Summer sausage thermal help
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I have a question about summer sausage. My smoker is out of service at the moment but I have meat (antelope with pork for fat) ready to process. I plan to finish the grind, mix in spices (summer unit with jalapenos + sure cure) jalapeño flakes, HT cheddar cheese, ECA and stuff in fibrous casing. In the absence of the smoker I am adding liquid smoke to get some of the flavor elements. For thermal I am intending to sous vide the sticks in vac bags. Concerned that if I start at 170 for the whole cook I will get fat-out and perhaps cause other issues. Does anyone have a recommended cook schedule or experience for this format of thermal processing? The ability to essential pasteurize at lower temps (140-142 for 2.5-3 hours) is part of why I am going this route.
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If you vacuum seal the sausage, do you have a way to monitor internal core temperature, or just going by time?
I think I would want to know when they hit the desired internal temp and then get them out, and chilled.Granted, if you are only going for the 142 degree temperature, you will want to hold them there for some added time.
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Hosshess said in Summer sausage thermal help:
plan to probe and seal at least one or sacrifice one as the tester
Agree. Was thinking this as well.
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the question of what defines lethal with the time/temp is also of interest since I am not going to reach normal internal for the quick kill step
Hosshess said in Summer sausage thermal help:
the question of what defines lethal with the time/temp is also of interest since I am not going to reach normal internal for the quick kill step
Here is one agencies opinion. Not saying right or wrong.
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Yeah, the chart is for use in an applied humidity environment so the internals are heated faster
That is probably why it is so close to the Sous Vide chart -
Hosshess One thing, if you sous vide them the entire time you wont get any drying out of the way and the meat will just cook in the liquid that they expel from the meat. Id recommend starting off for at least 1-2hours in your oven.
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Update. I think they are a fantastic success. After discussing pasteurizing with a meat science dude I have access to, I proceeded.
Meat block was 70/30 antelope and pork fat 25#
Summer w/jalapeño unit, sure cure, suregel, ECA, HT Cheddar, dried jalapeño flakes, liquid smoke.
Ground x2 mixed for 6 added cheese and ECA mixed for 60 seconds. Stuffed in fibrous 2.4” casings hog ringed. Vac sealed 3 chubs per bag. Into SousVide at 142 F with internal probe in a tester. Cook until IT hit 140 for 15 min, ice bath. Opened bags (zero fat out and no real liquid in the bags but the chubs were damp) bloomed at room temp for 1-2 hours (whisky time) into the fridge. No wrinkled casings. Tester was sacrificed and my buddy and I dug in to a few pieces. Great late heat, jalapeño taste upfront and solid smoke flavor even without the smoker cook which I was concerned about. Mouth feel and all textures and colors are on point. I’ll try to grab some close ups later. Thanks for all the input. -
Sounds like a success story with a happy ending. I was wondering about the lack of drying while vacuum sealed. Some of that controlled drying could probably take place after cooking and once removed from the vacuum sealed bag at room or cooler temperatures, if needed at all.
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processhead The time I did snack sticks this way I then had to put them in a dehydrator for about 6 hours so I figured it wasnt worth it but after Hosshess successful run on this method we should look at it again.
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It looks really good, you have nice color and good particle definition. When you cut into it, how “wet” is it? Did it dry out at all? It looks perfect but can’t always tell from a photo. Thanks for posting your experiment, it might nudge us back into trying this again.
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The outside was “glistening” but the sausage itself was what I would say perfect. Moist but zero excess.
I feel that in the absence of a functioning and controllable smokehouse this is a very viable option!Hosshess said in Summer sausage thermal help:
The outside was “glistening” but the sausage itself was what I would say perfect. Moist but zero excess.
I feel that in the absence of a functioning and controllable smokehouse this is Avery viable option!It may have been that you had a very good quality emulsion or additives that helped to bind all the available water in the mix.
Under less than optimum conditions, I could see where not having any external drying could lead to a less than ideal outcome.
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Thanks Paul I don’t disagree. I think the suregel likely helped to a large extent. I was vacillating between carrot fiber and suregel. I have not had enough experience with them to contrast.
Hosshess You definately want Sure Gel in something cured like that. Carrot fiber is great for fresh sausage, but Sure Gel is much better for getting the protein extraction you want for something cured.
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