Please Post Your Favorite Snack Stick / Slim Jim Recipe

[anderson5420]

OK, I have some skinny little smoked sausage collagen casings that I have had around for a long time.  I have done some jerky shooter / dehydrator hamburger snack sticks, now I am ready to stuff some casings and stick them in the OBS.  Recipes please!

[Piker]

ground beef; for 5lbs. i use the following,I ts cure #1,1/2 cup dry milk powder,1/2 cup of beer,1 tbl. of freshly cracked pepper,1 tbl. kosher salt, 2 tbl. of red pepper flakes [or any hot stuff you like] mix well, stuff, let sit overnite in fridge, finish in smoker at 165 until i.t. of 152 is reached. You can also smoke with whatever kind of wood you like at the start or use liquid smoke in the mix. Experiment with any spices you like the ones from above recipe are about 1/2 hot. The amount of ingredients is up to you. Good Luck Piker

[anderson5420]

Thanks, Piker, starting to get the picture from this and a few other recipes I have come across.  "Half hot" sounds pretty dang good for now, don't want to make something the Better Half can't handle!

ground beef; for 5lbs. i use the following,I ts cure #1,1/2 cup dry milk powder,1/2 cup of beer,1 tbl. of freshly cracked pepper,1 tbl. kosher salt, 2 tbl. of red pepper flakes [or any hot stuff you like] mix well, stuff, let sit overnite in fridge, finish in smoker at 165 until i.t. of 152 is reached. You can also smoke with whatever kind of wood you like at the start or use liquid smoke in the mix. Experiment with any spices you like the ones from above recipe are about 1/2 hot. The amount of ingredients is up to you. Good Luck Piker

[Tenpoint5]

In my world if she cant handle it it just means more for those of us that can. Heat cuts the amount of people eating it from 6 down to 2 sometimes 3 in my house.

[anderson5420]

Well, after being married 42 years (or as we say, 40 damn years and two good ones!), and gunning for 43 then 44 then 45 and so on, NOT a good idea to do something I know beyond the shadow of a doubt, like make something really hot, will piss her off! Nope, not good for my health AT ALL!

In my world if she cant handle it it just means more for those of us that can. Heat cuts the amount of people eating it from 6 down to 2 sometimes 3 in my house.

[Quarlow]

If after 42 years she can't take a joke......well you know. ;D ;D ;D Now where did that dog house go?

[anderson5420]

OK, decided to go with a modified pepperoni recipe.  Discovered, too late, that my 19 mm collagen casings were dried sausage casings, not smoked sausage casings.  Used them anyway, just made 15" sticks and put them on the racks instead of making ropes to hang.  No deep secrets here, you don't have to beg. Here's the recipe.

5 lb 85% - 15% ground beef
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp cure #1
1 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp white pepper
2 tbsp ground fennel seed
2 tbsp paprika
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp chili flakes
1/2 cup red wine

Set Ranco for 180 degrees F., pre-heated smoke generator and smoker cabinet.  Will smoke for about 2 hours & check temp - going  for about 145 degrees F internal temp per Ruhlman and Polcyn.

Next time I might throw in some Fermento and do dried pepperoni.

Film at 11!

[anderson5420]

Well, not quite 11, but here is the pic.



Assessment - tastes great, but a little on the dry side.  Maybe should have used soy protein or dry milk solids to bind the fat, but mainly, I think it is over-cooked even though by thermometer it never did get to 145 degrees F.  Next time, more fat and a binder, and "under"-cook.  And really, this would be great as a dried sausage rather than cooked, have to try that.

[Quarlow]

Hey Pat nice looking sticks. But I notice a few black spots that might indicate that the vent was not open enough. Or is that something else I see.

[anderson5420]

Ranco set too high (180 degrees F per Ruhlman and Polcyn, I have never cranked it up beyond 160 degrees F for any other sausage) and too much time.  I did not use my Maverick ET-71, next time I will, I just thought these were too small for that. Instead I relied on a a small so-called instant read thermometer I stuck in the ends.  I am going to throw that thermometer out.

Really, they taste great, the recipe is a keeper! They are just a little on the dry side, nothing I can't fix in the next batch!  

Hey Pat nice looking sticks. But I notice a few black spots that might indicate that the vent was not open enough. Or is that something else I see.