Finally taking a crack at some sausage! 2 important questions.

[BoxcarBetts]

Hey All,

So back in April I got myself a grinder/stuffer and *gasp* I still haven't used it.  Today I went on a mission for some sausage casings and... Came up empty.  I recalled that Princess Auto sold some sort of sausage making kits in their hunting section and lo and behold, they are the the Hi Mountain sausage making kits.  So I picked up the bratwurst one because what I really want to do is make some English bangers with a smokey twist.  Bangers and mash is my all-time Favourite dish, and of course if it's meat it MUST be smoked! 

So, first question:  Can anyone see a problem with stuffing the sausages as fresh sausages (no cure), cold smoking for about 2 hours, then cooking/freezing right away?  I've done this plenty of times with burgers with no problems whatsoever.  I understand that the cure needs to be used if I plan on hot smoking or slow cooking the sausages (says so in the instructions).

Second question:  What kind of cure does Hi Mountain provide in these kits?  #1 or #2? My hope is I can retain this cure for some other stuff one day.

Thanks!

[Tenpoint5]

I don't see why you shouldn't be able to HOT smoke the sausages then cook them and freeze them.

I would think that it should be cure #1

[BoxcarBetts]

The reason why I don't want to hot smoke them is because I want them to be fresh until I'm ready to actually cook them.  I don't want the whole batch to be cooked and then frozen for later because to me, cooked and frozen/refrigerated are just leftovers and taste like it (to me).  I suppose I could always just freeze them fresh, then hot smoke them when I'm ready to eat them.  ... But in that case I should use the cure.

[rajzer]

If you gonna smoke, hot or cold, you use cure.  If you want to be safe, follow that basic guideline.

[BoxcarBetts]

I appreciate the advice.  It was too late for me to use cure and I decided to go along with my plan anyway.  I'll report back in a few days if I ain't dead.  :)

So here's the pictorial:

2 lbs of pork sirloin, 14 oz beef strip, cut into cubes, ready for grinding.


The spices:  Some fresh thyme, cayenne, sage, salt and pepper, nutmeg, lemon rind.  Not shown, fresh bread crumbs.


14.5 sausages.  Not bad for a first time!


Fried up a couple right away for some traditional Bangers 'n' Mash.  The wife LOVED it and she hates sausage!  (No jokes, please :) )


Threw the rest in with some cashews for 2 hours of hickory.


Fresh out of the smoker.


Figured the .5 would be a great taster.  Turned out great!


So again, I don't really see the need for cure with what I've done.  I've made fresh sausages that would normally be cooked or frozen right away.  The only difference is I've added 2 hours of cold smoking to it for flavour.  The sausages will be fully cooked (barbequed, pan fried, oven baked at high heat), so I don't think there's any risk for bacteria.  I know that the 2 hours is right on the limit for danger zone exposure, but one thing I didn't bother to do was let them come to room temp before smoking and as I mentioned, I've done this with homemade burgers with no issues. 

[Habanero Smoker]

You didn't mention what the cabinet temperature was during the two hours.

I'm sure your product is safe, but here are a few things to consider. Smoking uncured sausage below what is recommended will not always result in botulism for the person eating it. The clostridium botulinum bacteria must be present, with the right conditions to grow. There are approximately 150 cases of botulism in the U.S. per year, and most of those cases are from canned foods. Is that because the bacteria is rare, or due to the fact that most people are following precautions? It's a difficult question to answer, but it is a risky chance not to follow precautions. Granted the salt in the sausage may provide a little additional protection for the interior of the sausage, and the smoke may provide a small amount of protection to the exterior of the sausage; but both are not enough for 100% protection.

The two hour window is based on room temperature. The higher the temperature is above room temperature (68°F), the faster the bacteria multiply; especially around 100°F; and the higher temperatures shorten that two hour window. Also the 2 hours is accumulative. Which means every time you expose the meat to temperature above 40°F and below 140°F; counts towards that 2 hours. For example, if it took you 30 minutes to grind and stuff the sausage, that count toward the two hours. If you don't use a cooler, and it took you 30 minutes from the time you purchase it at the store, and got home to your refrigerator, that is another 30 minutes towards the two hours.

[BoxcarBetts]

Good points to consider.  I'm very conscious about handling meat normally, it's just that sausage making is new territory for me.  I always wash my hands after handling raw meat and touching something else, never cross contaminate cutting boards and dishes, and try as hard as possible not to leave meat out too long.  I ground the meat chilled, so the meat would've approached room temp in the time I took to stuff them.  Immediately after stuffing, they all went in the fridge (except the ones we ate right away).  When I smoked them, I again took them immediately from the fridge.  The cabinet temp was probably in the 100 F because I only had the SG going, so you're right, I probably reached or exceeded that 2 hr limit in the danger zone.  I will definitely ensure these are cooked thoroughly and use cure next time.