How To Make Homemade Snack Sticks
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toby-wall I usually don’t smoke for the first hour as smoke won’t adhere then anyway. I then usually leave it on the rest of the time as the smoke from the wood chips usually burns out of my pan in about 2 hours which is as long as I want to apply smoke anyway. If you are working with a commercial smoker where you can constantly pump in smoke then I would say do it from 140° until you jump the temp to 175°.
Some people like a lighter smoke and some like a heavier smoke but I usually recommend changing the type of smoke you are using for that instead of the amount of smoke. For example I tend to like a light smoke on things like chicken so I use Pecan or Apple which have a little lighter smoke flavor than Mesquite or Hickory.
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toby-wall I usually don’t smoke for the first hour as smoke won’t adhere then anyway. I then usually leave it on the rest of the time as the smoke from the wood chips usually burns out of my pan in about 2 hours which is as long as I want to apply smoke anyway. If you are working with a commercial smoker where you can constantly pump in smoke then I would say do it from 140° until you jump the temp to 175°.
Some people like a lighter smoke and some like a heavier smoke but I usually recommend changing the type of smoke you are using for that instead of the amount of smoke. For example I tend to like a light smoke on things like chicken so I use Pecan or Apple which have a little lighter smoke flavor than Mesquite or Hickory.
Jonathon So this may seem like a really dumb question, but how do you hang the meat in the smoker. I assume I just loop over the smoke stick and then make one big continuous loop across the stick alternating up across and down from side to side over the smoke stick until I get it all on there? I assume if I cut prior to cooking my 30% fat to meat ratio would mean it would heat up to melt the pork fat and I would have meat running out of casings to the bottom of my smoker.
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Jonathon So this may seem like a really dumb question, but how do you hang the meat in the smoker. I assume I just loop over the smoke stick and then make one big continuous loop across the stick alternating up across and down from side to side over the smoke stick until I get it all on there? I assume if I cut prior to cooking my 30% fat to meat ratio would mean it would heat up to melt the pork fat and I would have meat running out of casings to the bottom of my smoker.
SierraPete Those aren’t stupid questions at all, very good questions that I would bet a lot of people have! You are correct on how to hang them, keep looping them over smoke sticks until either it is full or you have gotten them all in there.
As for the fat melting out yes, this is definitely a concern. You can prevent this from happening by getting a good bind between your water, meat and fat by getting the correct amount of protein extraction and using a binder. We did a video about “fatting out” and protein extraction that should help you with this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wStH-RtQUY8 . Let me know if you have any other questions!
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Can I make snack sticks with just using ground beef with out adding any pork.
Without adding pork should I add Soy Protein as a binder.We butchered two cows and made all the meat into hamburger and trying to make a lot of beef sticks.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
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Can I make snack sticks with just using ground beef with out adding any pork.
Without adding pork should I add Soy Protein as a binder.We butchered two cows and made all the meat into hamburger and trying to make a lot of beef sticks.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
IcePro Yes you can absolutely make snack sticks out of 100% ground beef, lots of people do this with great results. The question on adding a binder is going to depend on the fat content of the ground beef you are using and since it sounds like you ground it yourself since you butchered the cows (good job by the way, doesn’t get any fresher/cleaner than that!) you might not know the fat content? If you do and it is less than 20% fat then yes I would add a binder but I would probably add Carrot Fiber instead, it’s about the same price, holds 26 times its weight in water, allergen free and does a better job in my mind.
Let us know if you need anything else!
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IcePro Yes you can absolutely make snack sticks out of 100% ground beef, lots of people do this with great results. The question on adding a binder is going to depend on the fat content of the ground beef you are using and since it sounds like you ground it yourself since you butchered the cows (good job by the way, doesn’t get any fresher/cleaner than that!) you might not know the fat content? If you do and it is less than 20% fat then yes I would add a binder but I would probably add Carrot Fiber instead, it’s about the same price, holds 26 times its weight in water, allergen free and does a better job in my mind.
Let us know if you need anything else!
Jonathon Thanks for the impute, I will use the Soy Protein as binder for now since I do not have the Carrot Fiber at this time (will need to order) and I have 50# of ground beef thawing out for tomorrow.
How do you determine the fat content on meat when processing your self?
Thanks
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Jonathon Thanks for the impute, I will use the Soy Protein as binder for now since I do not have the Carrot Fiber at this time (will need to order) and I have 50# of ground beef thawing out for tomorrow.
How do you determine the fat content on meat when processing your self?
Thanks
IcePro Sounds good, there is nothing wrong with Soy Protein Blend, it should work just fine for you. For how to tell fat content at home there really isn’t a way, it requires specialized equipment. Hope the sticks come out good!
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I made my first batch of snack sticks yesterday. I used citric acid. I was not able to fit every thing in my smoker and part of the batch had to sit in the fridge overnight. Can I still use them or do I need to trash them.
