I Screwed Up - Now is There a Save?

[JZ]

Been away for a long time and missed sausage making and smoking. When I got back home I made some fresh breakfast sausage to get my fix and had some this morning after an overnight rest. Good stuff. Then I got this bright idea .... smoke some of it. So I stuffed some into 22mm collagen casings and loaded them into the preheated smoker set at 120*. After about 30 minutes I realized my mistake and took them out of the smoker and put them into the fridge.

NO CURE in the mix!!!!!!!  :o

So now I have a bunch of stuffed breakfast sausage in collagen casings. Is there a way to save these? I know there are recipes for smoking chops, etc that have not been cured, as long as they are not smoked for extended time periods. But don't know about ground pork sausages. Maybe I will have to rip them open and use as fresh or add cure then smoke.

I don't think collagen casings can be poached. Is that right?

Thoughts please!

[pensrock]

I do not think 30 minutes was long enough to cause any harm. I would not be afraid to eat them.

[beefmann]

i have seen  recipes that  require a curing agent if it is slow cooked in  steps, also seen other recipes that are called fresh sausages that  do not  require a curing agent though it is cooked at a  higher temp and  quicker.. it just depends  on cooking  method you  are  using... if it  was  me.. i would  smoke / cook at  225 till an I.T of 152 to get  through the spoilage period

from what i have  read the cure is  there to protect the  sausage at  lower cooking temps and longer duration over curing the meat..

go ahead and cook it at a  higher  temp

[JZ]

Thanks for the replies guys.

I think I will try grilling a few links and also try smoke cooking a few at 225 and see how they turn out. Really want to get the smoke on them. Hopefully next time I will remember to add cure to the portion I want to smoke.

[NePaSmoKer]

Been away for a long time and missed sausage making and smoking. When I got back home I made some fresh breakfast sausage to get my fix and had some this morning after an overnight rest. Good stuff. Then I got this bright idea .... smoke some of it. So I stuffed some into 22mm collagen casings and loaded them into the preheated smoker set at 120*. After about 30 minutes I realized my mistake and took them out of the smoker and put them into the fridge.

NO CURE in the mix!!!!!!!  :o

So now I have a bunch of stuffed breakfast sausage in collagen casings. Is there a way to save these? I know there are recipes for smoking chops, etc that have not been cured, as long as they are not smoked for extended time periods. But don't know about ground pork sausages. Maybe I will have to rip them open and use as fresh or add cure then smoke.

I don't think collagen casings can be poached. Is that right?

Thoughts please!

IMHO

I would toss the breakfast sausage that was in at 120 for 30 mins without cure.

Prague Powder #1
Also called Insta-Cure and Modern Cure. Cures are used to prevent meats from spoiling when being cooked or smoked at low temperatures (under 200 degrees F). This cure is 1 part sodium nitrite (6.25%) and 16 parts salt (93.75%) and are combined and crystallized to assure even distribution. As the meat temperate rises during processing, the sodium nitrite changes to nitric oxide and starts to 'gas out' at about 130 degrees F. After the smoking /cooking process is complete only about 10-20% of the original nitrite remains. As the product is stored and later reheated for consumption, the decline of nitrite continues. 4 ounces of Prague powder #1 is required to cure 100 lbs of meat. A more typical measurement for home use is 1 level tsp per 5 lbs of meat. Mix with cold water, then mix into meat like you would mix seasonings into meat.

[Habanero Smoker]

A lot depends on if you handled the meat safely prior to placing it in the smoker, the temperature of the meat when placed in the smoker, were able to cool the sausage down quickly, and you are sure it was only 30 minutes or less. Based on that if you decide to keep the sausage, as suggested, fully cook them at a higher temperature, such as roasting them in an oven, or sautéing them on a stove top until they are at 152°F; then you will have precooked breakfast sausage that just needs to be reheated.

If you believe they are not safe, ripping them open and then adding cure will be of no use.

[3rensho]

I'd err on the side of caution.  Meat's cheap.

[Sailor]

Good topic for discussion......What would I do....Ummm.   Let's say I was on a fishing trip and it was blistering hot outside say 100 to 110 degrees and I open the ice chest to grill some fresh sausage.  I get distracted and leave the sausage on the table for say 30 min or more in the blazing sun and come back and think Oh crap, these have been out in the sun and I wonder if they are any good.  Do I throw them away or do I cook them up to give to my fishing buddies.  If I have had 4 or 12 beers I would most likely grill them up and have some good eats and blame any sickness on the beer.  I think if I had not had any beer I would use them as fish bait.  30 min in a smoker at 120 degrees and with little oxygen is spelling trouble in my book but what do I know  ;D

[GusRobin]

I'd err on the side of caution.  Meat's cheap.

X2  Most likely it is probably safe, but is it really worth the chance?

[devo]

Throw them out and start over. Like it was said before meat is cheap. Food poisoning at any level is not fun stuff. Had a friend and his wife almost die from it from eating chicken that was left out to long.

[JZ]

I should have read this thread again this morning before I grilled and hot smoked (225*) most of the stuffed sausages. I then ate one of each. I'm typing so the good news is that it hasn't hit me ....... YET. I got this all cooled down, vac sealed and into the freezer but I think the best advice given is to get rid of it and not take any chances. So it will go into the garbage and I get to do another batch. This time with cure 1.

At least I still have the fresh stuff that was in the fridge the whole time and is now frozen for future eats.

I guess I'll have to have an extra beer or 2 this afternoon to help sterilize my inards. ;D

[Habanero Smoker]

I should have read this thread again this morning before I grilled and hot smoked (225*) most of the stuffed sausages. I then ate one of each. I'm typing so the good news is that it hasn't hit me ....... YET. I got this all cooled down, vac sealed and into the freezer but I think the best advice given is to get rid of it and not take any chances. So it will go into the garbage and I get to do another batch. This time with cure 1.

At least I still have the fresh stuff that was in the fridge the whole time and is now frozen for future eats.

I guess I'll have to have an extra beer or 2 this afternoon to help sterilize my inards. ;D

I don't think you have much to worry about. :)