smoking Anyone smoke their own sausage?
- Thread starter JayT
- Start date
I buy from a butcher supply store. They sell pre-measured seasoning packs for many kinds of sausage (brats,polish,italian,etc...) They also sell pre-measured packs of cure. Both are for 25 lbs of meat. I find this
much easier and cheaper than buying all the spices individually and doing it myself. You can then add dried
peppers/powders,cheese,or whatever you want. I made 100 lbs of venison sausage a few weeks ago and will do another batch
soon. The next batch will be with a fellow TheHotPepper member who wants to learn how (these ones will be pretty hot). I will try to post some pics when we do.
much easier and cheaper than buying all the spices individually and doing it myself. You can then add dried
peppers/powders,cheese,or whatever you want. I made 100 lbs of venison sausage a few weeks ago and will do another batch
soon. The next batch will be with a fellow TheHotPepper member who wants to learn how (these ones will be pretty hot). I will try to post some pics when we do.
Or if you want to get some sausage making under your belt, just either buy a kit from Academy Sports, or other outdoor place and make it.
what kind of sausage do you want to smoke? make?
Canadian Venison Pepperettes
8 Lbs. Pork shoulder
7 Lbs. Venison
6 Tbs. Salt
9 Tbs. Paprika
1 Tbs. Chile powder
1.5 Tbs. Cayenne pepper
1 Tbs. Crushed red Chile flakes
1.5 Tbs. Black pepper
1 Tbs. White pepper
1 Tbs. Prague powder #2
1 Tbs. Mace
1 Tbs. Amino Phosphate
1.5 Tbs. Sugar
3 Tbs. Ground Mustard
3 Tbs. Ground Coriander
6 Tbs. Milk powder
1 1/2 cups Fermento
1 liter cold water
Grind meats through a fine plate, re grind to mix. Add spices and water, mix well.. Stuff into 22-24mm collagen casings. Link into 10 “ lengths. Hang in smoker and dry for about 1 hr. at 130 F, apply a heavy smoke for about 3 hrs @150 F. Increase smoker to 175 F and smoke to 155 internal. Allow to cool. Then hang to dry to desired texture..
Country Sausage
4 lbs pork butt with fat
2 lbs beef chuck or round -- with fat
1 large onion -- minced
6 cloves garlic -- minced
2 tablespoons fresh sage -- minced
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red chiles -- crushed
1 teaspoon cayenne
Coarse grind the meat. Mix in seasonings. Refrigerate over night. Prepare casings. Stuff to 1" thick, 5" long and tie off.
They can be frozen or refrigerated at this time To smoke: rub sausages with oil. Don't over do it or they get messy and then turn to mush. Smoke at 225 for two hours with oak or mesquite until the skin looks ready to pop.
Sausage Basics
There are a few important things to remember before you get started making sausage.
Safety
1.) Keep everything clean! When using raw meats they are very susceptible to germs and bacteria. Keep meats stiff but not completely frozen. This will make it not only easier trim and to grind but reduce the likelihood of airborne contamination and bacterial growth.
2.) If you are using different types of meat such as pork and poultry clean your tools and surfaces before continuing to the next type of meat.
3.) Wash and sanitize everything as soon as possible after using your equipment. Once it dries it’s harder to clean.
Ingredients
All sausages contain meat or meat substitutes, fat and spices. Some will also require binders, cures, cultures and other additives depending on what you are making.
Meat – use only the freshest meats for your homemade sausages. There is an exception to this rule – if you are making dried, semi dried, aged or fermented sausages from pork, fish or wild game meats they should be frozen first to avoid trichinosis. Trichinosis is a worm know to be in pork, fish and wild game which can be transferred to humans by eating infected meat. This is easy to avoid by freezing the meat according to this table:
At -5° F for 20 days, or At -10°F for 10 days, or At -20° F for 6 days.
Fats – Fat gives sausages it’s texture and add flavor, especially pork fat. The percentage of fat in sausages should be between 25 and 30% on average. There are some sausages that will require as much as 45% fat. Go with what is suggested, at least the first time and adjust it to your liking in later batches.
Salt – No getting around it salt adds flavor to meat. Salt also acts as a preservative in some cases. You will use between 1.5 and 3% salt in your sausages. Keep in mind that this should be non iodized kosher or sea salt unless specified otherwise by the recipe.
Spices – In sausages fresh dried spices sometimes works better than fresh. Measurements are generally for dried spices. Two year old spices in your kitchen have lost their flavor. Buy new ones!