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mesbilawson Great question, you do not need to trash them at all. Depending on the temperature they have been held at and a few other factors you might get some crumbly edges after smoking them but there is no danger to smoking and eating them and the taste should still be fine!
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mesbilawson Great question, you do not need to trash them at all. Depending on the temperature they have been held at and a few other factors you might get some crumbly edges after smoking them but there is no danger to smoking and eating them and the taste should still be fine!
Jonathon Thank you so much. We are very excited to make more snack sticks. We ordered more supplies today!
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mesbilawson That’s awesome, hope your next batch is as good as the first!
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Are the snack sticks made as described “shelf stable”, or do they have to be refrigerated or frozen?
jcflorida they need to be refrigerated unless you have a way to measure water activity and the pH of your meat. They might be “shelf stable” but without a way to test them it is not worth the danger of spoilage
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I have really been struggling with making snack sticks, with several failed attempts to the point I’m almost ready to give up.
My issue isn’t flavor, its look and texture. I cannot get that tight, lightly wrinkled look of a snack stick. My meat just doesn’t seem to bind to the casing like it should. The casing always ends up kind of loose, and when you bite into it or try and break a piece in half, the casing and meat separate which is pretty unappetizing.
I am using wild game meat, and I have been experimenting with fat ratios, some batches I know I have done too lean.
I haven’t been adding the protein binder, or citric acid (I am not sure why, not reading the recipe correct I guess) but this next batch I plan to use it and see if that helps, if I fail again though I’m ready to throw in the towel, its getting frustrating so I’d love some help and input. Snack sticks are a great way to eat up ground wild game but it sure is kicking my butt so far.
I had similar complaints trying to get my summer sausage correct. It was “de-fatting” with loose casing, dry, and a terrible texture, although the product tasted pretty good. Jonathan and Austin walked me through the process, but for me the key issue was mixing the meat long enough to get good protein extraction. I bought one of the Walton’s 20 lb. mixers and it works great–easy to turn and reverse; does a great job and was surprisingly well built at the price. It made a huge difference in my summer sausage–came out looking as good as it tastes, moist, and with a great mouth feel.
Try mixing for 8-9 minutes with a meat mixer or twice as long if mixing by hand. When you get the right mix, it emulsifies the water and fat to the meat protein so that the final product stays plump and moist. Smoke your product for 3-4 hours and finish in a water bath poaching to bring it up to 160F internal temp. Chill in an ice water bath when done.
Good Luck
Greg -
I am getting ready to make a batch of snack sticks and I noticed that you recommend using pork fat with venison. I have always used beef fat in the past and was wondering why you recommend using pork fat. Also, do you soak your collagen casings in water prior to stuffing? Or do you use them just as they are? Thanks
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hharris We recommend pork fat because it has a creaminess to it that other animals fats really don’t match. For example I can cleary tell the difference in texture and taste when I am making pork brats or snack sticks vs when I have used beef. Part of the taste difference is in how the fat coats your mouth it allows it to linger longer. Also, when you are making a product that you would want particle definition on (salami, pepperoni and some bolonga) the back fat from a hog is nice and firm and displays really nicely. Now, some people object to pork for either health or religious reasons so adding beef fat can and very often is substituted!
Don’t rinse, or soak your collagen just take it right out of the package, load it onto your stuffing horn and you are good to go!
Let us know if you have any other questions!
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hharris We recommend pork fat because it has a creaminess to it that other animals fats really don’t match. For example I can cleary tell the difference in texture and taste when I am making pork brats or snack sticks vs when I have used beef. Part of the taste difference is in how the fat coats your mouth it allows it to linger longer. Also, when you are making a product that you would want particle definition on (salami, pepperoni and some bolonga) the back fat from a hog is nice and firm and displays really nicely. Now, some people object to pork for either health or religious reasons so adding beef fat can and very often is substituted!
Don’t rinse, or soak your collagen just take it right out of the package, load it onto your stuffing horn and you are good to go!
Let us know if you have any other questions!
Jonathon Thank you for your quick and detailed response. It is greatly appreciated. Just another reason why Walton’s is the best. For some reason, I thought that you needed to soak the collagen before loading it on the stuffing horn. Thanks for the correction there.
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hharris We recommend pork fat because it has a creaminess to it that other animals fats really don’t match. For example I can cleary tell the difference in texture and taste when I am making pork brats or snack sticks vs when I have used beef. Part of the taste difference is in how the fat coats your mouth it allows it to linger longer. Also, when you are making a product that you would want particle definition on (salami, pepperoni and some bolonga) the back fat from a hog is nice and firm and displays really nicely. Now, some people object to pork for either health or religious reasons so adding beef fat can and very often is substituted!
Don’t rinse, or soak your collagen just take it right out of the package, load it onto your stuffing horn and you are good to go!
Let us know if you have any other questions!
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hharris Yes, you could use pork butts for sure to make up the difference as long as you stay in the 20-30 fat percentage. When doing deer a lot of people do 50/50 deer to pork trimmings or pork butts. It can be a little easier this way and you get more out of your deer!
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