Dried Snack Sticks

[Mr Walleye]

I used the "Dried Sausage Sticks" recipe on page 361 of Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Rytek Kutas. This was the first time using my new 11 lb Cabelas Stuffer and it worked great. Considering I did this by myself, I don't think I would have been able to without the stuffer. The small casings took a little bit to get used to as well. I burst a few until I got a feel for them.

For 10 pounds: (I used 10 lbs of chuck)

2 tsp Instacure # 1
4 Tbs paprika
1/3 cup ground mustard
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp ground celery
1 Tbs mace
1 tsp granulated garlic
5 Tbs salt
4.5 Tbs powdered dextrose
1.5 cups Fermento

I substituted the dextrose and Fermento for another product I get locally but it has the same ingredients.

Directions:
Meat is chilled at 30-32 degrees F. so that it will not smear when being ground through a 1/8" grinder plate. It is then mixed very well for about 2 minutes and stuffed into 22-24mm sheep casings. Desired length is 6"-9". Meat is then placed in a smokehouse at 98-110 degrees F., with cold smoke applied for about 8 hours. If you desire more tang you may hold this temperature for 12 more hours.
Smokehouse temperatures are then raised until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees F. Remove from smoker and place in dry room at 50-55 degrees F.

Here are some pictures, although I forgot to take some last night when I through them into the smoker.












They are tasty!

Mike

[Wildcat]

 :o  Gotta quit reading these posts until after dinner time.  That looks awesome Mike.

[Arcs_n_Sparks]

Very nice....

That's a lot of fuzes on those sticks of dyn-o-mite.    :o

[Habanero Smoker]

Looks good.

[Ontrack]

My goodness!!! That's all I can say Mike, my tongue and the drool prevents me from making any other statements. :)

[tsquared]

Looks like you have 'er down, Mike--good looking sausage! You'll have to try that with some of that prairie whitetail next fall.
T2

[Smoked]

Mike-- looks great!   I hope to tackle sticks like those soon--   One question though-- I thought I'd read on a recent thread (can't find it now though) that Instacure #2 is used for dried sticks and things, not #1-- is there a difference? 

Thanks for the clarification-

[Gizmo]

Huge difference between #1 and #2.  #1 is used for all meats that require cooking, smoking and canning.  It is a combination of nitrite riding on a salt carrier.  #2 is for dry-cured products that do not require cooking, smoking or refrigeration.  It is nitrate riding on a salt carrier.   The nitrate breaks down into nitrite, then nitric oxide over time.  So it cures the meat over an extended period of time.  If you do a search on the forum, Hab Smoker has posted some very detailed descriptions with percentages of each ingrediant for the two cures and if my memory serves me, he may have also posted the details on Tender Quick.  Since the sausage Mike made is smoked and cooked, with the emphasis on cooked, Cure #2 is not used.   

[Mr Walleye]

Thanks guys.

Smoked, that was exactly my comment at first as well. This is a semi=dry type sausage vs a dried sausage. I followed the recipe in the book "Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing" by Rytek Kutas. If you don't have this book I highly recommend it. It is known as the sausage bible and it really is. I was sceptical as well but another member (StickBowCrafter) pointed out a number of things in these similar threads for these same snack sticks and another he did for pepperoni done in a similar fashion using cure #1 and also allowing for some drying time.

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=6355.msg61537#msg61537

http://forum.bradleysmoker.com/index.php?topic=6824.0

Mike

[MoSmoke]

Those look great Mike.
I see you settled in on a way of hanging them puppies.
I remember some discussions about using "S" hooks and dowel rods.
It looks like you used hog rings and an inverted rack.
Great idea !!!!!!!!
I'll have to try it next time I smoke sausages.
It's sure does give you a lot more flexibility.
I'm always amazed by the ingenuity shown by the members of this forum.
Thanks for the pictures and the idea.

John

[Mr Walleye]

Your right John. I may still build another setup but I haven't decided yet. Using the inverted racks & hog rings allow for pretty much the maximum flexability for sausage placement because there is so many ways to hook them onto an inverted rack. Also by blocking it up closer to the top you also get maximum length as well.

Mike

[Stickbowcrafter]

 ;D

Very nice Mike. They look great. What type of set up did you use to hang them after they left the smoker?

-Brian

[Mr Walleye]

Brian

I only hung them for a day. I used the same setup (hanging from the inverted rack) and put them in my basement. I couldn't wait any longer!  ::) Not the ideal setup. I may have to work on that. They could have been drier but still were very good.

In the first stage at 100 degrees I let them go about 14 hours (over night) and they have a nice tang flavor to them.

[Stickbowcrafter]

Hey, it's hard to be patient with all that goodness hanging around  :D Congrats again, nice work!

-Brian

[NePaSmoKer]

WTG Mike

they look great and bet they taste even better  ;D

nepas