Processing complete for now

[pianoman9701]

So, there's a party at 92's house this weekend? Sweet! I'll bring the mustard. Looks like a great set-up. Nice build.

[92xj]

I have received more than a few PMs about recipes and cooking process and storage of my processed meat.

As far as spices go, it’s hard to beat preblended stuff found online.  I’d highly recommend looking and buying from Walton’s Inc and sausage maker supplies.  They have tons of different mixes to buy as well as all your needed supplies.  When you deal in large bulk you can’t beat, for the price, the blends being produced and delivered to your door in a few days.
 
As for the folks that are writing me asking how my product looks so perfect, and why is theirs full of holes and crumbly, that’s all in the cooking process.  Well, maybe under 5% is in the stuffing process.  When you load your stuffer, load it in small, hand size chunks and press all air pockets out of the meat, once in the stuffer, before stuffing the casing. 

Now, the other 95% of it comes in the cooking process.  Never, and I mean never, let your smoker or cooker get over 180 degrees, period.  Fat begins the rendering process around 140 degrees but takes an incredibly long time at that temperature.  Over 180 degrees’ fat renders a lot faster than your meat will be cooked and you will lose all your fat out of your meat creating holes and losing your binding. You will have drips in the bottom of your smoker.  If you look at the bottom of my smoker on the foil, you will not see a single drip, this is because I stay low in temperature.  Cooking these types of meat; Kielbasa, imitation bacon, summer sausage, etc take a long time, be patient.  I smoked the kielbasa for around 10 hours.  When I do summer sausage it takes around 14 hours. Do not rush it, you will get a grumbly product and be disappointed.  You can choice to not listen to this advice and learn by mistake, which I have done, and get a crap product or just take the advice. Every time I post pictures of this, I get the same questions, I tell the same answer and then people question my answer.  Do what you want.

I start my smoker around 125 degrees for an hour, then 140 for 2 hours.  After that, I bump the temp up 10 degrees every hour until I am riding around 176-179 degrees.  Once there, I leave it and wait for the internal temp of the meat to hit 152 degrees.  At 152, everything comes out and they go into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Pull out, dry off, sliced to whatever serving/freezing size you want and then I vacuum seal.  I seal all mine in serving sizes enough for two folks.

As far as hanging meat, the Kielbasa’s were rolled and flat this time around because I used fresh casings.  If I use the smoked/mahogany collagen casing or fibrous casings, they all hang.  Fresh collagen (white) or hog casings, they do not hang as they are not strong enough and will break. 

Below is a picture of how I packaged the kielbasa.  When I want to eat some, I throw the package into my sink with some water in it, it will thaw in about 20 minutes, I will then eat as is, slice and cook in a skillet, or grill, however you chose will work.  The meat is already cooked and safe to eat.

The 2nd and 3rd picture are from my last batch of summer sausage.  You can see no drips on the casings and also no holes or crumbles in the final sliced product on the counter top. The summer sausage in front is loaded with cheese and the stuff at the back right is actually a deli type salami.

Hopefully this helps and answers all the PMs in one place.  If you have any more questions please feel free to ask me, I will help and give advice.  Just don’t tell me I do something wrong.  I don’t care about your opinion on how you do it.

Pianoman, come on over, there is always a party and good food being made.

And, since I forgot in the above wall of text.  This mix was 70% deer 30% of the leanest pork shoulder I could find which was well under 50/50, I'm thinking closer to 60/40.  So, my product is around 12% fat at the max yet still very moist but does not coat your mouth in that grease feeling, which I hate.

Hopefully this helps, if not, please ask me, I will really try and help.

[jennabug]

  someday I hope to do something like this. Thanks for sharing.

[Lightning_Rider]

I have received more than a few PMs about recipes and cooking process and storage of my processed meat.

As far as spices go, it’s hard to beat preblended stuff found online.  I’d highly recommend looking and buying from Walton’s Inc and sausage maker supplies.  They have tons of different mixes to buy as well as all your needed supplies.  When you deal in large bulk you can’t beat, for the price, the blends being produced and delivered to your door in a few days.
 
As for the folks that are writing me asking how my product looks so perfect, and why is theirs is full of holes and crumbly, that’s all in the cooking process.  Well, maybe under 5% is in the stuffing process.  When you load your stuffer, load it in small, hand size chunks and press all air pockets out of the meat, once in the stuffer, before stuffing the casing. 

