Meat Processing

@samspade said in After marinating: @Dr_Pain it’s a cheap 4 wired probe just gives temp and has a list of recomended temps for beef pork etc. Got it a walmart I think. It works good enough but for monitoring got the meatstick bridge set. Here’s a pic of the cheap one. [image: 1634024353847-screenshot_20211012-002849_gallery.jpg] Thanks for the reply. I’ve been searching for some geek thermometer. I like to calibrate my stuff (because I don’t trust equipment) and was looking for high/low alarms sooooo… I had to spend the high dollars, but I had the wife’s blessing.

@ridley-acres I have vac sealed and used it six months later without a problem.

If you use |Encapsulated-Citric-Acid don’t use |Cold-Phosphate-Sodium-Phosphate but Sure Gel is fine. This is a good question and shows you are really thinking it through @lcash74 good job and @IVERYAN is also a nice answer. The real award though has to go to @John-Belvedere who must be the best meat processor in the State of NY. We do have some start cultures but we really don’t recommend them yet to retail customers. There is a lot of measuring of both temp and pH along with requirements for relative humidity that make it hard to manage at home. If we can ever find a reliable, affordable home dry curing cabinet we will dive deep into that but they are all insanely expensive and just seem to be getting either cheaper, or more expensive!

@Dr_Pain As others have said, they are different products. We have done some testing with gelatin-based things and it doesn’t seem to work out well.

I like the seasoning but maybe a touch on the weaker side. I find in most sausage I make, the flavor is better after it rest for a period of time. So I really need to taste it after it sits to know for sure if I should use more seasoning next time. I did cook a couple right after stuffing and they tasted like a salty hotdog. After smoking they taste like little smokies and the saltiness is gone. I actually think this would make a great snack stick.

@mdseaside i agree the smoke is always good and the oil it really makes the snap.

@dr_pain That will work. When I do smack sticks I cold smoke for about 3 to 4 hours then vacuum seal in bags and sous vide at 155 degrees for 2 1/2 hours. Then cool in an ice bath and unbag and let dry. Works great.

@phil-thomas When I make bacon I do have some fat that renders, I take the bacon to 150 IT. Some fat renders and drips out but with a drip or water pan underneath, it is all contained and the amount of fat lost is negligible for the added safety of taking the meat upto 150 ontop of the cure.

@kyle What about drinking! We can’t all live parched.

the thing you lose is the color and texture. Safe food practices should be followed as with any fresh meat product. you can add celery, lettuce, or radishes (1 oz per pound but no promises on the flavor or color). If you have any ham or bacon cure .32oz per pound ( a teaspoon for 5lbs of meat)but add sugar to cut the affect of the salt in the cure

@johnsbrewhouse said in Sausage Month: @dr_pain about what mine is, 28 miles, I have to drive into the city. I deboned 10 lbs. of quarters at a time and the last batch I tossed the bones since I had no use for another batch. It was a lot of work, but for the price as you said I could afford the failure. You got yours far cheaper, mine were $0.69/lb. Yea, hard to beat $0.37/lbs these days. I have all the local stores weekly electronic flyers on my bookmark bar and just visit them weekly to see what is cheap and on sale.

@lakeneuron thanks for sharing some of your background. I am always interested in what everyone in this community does for a living or a hobby. It makes me feel like I know them. Again welcome aboard.

@processhead On the money as usual!! Thanks

@samspade a neat little project

I hog ring and if not tight enough re-twist and add second hog ring

@jonathon I’m not against nitrates ( I use them in my bacon) I usually make this sausage from fresh or frozen pork and once the sausage is made I will hang it inside my walk in cooler to dry and then it’s vacuum sealed

@bocephus said in Habanero BBQ Snack Sticks w/ Hot Pepper Cheese: … nice to be appreciated even if it is only for food. My personality pushes them away but my food brings them back!

I use the supreme pizza (big hit getting kids into venison ), blue ribbon, hatch green Chile and the fanciest flavor is longanisa ,it is kinda like a teriyaki but with more flavor (garlic, pineapple, paprika) High temp cheese available: mozzarella, pepper Jack, cheddar and ghost

@ilxlr8u I don’t think you would want to use ECA and SMS together, they basically do the same thing although ECA gives you a tang that SMS does not.