SAUSAGE PHOTO GALLERY (Without Original Recipes)

crustyo44
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Post by crustyo44 » Thu Jun 16, 2011 23:25

Hi ssorllih,
I am 66 years young and still working like a madman. I just have no time to chase girls around a bonfire. Matter of fact, my wife would be really pissed off.
I am also a keen hobby distiller and she does not like that either. I give most of it away as I am not much of a drinker.
Talk about ifighting illegal immigration is a very sore point in Australia with the majority of us.
Enough said. I really can't say what I think about it all and our spineless politicians.
Regards,
Jan.
Brisbane.
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Post by atcNick » Mon Jun 27, 2011 04:23

That is a very nice looking smokehouse. Is it your design? I would be interested to know how it works and to see more pictures of it sometime.
-Nick
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NorCal Kid
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Beef Sticks... By Popular Demand!

Post by NorCal Kid » Mon Jul 11, 2011 00:40

After all the sausage I've been making lately, my sons were wondering WHEN I was going to make some slim-jims or beef sticks? I wanted to make a product that had a good 'snap', good flavor without too much salt, and use good meat (no mystery stuff!) unlike some of the sticks one finds at the convenience stores.

So I ordered a few mixes from AC Legg ( all are gluten-free). I had on-hand some 19mm colored collagen casings so onward.....

Simple set up & ingredients. Got an early start this cool morning, about 5:00 am....
I decided to make two small (5lb) batches on the snack stick mix; one regular flavor, the other BBQ:
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Two 5lb bags of good quality beef I cut up the night before, partially frozen:
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First grind using the 4.5mm plate on the cabela grinder:
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Since these were small loads I mixed by hand ('old-school'). On bigger batches, I'd break out the 'bucket mixer.'
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All mixed & ready for one final grind:
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Final grind through my new 3.0mm plate:
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I used the cabela grinder 'speed stuffer' attachment (designed for diameters less than 20mm) for stuffing these sticks. I usually use the 'Water Cannon' for bigger loads (10lbs+) but this method worked out pretty well for a first time.
I ran out of the 19mm collagen casing near the end so grabbed a couple of collagen rings to make two larger sausages:
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By 7:30 am, they're loaded in the smoker. Plan was to do 2-3 hours of hickory with a progressive increase in the temps:
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One hour in...
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After nearly four hours,almost noon, the IT reaches 160° so out they come.
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The larger 'rings' are still hovering around 145° so they still need some more time. They are picking up some nice color.
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About an hour later, they hit the 160° mark and I pull them to bloom.
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Sample time: My sons all tried the sticks & the feedback I'm getting is very good! Real nice texture to the sticks, just the right amount of saltiness. Casings have a good snap. The BBQ is probably my favorite of the two.

All these will sit in my fridge overnight and tomorrow I'll decide how I'll store these stix.
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Today, I cut some up & put 'em in a plastic container. poked a few holes in the top and will keep them in the fridge for now.

We'll see how long they last.  ;)

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I'm very happy with the results! Considering my last two sausage-making fiascos, I'm glad to have a winner!

Kevin
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. — Hebrews 13:8
ssorllih
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Post by ssorllih » Mon Jul 11, 2011 01:43

They certainly look nice. But I couldn't decide on the taste from here.
Ross- tightwad home cook
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Post by Bubba » Mon Jul 11, 2011 02:22

NorCal Kid wrote:I had on-hand some 19mm colored collagen casings so onward.....
They really look very good NorCal Kid, if that jar was on my Table it would not have any contents in the morning!

Is there a preference to using Collagen casings and rather not Lamb / Sheep casings? I have never used Collagen.

