Online Workshop: Project B2 (October 2013)

[Shuswap]

While waiting for the next B2 lesson as well as brining my first Cdn Bacon, DW ordered up fresh loose sweet Italian sausage for her Xmas sausage rolls. I used the recipe CW posted recently but used red wine instead of water. DW signed off this morning: "I really like it!" Happy wife, happy life, eh

[sawhorseray]

Way to go Shuswap! I've been using either Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon instead of water for years in making my pork Italian sausage. When I make a batch of Chicken-Italian I take a bottle of Chardonnay from the wife's wine fridge and use that, tho she does the picking. I don't go overboard with quality on either, but would never put a wine into my sausage that I wouldn't put into a glass to drink. RAY

[Shuswap]

I feel kind of lonely as a newbie since most of the posts I see on B2 are by the experienced sausage makers. Not that I mind since I`m getting all sorts of info and entertainment as I venture on.

CW says we should ask questions so here is another one. I was grinding my mixed meat for the second time after it had rested overnight in the fridge. It was backing up because the plate holes were clogged with connective tissue, which suggests I am not trimming the meat properly before grinding. I have been using pork trim supplied by a local butcher. Silver skin seems obvious but is there other connective tissue that I should be looking for to trim out?

[el Ducko]

Glands come to mind, but that wouldn't be a clogging issue. Are you getting your mince cold enough? Stick the bowl in the freezer a half hour or 45b minutes before that second grind. (...good idea for the 1st grind too.)

Good luck. Great question. Keep us posted.

Duk


P.S. I am learning a whole lot from you, as well.

[Bob K]

Like Duk said almost frozen meat grinds best. I would also check the sharpness of your blades and plates and also that they are making good contact ( tight enough)

[grasshopper]

In project B-1. One of the good sausage makers taught me to roll the first grind so it will fit the throat of the grinder and semi freeze.

[Chuckwagon]

Hi Sausagemakers,
Christmas is rolling around quickly and I'd like to share a recipe with you for gift-giving. It's a little off the B-2 menu because it contains a culture. However, those of you who have used a culture or wish to learn how, just might like to make some of these "Christmas Beef Sticks" for gift giving. Here's what our pal Wally (Uwanna) had to say about it:

"Not sure about the rest of the ol` sausage making hombres here on the site, but I gotta tell ya, this is absolutely the best darn beef stick recipe. I made a 10 lb batch a couple weeks back and it didn`t last long! I now have another 10lb batch in the smoker and my wife and I are setting up gift baskets for Christmas. As you mentioned, stuff them into salami netting and a block of cheese & crackers with a bottle of wine and Walla, a gift one can be proud of!"

When you stroll past the stores in a mall just before the holidays, perhaps you`ve often stopped at the place that sells smoked sausages. You know the one... it`s got a "hardwood" in its name and they offer several types of gift baskets for the holidays. Lots of folks like their "smoked beef stick". Why not make your own? It is a great gift idea for your friends or relatives during the holidays. Everyone likes a summer sausage, a little cheese, some home preserves, and some crackers in a basket. When I make this sausage, I like to use the 76 m.m. mahogany-colored casings (Sausagemaker #26200) filled and placed inside a dark brown plastic diamond-pattern presentation netting (Sausagemaker #13513). Twist the netting and clamp it off using a hog-ring. Tie a fancy Christmas bow around the hog ring and you`ve got a great-looking and great-tasting gift that anyone would like to have. They are best made about 2 weeks before Christmas and kept refrigerated. Don`t fudge on the ingredients or the procedure. Follow the directions carefully and you`ll have a sausage that will help build your reputation as a craftsman.

[USA] Saddle Bum`s Smoky Beef Stick
(5 lb. Semi-Dry Cured Summer Sausage Recipe)... with F-LC Culture

4-1/2 lbs. (2050.0 g.) trimmed beef chuck
1/2 lb. (230.0 g.) pork back fat
1/2 tspn. (1.2 g.) F-LC culture
1 tspn. (6.0 g.) Cure #1
2 Tblspns. (44.0 g.) salt
1 cup (236.5 g.) icewater
3/4 cup (50.0 g.) non-fat powdered milk
4 Tblspns. (12.0 g.) powdered dextrose
1-1/2 Tblspns. (35.0 g.) corn syrup solids
1-1/2 Tblspns. (15.0 ml.) liquid smoke
2-1/2 tspns. (7.5 g.) soy protein concentrate
1 Tblspn. (6.5 g.) paprika
1-3/4 tspn. (5.0 g.) garlic powder
1-3/4 tspn. (4.5 g.) white pepper
2 tspn. (1.5 g.) crushed mustard seed
1/2 tspn. (1.0 g.) celery seed
1/2 tspn. (1.0 g.) ground coriander
1/4 tspn. (0.7 g.) ground nutmeg
-------- ----------- 76 mm. (3") collagen casings

Partially freeze the beef and pork fat. Prepare the F-LC culture with distilled water according to the directions on the package. Allow a "lag phase" for the bacteria to wake up while you trim any excess fat from the beef and discard it. Cube the beef (1" dice) and frozen pork fat in preparation for grinding. Grind the meat and the fat through a 1/4" plate. Place them into the freezer twenty minutes, then grind them again using a 3/16"plate. Mix the cure, salt, (and phosphate if used) together with a cup of icewater and mix it with the meat until it starts to develop a sticky meat paste. Add the remaining dry ingredients and the liquid smoke and continue mixing for 30 seconds more. Finally, add the F-LC culture and mix 30 seconds more. When the mixture shows soft peaks, stuff it into 76 mm. fibrous casings and hang them to dry half an hour.

