Thread: Sausage and Smoke Cooking

Originally Posted by cudarunner

While I didn't buy my #22 plates for my hand or electric grinder from this seller I did buy different plates for my Kitchen Aid Grinder from them (I only use it to grind small batches of cooked meat etc) I would imagine that they have the proper size die for your grinder.
smokehouse.chef on eBay



I've never had problems with excessive air when stuffing. I place a bit of the mixture into the stuffer, then use my finger to 'pre-stuff' the tube or 'horn' as some call it, then punch the mixture down well between additions.

Once I start to stuff, I wait until the sausage has reached the end of the tube/horn and Then I place the casing on the tube.

Something that I do use when stuffing is a needle to remove any small air pockets as I see them while I'm stuffing. I use the same needle to prick any air pockets that I find after stuffing.

I hope this is of some help.

Hmmm, no. I'm talking more about tiny pockets within the mix. I avoid tying the end of the casing This is a great use of a sale item. Buy em up. Cook em up. Package em up. the mix is filling it. That way if there is an initial bubble, it can pass.....well, rather naturally.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

How does the double grind affect the outcome for you?

The double grind is in many ways more for mixing for myself.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Hmmm, no. I'm talking more about tiny pockets within the mix. I avoid tying the end of the casing This is a great use of a sale item. Buy em up. Cook em up. Package em up. the mix is filling it. That way if there is an initial bubble, it can pass.....well, rather naturally.

I don't tie the end of the casing until meat starts coming out.

As far as pockets within the mixture 'After' entering the casing--I've never had that problem.

Originally Posted by 32t

The double grind is in many ways more for mixing for myself.

I concur, however I usually add my spice mixture after the double grind.

Originally Posted by cudarunner

I don't tie the end of the casing until meat starts coming out.

As far as pockets within the mixture 'After' entering the casing--I've never had that problem.

Here's two pics. The first is a sausage I made a few weeks back. You can see the pockets of air that were trapped within. The second had less. You can see two small ones on the upper right. But slamming it down a few times helped reduce them considerably.

Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Here's two pics. The first is a sausage I made a few weeks back. You can see the pockets of air that were trapped within. The second had less. You can see two small ones on the upper right. But slamming it down a few times helped reduce them considerably.

I'm thinking that your 'slamming it down' is doing about the same thing as when I'm loading the stuffer and using my fist as a ram rod to push any air pockets out of the meat mixture.

But that's just my thought

On a side note:

I'll be AWOL for awhile as a long ride on my Harley awaits me. I won't have computer access for several days and even then I probably won't respond so as to keep the amount of emails that would build up at home during my absence at a minimum. So forgive me for not chiming in for awhile. In fact; After this post I'll be un-subscribing from this thread until I get back.

Please keep the pics and conversations up in my absence. Thank you :

Made a few pounds of breakfast sausage over the weekend. The seasonings are still a work in progress. I'll eat my way through this batch and then make further adjustments for the next batch.

My son asked if 'we' could make some jerky this weekend and since everyday to spend with him is worthwhile I said sure. He came over with just under 10#'s of bottom round that he'd had the meat department slice 1/4" thick.

10#'s is just a bit too much for my setup so I made the marinade, mixed it with the beef for 1/2 of the meat and just kept the other tightly wrapped and in the fridge.

I marinated the strips overnight and got them in the smoker. Then after he got up and around (he worked until 2am that morning) he came over and mixed the marinade and prepped the other half.

I just put his batch in the smoker and that batch will be done later today.

Here's some pics from yesterday's batch:



Three screens ready to get some smoke:



Keeping things 'Low and Slow'--



One batch done One to Go

Looks nice and chewy!
Mmmmmm

That is some awesome-looking jerky, Roy-I used to make my own for fishing/camping trips with my buddies, but haven't done it in awhile. As good as homemade is, it actually comes out cheaper just to buy it from the store (blasphemy, I know).