I'm building a dryer with the intent of making some dried beef sausage in the near future.
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Post by Chuckwagon » Mon Jul 11, 2011 02:41

Hi NorCalKev,
Allow me to insert 2 cents worth ok? You wrote:
Today, I cut some up & put 'em in a plastic container. poked a few holes in the top and will keep them in the fridge for now.
We'll see how long they last. ;)
If you decide that they get moldy in the plastic, try putting them in paper bags (brown paper lunch bags). My outfit makes these things (kabanosy) by the bucketload. We've found that after a week, they'll lose quite a bit more moisture, but are more intense in flavor. The paper sack seems to solve the problem of home-grown pennicillin. :lol:
You've got some fabulous photos and step-by-step instructions. You should photograph food professionally!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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NorCal Kid
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Post by NorCal Kid » Mon Jul 11, 2011 03:19

Bubba wrote:
NorCal Kid wrote:I had on-hand some 19mm colored collagen casings so onward.....
Is there a preference to using Collagen casings and rather not Lamb / Sheep casings? I have never used Collagen.
I'm no vet of the 'sausage-wars' but it seems the edible collagen cases are used for mass-produced products I suppose for 'consistency' in production. For home use, I think one could use the sheep. I have some 20mm sheep I could have used. In my limited experience, the collagen cases are easier to use-dont get tangled, no rinsing, soaking-but you can't twist 'em for links. Need to tie them.
Chuckwagon wrote:Hi NorCalKev,
Allow me to insert 2 cents worth ok? You wrote:
Today, I cut some up & put 'em in a plastic container. poked a few holes in the top and will keep them in the fridge for now.
We'll see how long they last. ;)
If you decide that they get moldy in the plastic, try putting them in paper bags (brown paper lunch bags). My outfit makes these things (kabanosy) by the bucketload. We've found that after a week, they'll lose quite a bit more moisture, but are more intense in flavor. The paper sack seems to solve the problem of home-grown pennicillin. :lol:
You've got some fabulous photos and step-by-step instructions. You should photograph food professionally!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
CW, please insert your 2 cents and more......
The plastic tub was only a temporary 'holding tank' (which is already near empty. It's really more of a feeding trough now.... :mrgreen: ) while I've kept the balance of the ropes & larger rings I made in the fridge on racks. Re: brown paper bags- just leave them in the bags open-ended or closed up?

And thank you for the kind words. My wife thinks I'm loony as I keep interrupting the meat production to snap shots. But I enjoy it. And if it helps others to see how I do it-warts & all-then that's a good thing. I also like to keep a photo record of my trials & successes.

-Kevin
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. — Hebrews 13:8
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Chuckwagon
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Post by Chuckwagon » Mon Jul 11, 2011 04:29

Norcalkid wrote:
In my limited experience, the collagen cases are easier to use-dont get tangled, no rinsing, soaking-but you can't twist 'em for links. Need to tie them.
Kevin, you are absolutely correct. They are convenient, uniform, economical and they don`t have to be water logged! I`m chuckling because I remember when they first came into fashion. We were all hesitant to even try them. Rytek Kutas quickly discovered that they wouldn`t "hold a link" as he put it. But then he found out that a person didn`t even have to link the smaller diameters. All you had to do is wait a few minutes for the sausage to "set" inside the collagen casings, then cut them into desired lengths. The only problem he had... was dull knife. He had a knife that wouldn`t cut mud! We used scissors. Sharp scissors. And the ends were beautifully cut square. Not Rytek! He had the most beat-up, dull, abused, butcher knife you ever saw in your life. I can still picture him trying to "saw" his way through collagen "links". Too funny!
Collagen casings were a Godsend to the sausagemaking world. The best part is you just take them out of the plastic and feed the entire sterile roll onto a long non-tapered, stainless steel, filling tube. Viola! Snacksticks quick! Our outfit cuts them into foot lengths with shears and place them onto smoking screens. They go into the smokehouse in layers, not requiring much time at all to reach 150° F.

Keep up the good work Reverend!
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by uwanna61 » Wed Jul 13, 2011 23:19

NorCal Kid
Got an early start this cool morning, about 5:00 am
You must be dedicated, snack sticks at 5 am :wink:
This is me at 5am :shock:
Looks good, great job!
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Bubba
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Post by Bubba » Thu Jul 14, 2011 14:49

NorCal Kid wrote:I'm no vet of the 'sausage-wars' but it seems the edible collagen cases are used for mass-produced products I suppose for 'consistency' in production. For home use, I think one could use the sheep. I have some 20mm sheep I could have used. In my limited experience, the collagen cases are easier to use-dont get tangled, no rinsing, soaking-but you can't twist 'em for links. Need to tie them.
I will have to try collagen casings with Beef stick making, it will be a little while before I'll get there (too many other projects I have in line first) :smile:
From the looks of the final product, they do have a much better consistency.