Ferment the sausage at 86° F. 24 hours in 90% humidity dropping to 85% in one day. Preheat the smoker to 110°F. and introduce hickory smoke at least four hours in 70% humidity. Gradually, only a few degrees every twenty minutes, raise the temperature of the smoker until the internal meat temperature reaches 150°F. It is most important that this temperature is not surpassed. Remove the sausages and immediately rinse them in cold water until the meat temperature drops below 90°F. Dry the sausage three days at 60°F. in 70% humidity. Store them at 50-55°F in 75% humidity.

Why use Bactoferm™ F-LC? Because it is foolproof. It`s recommended for the production of all types of fermented sausages, including this semi-dry cured product. It contains lactobacillus curvatus and pediococcus acidilactici for complete acidification as well as developing pediocin and bavaricin - both known for keeping listeria monocytogenes bacteria at safe levels. Staphylococcus xylosus in the culture, is responsible for strong color and flavor development. Depending on fermentation temperature, acidification may be traditional, fast, or extra fast. A 25-gram packet of Bactoferm™ F-LC will treat 220 pounds (100 kilo) of meat.

I developed this recipe from a 100-pound commercial formula that is very popular in the United States. Don`t ask me how I got it. You know the company. Please note that the commercial formula originally contained ascorbic acid and phosphate. The amount for this 5 pound sausage recipe works out to be 3/4 tspn. (3.5 g.) of ascorbic acid and 2-1/2 tspns. (10.0 g.) phosphate. I chose to omit these two additives in my own sausage, although you certainly may prefer to add them. Unquestionably, the use of phosphate will force the meat to hold more water and the ascorbic acid will give the meat a deeper red color although the staphylococcus xylosus will ensure the color and flavor.

Did you know that the term "summer sausage" originated in the old countries where peasants and field workers would make the sausage during the winter to be consumed during the summer months while working. Hope you enjoy the recipe.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

[Chuckwagon]

Hi smoke addicts. If you are not comfortable making a sausage with a culture yet, why not make a "brown and serve" type sausage for gift giving. This sausage is prep-cooked, kept in the refrigerator, sliced into disks for the breakfast frying pan, then fully cooked before eating it. It is also an ideal type of gift when given wrapped in a synthetic casing and encased in a presentation netting. Note that this sausage contains pork and breakfast seasonings.

[USA] Bad Bob`s "Brown n` Serve" Breakfast Sausage
Cured And Smoked-Cooked Type Pork Sausage

Pork that is "par-cooked" has been heated higher than an internal temperature of 137°F. (58°C.), but less than 148°F. (64°C.) eliminating any possible trichinella spiralis. When the pork product is heated above 148°F. (64°C.) but below 154°F. (68°C.), it becomes "fully-cooked" and "ready to eat". This final cooking step ensures the destruction of all sorts of other bacterial pathogenic microorganisms including staphylococcus aureus, escherichia coli serotype 0157:H7 and 0121, salmonella enteritidis, clostridium perfringens, listeria monocytogenes, campylobacter jejuni, shigella, bacillus cereus, as well as various non-bacterial parasites such as cryptosporidium paryum and of course, trichinella spiralis. However, this is a non-fermented product and remains perishable. Please keep it refrigerated.

Meat Prep - Cooking Temperatures
Undercooked............ Below 137°F. (58°C.)
Par - cooked............. 137°F. (58°C.) to 148°F. (64°C.)
Fully Cooked............. 148°F. (64°C.) to 154°F. (68°C.)
_______________________________________________

9 lbs. pork butt (with fat)
1 lb. pork back fat
2 tspns. Prague Powder Cure #1
4 tblspns. salt
2 cups soy protein concentrate
1 cup dried parsley
1-1/2 tspns. black pepper (coarse grind)
1 tspn. red pepper
2 tspns. granulated garlic
2 tspns. sage
1 tspn. ground marjoram
1 tspn. ground nutmeg
1/2 tspn. ground cloves
1 cup ice water
4-7/8" red fibrous casing

Place the grinder knife and plate into the freezer while you separate the fat from the lean meat. Using a sharp knife, cut all the fat into smaller pieces (for the grinder), then freeze the fat. Cut the meat into 1-1/2 " cubes and place it into the freezer until it nearly freezes. Grind the nearly-frozen meat using the 3/8" plate and the frozen pork fat using a 3/16" plate. Work in small batches and do not allow the fat to smear. Place the ground fat back into the freezer. Mix the Instacure #1 with a little water for uniform distribution and add it to the meat. Add the soy protein to the meat and distribute it with your hands. Add the remaining herbs and spices with a little water, then knead and mix the meat to develop the primary bind. When it becomes "sticky", add the frozen fat to the mixture, folding it evenly throughout the mixture with your hands.