Now, the other 95% of it comes in the cooking process.  Never, and I mean never, let your smoker or cooker get over 180 degrees, period.  Fat begins the rendering process around 140 degrees but takes an incredibly long time at that temperature.  Over 180 degrees’ fat renders a lot faster than your meat will be cooked and you will lose all your fat out of your meat creating holes and binding. You will have drips in the bottom of your smoker.  If you look at the bottom of my smoker on the foil, you will not see a single drip, this is because I stay low in temperature.  Cooking these types of meat; Kielbasa, imitation bacon, summer sausage, etc take a long time, be patient.  I smoked the kielbasa for around 10 hours.  When I do summer sausage it takes around 14 hours. Do not rush it, you will get a grumbly product and be disappointed.  You can choice to not listen to this advice and learn by mistake, which I have done, and get a crap product or just take the advice. Every time I post pictures of this, I get the same questions, I tell the same answer and then people question my answer.  Do what you want.

I start my smoker around 125 degrees for an hour, then 140 for 2 hours.  After that, I bump the temp up 10 degrees every hour until I am riding around 176-179 degrees.  Once there, I leave it and wait for the internal temp of the meat to hit 152 degrees.  At 152, everything comes out and they go into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Pull out, dry off, sliced to whatever serving/freezing size you want and then I vacuum seal.  I seal all mine in serving sizes enough for two folks.

As far as hanging meat, the Kielbasa’s were rolled and flat this time around because I used fresh casings.  If I use the smoked/mahogany collagen casing or fibrous casings, they all hang.  Fresh collagen (white) or hog casings, they do not hang as they are not strong enough and will break. 

Below is a picture of how I packaged the kielbasa.  When I want to eat some, I throw the package into my sink with some water in it, it will thaw in about 20 minutes, I will then eat as is, slice and cook in a skillet, or grill, however you chose will work.  The meat is already cooked and safe to eat.

The 2nd and 3rd picture are from my last batch of summer sausage.  You can see no drips on the casings and also no holes or crumbles in the final sliced product on the counter top. The summer sausage in front is loaded with cheese and the stuff at the back right is actually a deli type salami.

Hopefully this helps and answers all the PMs in one place.  If you have any more questions please feel free to ask me, I will help and give advice.  Just don’t tell me I do something wrong.  I don’t care about your opinion on how you do it.

Pianoman, come on over, there is always a party and good food being made.

And, since I forgot in the above wall of text.  This mix was 70% deer 30% of the leanest pork shoulder I could find.  I was well under 50/50, I'm thinking closer to 60/40.  So, my product is around 12% fat at the max yet still very moist but does not coat your mouth in that grease feeling, which I hate.

Hopefully this helps, if not, please ask me, I will really try and help.

Great advice to beginner, intermediate, and advanced. 

[pianoman9701]

Pianoman, come on over, there is always a party and good food being made.

I'm sitting outside in a truck with a napkin tucked in and a fork in my hand! 

[Kc_Kracker]

isnt it fun to play with your meat 

[gallion_t]

Thank you for all of the advice! I've tried several times to make snack sticks and such but have never been able to get the casing to shrink up likes yours did on the kielbasa. I think I have a new project for the weekend.

Couple more questions. Do you add any water to the meat during stuffing? I've heard of people doing this before?

After stuffing do you let the meat rest in the casing before they go in the smoker?

[92xj]

Thank you for all of the advice! I've tried several times to make snack sticks and such but have never been able to get the casing to shrink up likes yours did on the kielbasa. I think I have a new project for the weekend.

Couple more questions. Do you add any water to the meat during stuffing? I've heard of people doing this before?

After stuffing do you let the meat rest in the casing before they go in the smoker?

Good question as I totally forgot about the mixing of the meat part!
This is exactly what I do for a 25 pound batch.
Actually my batches are 23 pounds, I go 2 pounds short because, in the past, I have had batches weak on flavor at 25 pounds since the bags of spice are mearusred for 25 lbs of meat.

Cut your game meat and pork into portions that your grinder will accept.  I have a larger grinder so I leave my chunks huge, baseball size.
I also use nearly frozen meat. Tough to cut, but grinds great!

I then weigh and mix those chunks in a meat lug and walk over to grinder.  I start feeding the grinder with meat chunks, 2-3 deer then 1 pork until finished.
Meat falls into 2nd meat lug.  At this point I get a bowl of as cold of water as I can fill it (not sure on measurement here, I just eyeball)  I would guess about 4 cups of water. Dump in spices and cure into water, swirl around, and then dump onto ground meat.  I then mix by hand as much as I can before my hand hurt from the cold of the meat.  Then, back into the grinder for a second grind.  grind plate size is a personal preference.  I do a medium plate on first grind and a fine on the second.
Second grind gets done and depending on the tackiness that the cure has created I will add a little more water, mix quickly and into the stuffer it goes.

