Here's my first go in the New Year at making Bologna. I've had many requests form the boys to make some - but I wanted to make something UNLIKE the smooth pink stuff one now finds in the supermarkets. I remember year ago getting a 'courser-textured' stronger-flavored bologna from our local butcher shop that you had to 'peel' each slice before eating. Good stuff. Made great fried bologna sandwiches! So here we go...
I had 5 pounds of extra-lean ground beef (90/10) and a 5lb pork shoulder on-hand. The ingredients to be added to the meat shown below:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_ingred_lg.jpg)
Cubed the 5lbs of pork and prepped to grind:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_pork_lg.jpg)
Used a 4.5mm plate the first time through:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_grind1_lg.jpg)
I then added the 5lbs of lean ground beef to the pork:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_gBeef_lg.jpg)
I dissolved the cure and kosher salt into 8 oz of water & then added it to the meat:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_Cure_lg.jpg)
Mixed in the solution well and let the mixture sit overnight in the fridge:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_mixed_lg.jpg)
Next day, I added all the spices and dissolved the SPC and nonfat dry milk in water and pour the solution into the meat & spice mixture:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_SPCspices_lg.jpg)
The mixture really had a nice aroma. So much so that it attracted the attention of my kitchen helper...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_Lola_lg.jpg)
Meat well-mixed:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_2ndMix_lg.jpg)
Casings soaking in warm water while I prep to regrind the meat mixture through a finer plate:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_casing_lg.jpg)
Using a extra-fine (3.0mm) grinding plate for the final grind. This is a slow process as the meat paste gets sticky and is a challenge sometimes to get the paste through the grinder. STILL, it is a quicker process than doing the emulsification way with a processor.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_3mmplt_lg.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_fineGrind_lg.jpg)
Had enough meat to fill one large chub (a little over 8.5lbs), and limited the length so it fit my poacher; and with the leftover I filled two ring casings:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_stuffed_lg.jpg)
Prepping the smoker: got the smoker up to 110 and hung the chubs with NO smoke for the first 60-90 minutes to dry:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_insmoker_lg.jpg)
I began applying smoke for the next three hours. Two hours in:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_2HrsSmoke_lg.jpg)
Time to pull from the smoker and prep for the poacher:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_endsmoke_lg.jpg)
I heated the water in the poacher to 165 and plopped the big boy into the hot bath. It was soon joined by other two smaller chubs:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_poach1_lg.jpg)
The smaller chubs reached the desired IT (155) in about 30 minutes, while the larger chub will continue to stay in the hot bath. I pulled the smaller rings, ice-bathed for a quick cool, and let them bloom:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_rings_lg.jpg)
Money shot of the smaller rings. Very tasty little cracker-sized rings of bologna. Just need some ritz crackers:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_ringslice_lg.jpg)
Two hours later, the Big Boy reaches 155 so out it comes & into an ice bath. Letting it bloom:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_BigChub_lg.jpg)
Slicing the chub into 'serving slices':
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_Slice_lg.jpg)
Sliced and ready to pack up or fry & eat!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_Slice3_lg.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_Slice2_lg.jpg)
SAMPLE TIME: I took a batch of my uneven slices and fried 'em up. Very tasty! Not nearly as overly-salty or mushy as the store-bought stuff. Pan full of Bologna Pac-Men:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Stuffer%20Stuff/Bolog_Fry_lg.jpg)
Great way to start the New Year!
Kevin
Another excellent post Kevin
Looks most excellent! Sounds a lot like the trail baloney I make. Cant help it but bologna is one of my favorites.
As always Kevin your presentation is great and your money shot is awesome...
I never thought I'd eat bologna again after being a kid, this gives me hope.
Dang Kevin....That looks awesome!!
This morning I ordered a bundle of LEM Jumbo Red Fibrous Casing just to do bologna. Can be stuffed to 4.69".
I really liked the way that yours turned out.
Hoping to have the same success.
great job, perfect sandwich material. Willing to share the recipe?
Lon
Quote from: MTFiddler on January 03, 2012, 05:56:04 PM
great job, perfect sandwich material. Willing to share the recipe?
It's basically Len Poli's recipe for basic bologna with a minor variation on the 2nd grind (no emulsification) and smoking/poaching part.
I prefer to measure by weight rather than volume (except for liquids).
BOLOGNAmakes 10 lbs -can be ring or large chub5 LBS PORK SHOULDER
5 LBS LEAN GROUND BEEF
66g Kosher Salt
85g Non Fat Dry Milk
(or 55g NFDM; 30g SoyProtein)-
this is what i used36g Dextrose
12g Cure#1
7.0g White Pepper
6.0g Paprika
4.5g Nutmeg
3.0g Garlic powder
2.0g Allspice
2.0g Coriander
1-1/2 cups Ice water
Soak Casing in warm water.
Use a medium plate (4.5) to grind pork. Mix salt and cure together in 1/2cup warm water.
Mix this solution into meats until well-mixed. Let sit for an hour or so in fridge. Add remaining ingredients and grind again through fine plate (3.0). Stuff into casings. Air dry. Preheat smoker to 100 and hang bologna for an hour. Raise temp to 130 for another hour. Smoke time: 90 minutes-2hours. Raise temp to 160 and hold until IT of bologna reaches 155. Alternatively, poach chubs in hot bath @165 degrees until 155 IT is reached. Cool bologna in ice bath and hang to bloom. Refrigerate. Slice after well-chilling.
