Thread: Sausage and Smoke Cooking

Tim is wiley that stove will working soon.

I smoked my last cheese until fall, it is getting too hot to smoke cheese. I switched to my external smoke generator it runs cooler than having the smoke tube burning in the smoker. The black smoker soaks up the sun it hits a hundred degrees just setting in the sun. I started this batch before sun up to keep things cool.

Originally Posted by 32t

Deviled ham grilled cheese for dinner tonight.

A little variety!

Had these for the first time ever tonight for dinner with tortellini soup.

Wow...they were absolutely delicious.

Thanks for the idea Tim!

Pete <:-}

I've been wanting to try my hand at making some luncheon meats for quite awhile. I ordered in some 4" clear fibrous casings since that would make it about the same size as store bought products.

I have a recipe from Rytek Kutas's book Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing book for a poultry roll. I have also been checking things out online. I think that I'll try a poultry loaf first and maybe a bologna later on. My concern is that if I use legs and thighs for better flavor the Prague #1 will have the meat come out tasting like ham if I smoke it so I'm thinking of just using a tad bit of liquid smoke in the mix, then stuff the casings and slowly cook the tube in a water bath.

I've had my mom's old 1950's Westinghouse countertop roaster for years and I'd never used it. Oh I did straighten the aluminum lid out a bit and checked and it would start to heat but I've never cooked with it. I also didn't know how accurate the thermometer is so I spent $35 on a Ink Bird (IB). NOTE: For an extra $5 Amazon has the same thing but with Wi-Fi.

Now I've heard how accurate these (IB) are BUT the instructions that come with it are next to worthless! Fortunately I found a very helpful video on how to use it and to decipher the symbols. What looks to me like a capital E but with the top arm missing is actually a T

Anyway I cleaned the dust off, but it still needs a good cleaning but it was good enough to do a test. I set the temp to 160 F and to restart when the temp dropped to 159 F. I filled the roaster with hot tap water which was 135 degs F. The probe isn't water proof so I used a piece of painters tape to hold just the tip in the water. I turned the roaster all the way to 500 and then plugged it into the IB. The red light of the roaster came right on and it started to heat. I'd used a magnetic hook attached to the roaster and hung the IB from it. The temp slowly started rising and when it got to 155 the red light flickered and then went off.

what the hell? I checked the connections and everything was tight so that wasn't it. I picked the IB up off of the hook and in a few seconds the red light came back on. So the heat of the roaster was messing with the IB. I moved it to a metal piece away from the roaster and the water continued to heat. Not long afterward I heard a little click and the red light was off.

I'd set the unit to restart at 159 degs and when the water had cooled to 159 the red light came back on. It's been doing that for about an hour now/shuts off at 160 and restarts at 159.



I have a friend who is a professional refrigeration guy and I'm going to ask him if he could hard wire my old '40's frig so I could use a IB as the old thermostat isn't very accurate. If it can be I can set the IB to have a delay for the compressor so it wouldn't get worn out by having to come on and off too soon.

Anyway I'll probably make a WalMart run and pick up their legs and thighs as they are $0.60 a lb and do some playing later this week.

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I've been wanting to try my hand at making some luncheon meats for quite awhile. I ordered in some 4" clear fibrous casings since that would make it about the same size as store bought products.

I have a recipe from Rytek Kutas's book Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing book for a poultry roll. I have also been checking things out online. I think that I'll try a poultry loaf first and maybe a bologna later on. My concern is that if I use legs and thighs for better flavor the Prague #1 will have the meat come out tasting like ham if I smoke it so I'm thinking of just using a tad bit of liquid smoke in the mix, then stuff the casings and slowly cook the tube in a water bath.

I've had my mom's old 1950's Westinghouse countertop roaster for years and I'd never used it.

Anyway I cleaned the dust off, but it still needs a good cleaning but it was good enough to do a test.

I don't know what mom spilled on this roaster all those years ago but it seems to want to be a permanent reminder of her. I've soaked it with 409, hot soapy rags and not a bit would come off.

I suppose I could use something like oven cleaner but as you can see it appears to be painted AND I'm thinking that all of the handles are made of Bakelite.

I can live with the 'Character'------

That is very cool, I hope it all comes out super. The inkbird controller is super cool, it seems like it would have many uses. I have looked at them online but have not made the purchase. If hope your friend can make your fridge talk with it.

I have Rytek's book on my nightstand right now,

I am waiting to see the results.

My son wanted to make some jerky and doesn't have a smoker so I suggested that he turn the oven light on and dry the meat that way. He said he tried but the oven only got up a bit past room temp.

I can envision using the Ink Bird and a trouble light with a 100 watt bulb to get the oven warm enough. I can also envision using it with a Big Chief to control the temp more accurately. Some smoke first then finish with the IB

I got the three remaining chubs out and weighed them. They all had lost a little weight and are all right around a 34% weight loss;

In frig on 03/08/2021

Original Weights (In Grams):

163--Done to 35% lost weight but too wet in the middle
685--
738--
923--


03/15-- 634
03/15--689
03/15--835


03/22--581
03/22--641
03/22--756


03/29-- 532
03/29-- 591
03/29-- 691

04/06--473
04/06--537
04/06--637

04/12--458
04/12--505
04/12--608

Originally Posted by 32t

Easter dinner week continues but is nearing its end.

I did not feel well this morning so I used a sick day to take the day off.

My wife made some Ham stew and biscuits!

As she opened the oven door it fell open and jammed, The biscuits weren't done.....

I stayed home hoping not to have to fix other peoples problems!

After 1/2 hour of thinking and hammering I got it closed.

It is not fixed but my solution is to use a vinegar jug to keep it from opening to far for the time being.

This stove is from the 1940"s so I am sure parts are not available but I want to keep it going.

For now the door closes and I am going to have a late lunch!

We found a copy of a 1948 or so cook book by this manufacturer and decided to copy the recipe by the letter.



I tried for medium and got well done.

Originally Posted by 32t

We found a copy of a 1948 or so cook book by this manufacturer and decided to copy the recipe by the letter.



I tried for medium and got well done.

Where was your new ThermoPen??

Originally Posted by cudarunner

Where was your new ThermoPen??

Good point!

But then again to what temp did they cook it to then?

Without good refrigeration etc. it is better to overcook.