After stuffing I place the meat in my outside meat fridge for the night and then smoke the next day. 

[Angry Perch]

Thank you for all of the advice! I've tried several times to make snack sticks and such but have never been able to get the casing to shrink up likes yours did on the kielbasa. I think I have a new project for the weekend.

Couple more questions. Do you add any water to the meat during stuffing? I've heard of people doing this before?

After stuffing do you let the meat rest in the casing before they go in the smoker?

Good question as I totally forgot about the mixing of the meat part!
This is exactly what I do for a 25 pound batch.
Actually my batches are 23 pounds, I go 2 pounds short because, in the past, I have had batches weak on flavor at 25 pounds since the bags of spice are mearusred for 25 lbs of meat.

Cut your game meat and pork into portions that your grinder will accept.  I have a larger grinder so I leave my chunks huge, baseball size.
I also use nearly frozen meat. Tough to cut, but grinds great!

I then weigh and mix those chunks in a meat lug and walk over to grinder.  I start feeding the grinder with meat chunks, 2-3 deer then 1 pork until finished.
Meat falls into 2nd meat lug.  At this point I get a bowl of as cold of water as I can fill it (not sure on measurement here, I just eyeball)  I would guess about 4 cups of water. Dump in spices and cure into water, swirl around, and then dump onto ground meat.  I then mix by hand as much as I can before my hand hurt from the cold of the meat.  Then, back into the grinder for a second grind.  grind plate size is a personal preference.  I do a medium plate on first grind and a fine on the second.
Second grind gets done and depending on the tackiness that the cure has created I will add a little more water, mix quickly and into the stuffer it goes.

After stuffing I place the meat in my outside meat fridge for the night and then smoke the next day.

Do you wear some kind of gloves, or just tough it out? It's like holding your hands in an ice fishing hole. It hurts!

[getreal711]

Thanks for all the good advice and tasty looking pics. Will try my own in the next few weeks.

[92xj]

Thank you for all of the advice! I've tried several times to make snack sticks and such but have never been able to get the casing to shrink up likes yours did on the kielbasa. I think I have a new project for the weekend.

Couple more questions. Do you add any water to the meat during stuffing? I've heard of people doing this before?

After stuffing do you let the meat rest in the casing before they go in the smoker?

Good question as I totally forgot about the mixing of the meat part!
This is exactly what I do for a 25 pound batch.
Actually my batches are 23 pounds, I go 2 pounds short because, in the past, I have had batches weak on flavor at 25 pounds since the bags of spice are mearusred for 25 lbs of meat.

Cut your game meat and pork into portions that your grinder will accept.  I have a larger grinder so I leave my chunks huge, baseball size.
I also use nearly frozen meat. Tough to cut, but grinds great!

I then weigh and mix those chunks in a meat lug and walk over to grinder.  I start feeding the grinder with meat chunks, 2-3 deer then 1 pork until finished.
Meat falls into 2nd meat lug.  At this point I get a bowl of as cold of water as I can fill it (not sure on measurement here, I just eyeball)  I would guess about 4 cups of water. Dump in spices and cure into water, swirl around, and then dump onto ground meat.  I then mix by hand as much as I can before my hand hurt from the cold of the meat.  Then, back into the grinder for a second grind.  grind plate size is a personal preference.  I do a medium plate on first grind and a fine on the second.
Second grind gets done and depending on the tackiness that the cure has created I will add a little more water, mix quickly and into the stuffer it goes.

After stuffing I place the meat in my outside meat fridge for the night and then smoke the next day.

Do you wear some kind of gloves, or just tough it out? It's like holding your hands in an ice fishing hole. It hurts!

I've tried thick gloves, some with insulation, BBQ gloves, etc and they all suck.  I like to be able to feel every single thing. I'm that way hunting as well. It can be 0 degrees and windy on an open water duck hunt and no gloves, gotta feel that trigger. 
That being said, I do use those super thin disposable gloves so I don't have to clean and wash meat off my hands everytime I switch up task.  They do nothing for the cold.

I used to have a meat mixer that I sold. It just wasn't the same as when I mixed by hand.

[92xj]

Thanks for all the good advice and tasty looking pics. Will try my own in the next few weeks.

Good luck!
 It's easy, just take your time and get in no rush.
I started from scratch years ago with zero help. I asked folks questions but never got any detailed answers, so I just started experimenting and figuring it out  I am trying to help new people out with better help than i received. I'm proud of what I have learned and what I accomplish in the meat world and like to help and share that info.

