1st shot at snack sticks (Greg's Spicy Stick)

[pensrock]

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.

[Tenpoint5]

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.

[dAWGS]

do you get a stall during every smoke?

[Sailor]

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.

[Sailor]

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.

[Tenpoint5]

They look really good Jim!!

[dAWGS]

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

[Tenpoint5]

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.

[Sailor]

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.

[Sailor]

10.5 beat me by 29 sec's  ;D

[dAWGS]

thanks

how long do you let it bloom?   is there a min and max time?

[Sailor]

Don't think there is any set rule.  I let mine bloom for around 2 hrs.

[classicrockgriller]

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.