Mixed up a 5lb batch of Greg's Spicy Sticks (pensrock) last night stuffed and let stand in the fridge overnight. Just put them in the OBS and will smoke with Hickory for 2 to or so hours. I keep forgetting that size matters when stuffing as I got them a bit to long but I think they will work. First time that I stuffed a 19mm casing and found that I had to put lots more pressure on the crank to get the stuff to flow.
Letting come up to room temp.
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/jcompton1/DSCI0553.jpg)
You can see that I stuff them a bit long. Note to self ....measure the length of the hanger and OBS and stuff to length
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/jcompton1/DSCI0554.jpg)
Awesome Job!
Looks Good Sailor I have some to smoke today as well
Looks good, just so you know.... I now add a little more of the hot pepper to kick them up some more. The basic recipe is meant for everyone, I like things a little more spicy. Let me know how they come out for you. :)
Quote from: pensrock on November 13, 2010, 06:55:08 AM
Looks good, just so you know.... I now add a little more of the hot pepper to kick them up some more. The basic recipe is meant for everyone, I like things a little more spicy. Let me know how they come out for you. :)
Yep....I looked at my spicy Italian recipe and noted that you were a bit light on the ground red pepper so I upped it a bit to 1 Tablespoon. I fried up the paddy I collected from the stuffer and it was pretty tasty. The real test will be to see what my wife has to say. She is not a big sausage fan and when she likes one of my concoctions I call that recipe "good" and don't tinker with it any more. ;D ::)
You've sure got an assortment of lenths there. I see you too the v tray out to make room. I would be concerned those sausages right over the burner would cook before the rest get done. I guess you didn't have a choice because of the length. Do you rotate them around in there?
Looks good Sailor.
I am back from hunting and have a couple hanging in the garage. I am getting back on the stuffer so maybe you won't have to crank so hard. I will post pictures when done. At some point I might ask you for your sweet Italian recipe. I do not have a good recipe for Italian and would like to make a small batch. How many pounds did you make? It looks like you have a smoker full.
Kirby
Quote from: RAF128 on November 13, 2010, 07:46:47 AM
You've sure got an assortment of lenths there. I see you too the v tray out to make room. I would be concerned those sausages right over the burner would cook before the rest get done. I guess you didn't have a choice because of the length. Do you rotate them around in there?
Yep had to take the V-tray out. I have the hanger move to the front to keep it away from the element. One length is a several inches from the puck burner. I guess I could have tied to tie and cut the lengths to fit in a rack. Made a note on the recipe sheet to measure the lengths to either fit hanging or to fit in a rack. I seem to always learn from my mistakes but I think I will still be able to eat these mistakes ;D
Been rollin smoke for 1 1/2 hours. The cabinet is now up to 150 and the IT is 124. The sticks are starting to change colors as the cure is kicking in. I expect a stall any time now.
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/jcompton1/DSCI0555.jpg)
Looks good. Have you ever tried to put a fan in you smoker to help with the smoke penetration. I have a fan system in my big smoker and I also hang a couple of larger Radio Shack fans to stir the air.
Kirby
I have not modified the smoker yet. I know that some on the forum have added fans and extra element. For the small batches the I am doing it seems to do a good job as is. I am still wanting to covert a proofer and do larger batches and when I do that I will put fans in.
you said you expect a "stall" any minute now. im a newbie here and trying to learn. what do you mean by "stall"?
Stall is when you are watching the internal temp and it sits around the same temp for a while, then it begins to rise again.
I just wrote a long winded post about stall and said a more experienced smoker would come alone and better explain it. And then see the Pen's did it before I could post it. He has you covered 100%.
how long is an average stall?
How long? Good question, it depends on what you are making. Sticks may only be 1/2 to an hour or so, pork butt may be 2-3 hours. You never really know, just have to keep an eye on the internal temp.
The stall is when the magic is happening. When doing a butt or brisket it is when the collagen is turning into gelatin so the muscle fiber can be shredded apart. In sausage it is doing the same thing but we are not pulling it when we are done.
do you get a stall during every smoke?
Every thing that I have smoked, sausage, butt, brisket, Summer Sausage and snack stix has had a stall. Have not tried poultry so I don't know about that.
I am here to testify that Greg's (pensrock) spicy stixs are worth making. The only thing that I changed was that I increased the amount of ground red pepper (Cayenne) to 1 Tablespoon per 5 lbs and instead of using Franks Hot sauce I used Texas Pete's. I did put the ECA into the mix. My wife is not a big sausage eater and is not known for eating slim Jim's. She did eat one and said "Honey, you done good". Music to my ears. Wonder if she is needing another pair of shoes or perhaps another purse? Hmmmmm.
Pensrock, thank you for sharing your recipe. For those that want to try your hand at a good spicy stix you can find the recipe at http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?648-Greg-s-Spicy-Beef-Sticks
Here is a shot of them blooming for a few hours. I cut them and put them in the fridge to rest over night and just finished vac packing what I won't be eating this week.
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e25/jcompton1/DSCI0556.jpg)
They look really good Jim!!
another question from the newbie...
when you say bloom. can you explain this step? how long? what temp? does humidity matter?
oh and when you mix the meat in the biginning with the cure and the put it in the fridge overnight. does it matter if you stuff it then put it in the fridge of do you have to put the unstuffed meat in the fridge?
ok 2 questions
Blooming is just hanging at room temp allowing the sausage to continue to cool and darken some more.
Mix Stuff then put in the fridge. If you fridge then stuff the seasonings and cure start to do their thing and make stuffing much harder to do.
I think most here will mix their meat and then stuff. Some will put it right in the smoker after stuffing. Some will rest it in the fridge overnight or longer. If you mix and then put in the fridge you will find that it becomes harder to stuff because the cure and binders have stiffened the meat. Personally I stuff and then rest overnight to marry up the spices and smoke the next day.
When you take your product from the smoker it is hot and you give it a cold shower to cool down to 100 degrees. Then you hang or lay on racks to dry (blooming) and this process keeps the casings from wrinkling and will give you a nice color. At least that is my understanding of the process.
10.5 beat me by 29 sec's ;D
thanks
how long do you let it bloom? is there a min and max time?
Don't think there is any set rule. I let mine bloom for around 2 hrs.
Looks mighty good Sailor.
I have heard nothing but good stuff about Pens spicy sticks.
Guess it's time to get of my a$$ and make some.