Binders – There are many types of binders. What a bind does as it suggests is hold the sausage meat together. Soy binders are very popular today but I personally would rather use Carnation low fat powdered milk. It adds texture, body and flavor to sausages you just don’t get from soy products. The expensive online butcher grade milk powders are not necessary.
Some sausages may need a gelatin as a binder. These are generally most often referred to as lunchmeats or Deli meats but they are indeed sausages. I highly recommend Knox unflavored gelatin for these types of sausages. Again - the expensive online butcher grade gelatins are not necessary.
Cures – There are several types of cures on the market. Prague Powder, Insta-cure, Salt Petre, Morton’s Tender Quick and more. It may not be available to you locally but – I highly recommend purchasing Prague Powders online if you have to. They are cheap in the long run and easier to control the salt. Cures are generally followed by a number #1 or #2.
Prague Powder #1 – this is used for sausages that will be smoked.
Prague Powder #2 - this is used for sausages that are dried, aged or fermented.
THEY ARE NOT INTERCHANGABLE!
Other Additives – This list can go on forever but I will mention a few I use quite often and tell you what they are used for:
Amesphos - Phosphates – This product hold the moisture in the meat when cooking and freezing, acts as a binder and helps to improve texture, flavor and color. Use is ¼ teaspoon per pound of meat.
Sodium Erythorbate - I use this in brines for ham or bacon when I need to rush the bring. It’s use is1 ounce per gallon of brine.
Potassium Sorbate – this is a mold inhibitor good for dried, semi dried aged, fermented sausages and jerky.
Buttermilk Solids – Sold in grocery stores in the baking section. Adds a nice tang to a sausage without drying or fermenting. Similar to Fermento.
Whey – Also a mold inhibitor but adds an almost fermented flavor to non dried sausages. May be used with buttermilk or alone.
Sugars
Dextrose - corn sugar dissolves quickly and stays in solution great in sausage and brines. Has 20% LESS sweetening power than cane sugar.
Corn Syrup Solids – another sugar a be used instead of Dextrose.
Starter Cultures –
Bactoferm™ F-RM-52 – used for fermenting/aging salami, and pepperoni.
Bactoferm™ LHP - – used for fermenting/aging summer sausage.
NOTE 1:
When using recipes which include cures such as Prague Powder #1, Prague powder #2 Tender Quick, Instacure or Fermento to name a few, always follow instructions on the package for use NOT the amounts listed in a recipe! Each manufacturer may use slightly a different mix!
NOTE 2:
When ever smoking sausages with a tradition tang such as pepperoni or summer sausage use encapsulated citric acid. It will melt at 135°F adding flavor when needed and add a mouth watering tang. Regular citric acid will dissolve too soon and not add the traditional tang you want.
NOTE 3:
Always use NON Iodized salts. Use Sea Salt or Kosher salt whenever possible.
what kind of sausage do you want to smoke? make?
Canadian Venison Pepperettes
8 Lbs. Pork shoulder
7 Lbs. Venison
6 Tbs. Salt
9 Tbs. Paprika
1 Tbs. Chile powder
1.5 Tbs. Cayenne pepper
1 Tbs. Crushed red Chile flakes
1.5 Tbs. Black pepper
1 Tbs. White pepper
1 Tbs. Prague powder #2
1 Tbs. Mace
1 Tbs. Amino Phosphate
1.5 Tbs. Sugar
3 Tbs. Ground Mustard
3 Tbs. Ground Coriander
6 Tbs. Milk powder
1 1/2 cups Fermento
1 liter cold water
Grind meats through a fine plate, re grind to mix. Add spices and water, mix well.. Stuff into 22-24mm collagen casings. Link into 10 “ lengths. Hang in smoker and dry for about 1 hr. at 130 F, apply a heavy smoke for about 3 hrs @150 F. Increase smoker to 175 F and smoke to 155 internal. Allow to cool. Then hang to dry to desired texture..
Country Sausage
4 lbs pork butt with fat
2 lbs beef chuck or round -- with fat
1 large onion -- minced
6 cloves garlic -- minced
2 tablespoons fresh sage -- minced
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red chiles -- crushed
1 teaspoon cayenne
Coarse grind the meat. Mix in seasonings. Refrigerate over night. Prepare casings. Stuff to 1" thick, 5" long and tie off.
They can be frozen or refrigerated at this time To smoke: rub sausages with oil. Don't over do it or they get messy and then turn to mush. Smoke at 225 for two hours with oak or mesquite until the skin looks ready to pop.
Sausage Basics
There are a few important things to remember before you get started making sausage.