Kevin
Very Very nice. Great looking texture and technique. You are always making such good product and your post are very educational. I like the texture and it looks so great. I love a bologna sandwich whit horseradish mustard.
Are you going to share the recipe. I would love to add this to my list of things to do.
Kirby
Yes, looks great, bet it tastes great! Well done!
those look very good,
thanks for the recipe Kevin!!
Fantastic post Kevin. Thanks for sharing the recipe too!
Nice looking bologna
;D
Great post Kevin. You are becoming a sausage makin machine. Nice job!
I'd hurt my self on some of that fried bologna! (with some Mac N Cheese) ;D
Looks great Kevin!
Great looking bologna. IN your picture you say to mix and put in frig overnight but in your directions you say to mix salt,cure and water and put in frig for a hour or so? Not sure if meat,cure and salt just go in frig for 1 hour and when casings are completely stuffed then it goes overnight? Also what wood did you use for smoking?
Quote from: watchdog56 on January 05, 2012, 03:03:44 PM
Great looking bologna. IN your picture you say to mix and put in frig overnight but in your directions you say to mix salt,cure and water and put in frig for a hour or so? Not sure if meat,cure and salt just go in frig for 1 hour and when casings are completely stuffed then it goes overnight? Also what wood did you use for smoking?
Thanks. My original plan was to complete the job in one day?let the mix with cure sit for the 'prescribed hour' per the recipe & stuff the chub, but I had other unexpected commitments & thus, had to refrigerate the mix with cure overnight. No harm, no foul. The point being was to allow for 'some' cure time. Whether its before the mix gets stuffed, or after its in the casing, I dont think it really matters. Some feel its easier to stuff & handle the cured & salted mix you don't let it sit too long. I suppose if time allowed, I would've mix ALL the ingredients, stuffed & let them rest overnight again to marry the flavors.
I used maple wood for the smoke.
- Kevin
Is it possible to freeze bologna? If so how long would it keep in a vac bag?
This makes me want to eat Bologna. Never thought I would say that.
Kevin
How well did the stuffer handle the stiff meat? I imagine after the sausage sat in the refrigerator over night it was very cold and stiff.
Kirby
Quote from: pikeman_95 on January 06, 2012, 06:06:55 AM
Kevin
How well did the stuffer handle the stiff meat? I imagine after the sausage sat in the refrigerator over night it was very cold and stiff.
Kirby
Kirby,
After the overnight 'rest' I gave the salted & cured meat, it was a challenge feeding it though the grinder a second time for a FINE grind. I added splashes of ice water as I fed the meat paste into the throat of the grinder. This helped to keep the sticky stuff moving along. Still a pain, but
less of a pain than the whole processor/emulsifying ordeal I've done in the past.
No issues at all using the stuffer. I hadn't used the cannon in quite some time (been doing smaller batches), but it worked flawlessly for this 10-pound batch. Working with large casings is quite a bit easier than small diameter natural casing which will tend to blow out if I dont keep a sharp eye on the flow-speed. After the second grind, the meat wasnt stiff at all, just a nice smooth, semi-sticky paste.
I'm really pleased with the texture of the final product. It's very similar to the 'old-fashioned' butcher shop boloney I was shooting for.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v288/GuitarPix/Smaller%20Stix%20Pix/neGBolog_cross_sml.jpg)
- Kevin
Quote from: watchdog56 on January 05, 2012, 04:15:42 PM
Is it possible to freeze bologna? If so how long would it keep in a vac bag?
Watchdog,
Long-term storage just isnt necessary this time as the 10-pounds of bologna will be gone in just over a week! :o
Here's what I've done with the ten pound load:
1. some I put in plain ziploc bags & put them in the Deli/Meat drawer in the fridge (Quick access);
gone usually in 1 or two days2. Some I put in Freezer ZipLocs & stored in the freezer (back-up access);
a month or so3. The balance I put in FoodSaver bags in the freezer (long-term storage).
This would keep for at least 6-8 months, easily.However, since the boys of mine are just plowing through the stuff at a ridiculous rate, I have to keep pulling the freezer bags out to thaw just to keep a supply on hand. In hindsight, I probably could've skipped the FoodSaver step & save a few $.
Kevin
I vac seal and freeze bologna all the time. If i know its going to freeze for some time i mix in some Trehalose.
Why you want it sweeter?
Quote from: viper125 on January 12, 2012, 02:54:34 PM
Why you want it sweeter?
You would think it would be but its not.
Well why add a sweetener then? Seems i'm missing something.
Trehalose for sausage making.
Elimate "freezer flavor, Trehalose is a natural sweetner and anti-oxidant that is half as sweet as sugar. It will take the "wild" out of game, "fishy" out of fish and "fowl" out of turkey sausage.
Great Presentation Kevin, wish I could do that >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(
I was wondering what you use to poach your bologna and where can I order one?
Thank you for the great information. I am trying my first batch today! Very educational!
Quote from: Dawnmarie28 on December 17, 2017, 12:27:26 PM
I was wondering what you use to poach your bologna and where can I order one?
This is what I use to finish sausage. It's very precise. It's also great for cooking all sorts of good stuff. :)
https://us.anovaculinary.com/
the controller shown earlier in this string is OK for a small container and a small batch of sausage but for larger batches I use either a 25 gallon crab pot or my 30 gallon rectangular tank. I don't use the digital controller any more as the Inkbird itc-308 digital temperature controller works just fine and is easier to use. You just plug your gas control valve into the controller and it works just fine. Here is a link to my video.
https://vimeo.com/244289220