How To Make Homemade Snack Sticks
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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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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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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 Iam trying to make a snack stick or slightly larger “stick” using moose meat and pork meat. I was using 75-25% moose ratio . I want to add pork fat, what would be a good ratio? Would like to use a collagen casing and would like to get the wrinkle look like the ones you buy, can you get this with collagen casings? I recently bought some German salami that had the wrinkle look and it was a drier/ harder type than you usually see so would like to get it like that plus it was delicious.
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revid So the moose is already 75-25 fat to lean? If that is the case you don’t want to add much more pork fat. Generally maybe 5-10% at the most BUT since you want that wrinkled look then a slightly higher fat content might be a good thing. You could do a few things, cook it at a higher temp towards the end, dont put it in an ice bath right away or toss it in a dehydrator after cooking for an hour or so? Just some ideas, I’d be happy to see if anyone had any other ones?
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revid So the moose is already 75-25 fat to lean? If that is the case you don’t want to add much more pork fat. Generally maybe 5-10% at the most BUT since you want that wrinkled look then a slightly higher fat content might be a good thing. You could do a few things, cook it at a higher temp towards the end, dont put it in an ice bath right away or toss it in a dehydrator after cooking for an hour or so? Just some ideas, I’d be happy to see if anyone had any other ones?
Jonathon thanks but for response. The moose I use is very lean. I make 10# batches using 7 lbs moose,3 # pork and 2# pork fat. Only new to this so that’s what I tried so far. Used smaller collagen casings 19mm but would like to try a little bigger. Just used spices and Prague powder but read people are using other things in addition which I can’t remeber now lol. I can’t get that wrinkle look so wondering and thinking Iam not doing something right.
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revid Most people want a fairly smooth casing with maybe some wrinkling, so I would say you ARE doing something right even if you aren’t trying to do it! I would always recommend you go with a prepackaged seasoning and sure cure (same thing as prague powder) and with snack sticks I like to use a binder like Super Bind or Carrot Fiber. If you really want a wrinkle appearance though I would probably up your water content and NOT use a binder and then cook it at something around 190° during your last stage. If that doesn’t work then toss them in the dehydrator for a few hours as I said.
Your fat content is probably pretty close to spot on! If you have any pics of the moose you get then I am sure the Bragging Board section would love to see them!
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revid Most people want a fairly smooth casing with maybe some wrinkling, so I would say you ARE doing something right even if you aren’t trying to do it! I would always recommend you go with a prepackaged seasoning and sure cure (same thing as prague powder) and with snack sticks I like to use a binder like Super Bind or Carrot Fiber. If you really want a wrinkle appearance though I would probably up your water content and NOT use a binder and then cook it at something around 190° during your last stage. If that doesn’t work then toss them in the dehydrator for a few hours as I said.
Your fat content is probably pretty close to spot on! If you have any pics of the moose you get then I am sure the Bragging Board section would love to see them!
Jonathon thanks bud for the info. How much water and binder would you recommend to use for the batch I stated? Is there any different between the two you suggested? Iam using a Bradley smoker and finding it hard to get up to that temp . I usually smoke for an hour then just heat.
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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 What I do is resist the temptation to make the longest snack stick possible. I know its difficult to gauge the amount of casing you slide on the stuffing tube, but I try to go about half way. That way I have 2 -3 feet of snack stick not 4 or 5 feet.
I let those long snack sticks “rest” for about a day and right before I use them, I use a sharp knife and cut them to size then put them in the smoker or oven - providing you have trays to place them on …
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