Probably another difference is that when I prepare beef for dry sausage making in lamb casings, the meat is ground only once through a different size plate to yours shown (one plate more course to shown in your photos). This more course texture could explain the inconsistent diameters after drying. But they taste outstanding!
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Jersey Pork Roll (aka 'Taylor's Ham)

Post by NorCal Kid » Sun Jul 31, 2011 18:11

My wife & her family are all from New Jersey and practically every time her relatives come west to Calif, they bring several rolls of tangy pork roll (a.k.a. "Taylor's Ham"). You cant get it out here so for my wife & sons, its a real treat. One can order online & have it mailed, but the shipping is killer ($$!). So.....I decided to give it a try. I know a number of members have used Len Poli's recipe so that's the one I used.

Onward.....

Got the pork. Ten pound batch so got plenty of pork shoulder plus 3 pounds of good hickory-smoked bacon; both well-chilled.
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Not a lot of ingredients. Deviation from the recipe: I used ECA for the 'tang' rather than a culture.
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Ground the bacon with a fine plate (3mm); the 7 pounds of pork shoulder went through a 4.5mm plate.
Ingredients in & well-mixed.
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What to stuff? I have a few synthetic casings on hand, but came across several never-been-used muslin bags I use when I roast coffee beans. The size of one is approximately the size of the Taylor hams. "Sweet Maria's" is where I buy my green coffee beans (local). Wound up with one muslin chub and a 24" long syn. red roll.
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Plan was to give the rolls about 90 minutes to 2 hours of hickory smoke (like the bacon) and slowly increase the temps until the IT reached 155°. Note to SELF: keep rolls under 24" or they wont fit in the smoker! As it was, a tight squeeze...
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Put the pork rolls in about 8:00 am. Temp at 120°. Added smoke after about 90 minutes & gave it about 2 hours of hickory. Increased temps progressively up until I hit 165°. Kept it there until the IT reached 155°-which happened 16 (!) hours later about 1:00 the following morning. Next time may do a poach & cut my time waaaaaaaay down.
Into an early morning ice bath:
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Let the rolls sit overnight in the fridge.
Next morning, time to slice 'em up!
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Into the pan for a quick fry:
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The Results: The flavor is VERY close to the target 'ideal' (Taylor's Ham); probably NOT as salty as the commercial brand; nice tanginess to the slices and tasty smokiness ("bacon-y"). Makes a great sandwich in the morning and a HUGE step above products like SPAM & the like. So far, it's been well received by the family taste-testers.

This will possibly be an oft-repeated performance if this batch is any indication. I just need to streamline the production to cut down on the time (16hrs+).

-Kevin
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Post by Chuckwagon » Mon Aug 01, 2011 01:55

That's mighty interestin' stuff kid. But tell me... where did you come up with the temperature of 155 degrees to stop? Is this another Michael Ruhlman recipe?
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by NorCal Kid » Mon Aug 01, 2011 02:13

Chuckwagon wrote:That's mighty interestin' stuff kid. But tell me... where did you come up with the temperature of 155 degrees to stop? Is this another Michael Ruhlman recipe?
CW,
The recipe is from Len Poli of Sonoma Mountain Sausages. He actually poaches his roll until the IT reaches 152°. Taylor pork roll was always cooked before eaten ,in my experience.

[URL=http://]http://lpoli.50webs.com/index_files/NewJerseyPorkRoll.pdf[/URL]
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Post by Chuckwagon » Mon Aug 01, 2011 02:20

Nor Cal, I know you love & respect the guy, but think he went OFF LINE some time ago. Check it out. I'll stand my Marianski!
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by ssorllih » Mon Aug 01, 2011 02:43

The Len Poli site was the first that I checked out and I found it short on the science of sausage making. Nothing real glaring just little holes here and there that I found disconcerting. The Marianskis don't seem to make those sins of omission.
Ross- tightwad home cook
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