouse and green wood or bark from hickory or maple trees was set on fire. The idea was not to cook the meat but to smoke it. This process drew the fat out of the meat encasing it in a thick coat of fat, adding flavor.