Stuff the sausage into 4-7/8" red fibrous casings and clamp them with hog rings or tie them with heavy cotton butchers twine. Place the sausages into a preheated 130°F. (54°C.) smokehouse for an hour introducing hickory smoke. Raise the smokehouse temperature to 170°; F. (77°;C.), continuing to smoke the sausages until their internal meat temperature (IMT) reaches 148°; F. (64°;C.). Remove the sausages, showering them with cold water until the IMT drops to less than 90°F. (32°C.). Refrigerate the sausages overnight before slicing half inch thick slices to pan fry for breakfast.

If you do not wish to smoke the sausages, you may certainly use your kitchen oven to prep cook the sausages. Simply lay them on an oven rack and bake them at only 200°; F. (93 C.) until the IMT reaches 148°; F. (64°;C.).

If you like to eat this type of sausage served cold or sliced cold for sandwiches, then simply skip the "prep-cooking" and fully cook the sausage by making sure the IMT reaches 152°; F. (67°; C.) It is very important not to continue cooking much beyond this temperature, as the collagen will break and the fat will turn into liquid. If this happens, the texture of the sausage will resemble sawdust and taste just awful. And listen up pards... don`t you even dare try feeding it to your dogs if you spoil this sausage by overcooking it. Just bury it in a hole in the backyard and play "Taps" with your bugle.

The secret of success:
When baking the sausage, be sure not to exceed the oven temperature of 200°; F. (93°; C.). It will require a few hours for the IMT (internal meat temperature) to reach 152°; (67°; C.). Have patience and do NOT try to rush the process by turning up the heat. It just will not work. The best solution is to use a probe-type thermometer with an alarm. When the IMT reaches 152°;F., be sure to cool it in ice water until it drops to room temperature.

Be aware that this type of sausage remains perishable and must be kept under refrigeration.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

[Shuswap]

CW, in another thread says: "Note that it is most important to keep the temperature as near 38°;F. (3°;C.) as possible. Temperatures much above that point may enable the meat to begin spoiling; below that point, the cure`s effectiveness may be compromised."

I'm in day 3 of brining (my first attempt) a pork loin for Cdn Bacon and the brine temperature is 40F. Should I carry on brining or get it out of the brine and prep it for smoking or what?

[sawhorseray]

I think you can just keep it where it's at until day 5, 38° is pretty darned close to 40°. The bottom shelf of my fridge where I do the majority of my brining comes in between 39 and 40 degrees depending on when I'm checking it, I've never had a problem on a five day soak. I like to turn the pork loin around a bit every day while it's soaking, don't know if that really does anything, but I do it anyway. Are you going to string-tie the loins or use some netting to hang them with? What about rolling them in black pepper right before they go into the smoker? What kind of wood chips are you thinking about using? I'm excited for you! Take some pictures and good luck, it'll be great. RAY

[Shuswap]

Thanks Ray. I`ve been stirring the brine each day. Yes, I will be rolling the loin in black pepper before going into the smoker. I have to order my sausage making supplies by mail and have not yet bought netting or bags so I plan on smoking (another first) on the rack. I hadn`t thought of string tying and will look into that as I`m sure it would be better provided I do it right. I`m using moistened cherry shavings produced in my shop on the jointer.

[sawhorseray]

Quite often the pork loins I want to smoke are a bit too large for the netting I've got so I tie them like a roast. Maybe it's just me but I love to see meat hanging, from a tree in camp or loaded into the smoker. Check out this video on tying a roast, it works perfectly and you won't peel off as much pepper when you remove the string. RAY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFIwbUBiRSE

[Chuckwagon]

Hi Shuswap. Sound like you're cookin' with gas! The forty-degree temp should be alright. If it remains any higher for an extended period of time, it could possibly spell trouble. I believe you're CB will be just fine. Let us know how it turns out.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

[pignout]

sorry all 4 being an absent participant. My computer and internet antenna got fried by lightning and am just now getting everything back up to speed. Since then I have been making sausage but just now making up the project recipes. Since I have been doing other recipes I will try to only ask questions that would apply to class also. Everything has turned out very well except for 1 small problem. When using 19mm cellu. casing it sometimes seperates from the sausage. From some of the things I've been reading here I thought it may be cause from raising temp to fast. My smoker has the ability to ramp so when a recipe says raise temp from 130 to 145 how many min. should that take. One other thing, I am about two thirds caught up on reading and just skimmed the rest to see if I was to far behind to continue and saw someone is doing a Canadian bacon. Where did I miss the part on curing hams and or bacon. Thanks all, Kevin. PS no batch of sausage reguardless of how bad you think it is, is never so bad to consider ending your sausage making days. With my failures my dogs just love me that much more. lol

[Shuswap]

pignout - I strayed from B2 projects to do Canadian Bacon which has been covered in other threads on this forum. Kind of a conflict between the great leader CW and the great master DW.