Imagine a warm pan of sizzling bacon; the salty crackle and mouthwatering smell that draws you into the kitchen. Few things compare to that first, flavorful bite.
A lot happens between the farm and your table, and because there are so many questions about America’s meat industry, we want to share our story with you.
Every single slice.
1.) We Source our Bacon from a Network of Family Farms
Let’s begin with our values, because at North Country Smokehouse, we believe better choices start at the table. To understand our ethos, look no further than our network of family farms, a mere five-hour drive from Claremont, NH, in nearby Quebec. For our farmers, sustainability and respect for the land is paramount. We don’t “have to” hold our farm affiliates to such high-standards, but we do.
2.) We Use Local NH Made Maple Syrup in Our Brine
The maple syrup that we use for brine is tapped just eight miles down the road from our smokehouse in Claremont, NH. Nestled alongside the Connecticut River, on the border of Vermont & NH. We are considered among the top employers in this small, bustling town and employ over one hundred people. We’re not new to the area, North Country Smokehouse has been part of the community for over a century.
3.) Our Founder is a Meat Industry Hall of Famer
Mike Satzow, our Founder, and third-generation smoke master has been continuing his grandfather’s legacy as Claremont’s renowned purveyor of pork. Mike was recently inducted into the Meat Industry Hall of Fame, and it was Mike that made sure our new smokehouse stayed put in the town that’s been so good to us. He relentlessly sourced the best-of-the-best to culminate our flavors, products and a professional staff, as a celebration of the very best the world has to offer. A celebration of the melting pot America was founded on, right here in our Smokehouse.
4.) We Hire the World’s Best Smokemasters & Butchers
Our passionate employees come to us from across the globe, for the opportunity to help craft the world’s best meat so that it can be shared with you. Andre is our master sausage maker from Germany. Luke is our butcher from Poland, and Phillip, our Production Manager, comes to us from Canada. The desire to prepare great food for others is universal, and if there’s a single global expression of that, it can be found right here at our smokehouse.
5.) The Secret is Low & Slow Smoking
So, we have the best ingredients and most qualified meat makers, but what about flavor? Our secret is time and temperature. In an industry widely focused on pace, patience is what truly sets us apart. We take the most advanced meat processing equipment and slow it down, crafting with ‘Old World’ European traditions that we’ve been using for a hundred years. Smoking fresh meat, ‘low and slow’ for hours, not minutes; using carefully chosen spices and thoughtfully sourced flavors, and never injecting our meat with liquid smoke for the sake of saving time.
We believe true greatness simply can’t be imitated. That’s why our recipes and our processes reflect what we’ve learned over the course of a century. It’s perhaps more important now, than ever before.
Fueled by flavor, integrity, transparency, and respect, it’s our mission to restore these values to our farm & food systems. Every step of the way, we treat North Country Smokehouse Bacon as though we’re preparing it for our own family.
Thank you for letting us share it with yours.