Safety
1.) Keep everything clean! When using raw meats they are very susceptible to germs and bacteria. Keep meats stiff but not completely frozen. This will make it not only easier trim and to grind but reduce the likelihood of airborne contamination and bacterial growth.
2.) If you are using different types of meat such as pork and poultry clean your tools and surfaces before continuing to the next type of meat.
3.) Wash and sanitize everything as soon as possible after using your equipment. Once it dries it’s harder to clean.
Ingredients
All sausages contain meat or meat substitutes, fat and spices. Some will also require binders, cures, cultures and other additives depending on what you are making.
Meat – use only the freshest meats for your homemade sausages. There is an exception to this rule – if you are making dried, semi dried, aged or fermented sausages from pork, fish or wild game meats they should be frozen first to avoid trichinosis. Trichinosis is a worm know to be in pork, fish and wild game which can be transferred to humans by eating infected meat. This is easy to avoid by freezing the meat according to this table:
At -5° F for 20 days, or At -10°F for 10 days, or At -20° F for 6 days.
Fats – Fat gives sausages it’s texture and add flavor, especially pork fat. The percentage of fat in sausages should be between 25 and 30% on average. There are some sausages that will require as much as 45% fat. Go with what is suggested, at least the first time and adjust it to your liking in later batches.
Salt – No getting around it salt adds flavor to meat. Salt also acts as a preservative in some cases. You will use between 1.5 and 3% salt in your sausages. Keep in mind that this should be non iodized kosher or sea salt unless specified otherwise by the recipe.
Spices – In sausages fresh dried spices sometimes works better than fresh. Measurements are generally for dried spices. Two year old spices in your kitchen have lost their flavor. Buy new ones!
Binders – There are many types of binders. What a bind does as it suggests is hold the sausage meat together. Soy binders are very popular today but I personally would rather use Carnation low fat powdered milk. It adds texture, body and flavor to sausages you just don’t get from soy products. The expensive online butcher grade milk powders are not necessary.
Some sausages may need a gelatin as a binder. These are generally most often referred to as lunchmeats or Deli meats but they are indeed sausages. I highly recommend Knox unflavored gelatin for these types of sausages. Again - the expensive online butcher grade gelatins are not necessary.
Cures – There are several types of cures on the market. Prague Powder, Insta-cure, Salt Petre, Morton’s Tender Quick and more. It may not be available to you locally but – I highly recommend purchasing Prague Powders online if you have to. They are cheap in the long run and easier to control the salt. Cures are generally followed by a number #1 or #2.
Prague Powder #1 – this is used for sausages that will be smoked.
Prague Powder #2 - this is used for sausages that are dried, aged or fermented.
THEY ARE NOT INTERCHANGABLE!
Other Additives – This list can go on forever but I will mention a few I use quite often and tell you what they are used for:
Amesphos - Phosphates – This product hold the moisture in the meat when cooking and freezing, acts as a binder and helps to improve texture, flavor and color. Use is ¼ teaspoon per pound of meat.
Sodium Erythorbate - I use this in brines for ham or bacon when I need to rush the bring. It’s use is1 ounce per gallon of brine.
Potassium Sorbate – this is a mold inhibitor good for dried, semi dried aged, fermented sausages and jerky.
Buttermilk Solids – Sold in grocery stores in the baking section. Adds a nice tang to a sausage without drying or fermenting. Similar to Fermento.
Whey – Also a mold inhibitor but adds an almost fermented flavor to non dried sausages. May be used with buttermilk or alone.
Sugars
Dextrose - corn sugar dissolves quickly and stays in solution great in sausage and brines. Has 20% LESS sweetening power than cane sugar.
Corn Syrup Solids – another sugar a be used instead of Dextrose.
Starter Cultures –
Bactoferm™ F-RM-52 – used for fermenting/aging salami, and pepperoni.
Bactoferm™ LHP - – used for fermenting/aging summer sausage.
NOTE 1:
When using recipes which include cures such as Prague Powder #1, Prague powder #2 Tender Quick, Instacure or Fermento to name a few, always follow instructions on the package for use NOT the amounts listed in a recipe! Each manufacturer may use slightly a different mix!
NOTE 2:
When ever smoking sausages with a tradition tang such as pepperoni or summer sausage use encapsulated citric acid. It will melt at 135°F adding flavor when needed and add a mouth watering tang. Regular citric acid will dissolve too soon and not add the traditional tang you want.
NOTE 3:
Always use NON Iodized salts. Use Sea Salt or Kosher salt whenever possible.