[Angry Perch]

Thank you for all of the advice! I've tried several times to make snack sticks and such but have never been able to get the casing to shrink up likes yours did on the kielbasa. I think I have a new project for the weekend.

Couple more questions. Do you add any water to the meat during stuffing? I've heard of people doing this before?

After stuffing do you let the meat rest in the casing before they go in the smoker?

Good question as I totally forgot about the mixing of the meat part!
This is exactly what I do for a 25 pound batch.
Actually my batches are 23 pounds, I go 2 pounds short because, in the past, I have had batches weak on flavor at 25 pounds since the bags of spice are mearusred for 25 lbs of meat.

Cut your game meat and pork into portions that your grinder will accept.  I have a larger grinder so I leave my chunks huge, baseball size.
I also use nearly frozen meat. Tough to cut, but grinds great!

I then weigh and mix those chunks in a meat lug and walk over to grinder.  I start feeding the grinder with meat chunks, 2-3 deer then 1 pork until finished.
Meat falls into 2nd meat lug.  At this point I get a bowl of as cold of water as I can fill it (not sure on measurement here, I just eyeball)  I would guess about 4 cups of water. Dump in spices and cure into water, swirl around, and then dump onto ground meat.  I then mix by hand as much as I can before my hand hurt from the cold of the meat.  Then, back into the grinder for a second grind.  grind plate size is a personal preference.  I do a medium plate on first grind and a fine on the second.
Second grind gets done and depending on the tackiness that the cure has created I will add a little more water, mix quickly and into the stuffer it goes.

After stuffing I place the meat in my outside meat fridge for the night and then smoke the next day.

Do you wear some kind of gloves, or just tough it out? It's like holding your hands in an ice fishing hole. It hurts!

I've tried thick gloves, some with insulation, BBQ gloves, etc and they all suck.  I like to be able to feel every single thing. I'm that way hunting as well. It can be 0 degrees and windy on an open water duck hunt and no gloves, gotta feel that trigger. 
That being said, I do use those super thin disposable gloves so I don't have to clean and wash meat off my hands everytime I switch up task.  They do nothing for the cold.

I used to have a meat mixer that I sold. It just wasn't the same as when I mixed by hand.

I guess I'll have to try whiskey!

[92xj]

Thank you for all of the advice! I've tried several times to make snack sticks and such but have never been able to get the casing to shrink up likes yours did on the kielbasa. I think I have a new project for the weekend.

Couple more questions. Do you add any water to the meat during stuffing? I've heard of people doing this before?

After stuffing do you let the meat rest in the casing before they go in the smoker?

Good question as I totally forgot about the mixing of the meat part!
This is exactly what I do for a 25 pound batch.
Actually my batches are 23 pounds, I go 2 pounds short because, in the past, I have had batches weak on flavor at 25 pounds since the bags of spice are mearusred for 25 lbs of meat.

Cut your game meat and pork into portions that your grinder will accept.  I have a larger grinder so I leave my chunks huge, baseball size.
I also use nearly frozen meat. Tough to cut, but grinds great!

I then weigh and mix those chunks in a meat lug and walk over to grinder.  I start feeding the grinder with meat chunks, 2-3 deer then 1 pork until finished.
Meat falls into 2nd meat lug.  At this point I get a bowl of as cold of water as I can fill it (not sure on measurement here, I just eyeball)  I would guess about 4 cups of water. Dump in spices and cure into water, swirl around, and then dump onto ground meat.  I then mix by hand as much as I can before my hand hurt from the cold of the meat.  Then, back into the grinder for a second grind.  grind plate size is a personal preference.  I do a medium plate on first grind and a fine on the second.
Second grind gets done and depending on the tackiness that the cure has created I will add a little more water, mix quickly and into the stuffer it goes.

After stuffing I place the meat in my outside meat fridge for the night and then smoke the next day.

Do you wear some kind of gloves, or just tough it out? It's like holding your hands in an ice fishing hole. It hurts!

I've tried thick gloves, some with insulation, BBQ gloves, etc and they all suck.  I like to be able to feel every single thing. I'm that way hunting as well. It can be 0 degrees and windy on an open water duck hunt and no gloves, gotta feel that trigger. 
That being said, I do use those super thin disposable gloves so I don't have to clean and wash meat off my hands everytime I switch up task.  They do nothing for the cold.

I used to have a meat mixer that I sold. It just wasn't the same as when I mixed by hand.

I guess I'll have to try whiskey!

That actually might be a dang good plan. I shall try it next time!!

[gallion_t]

Really appreciate all of the tips! I love doing all of the curing and smoking, but it gets really annoying when you have several batches that don't turn out. I'm glad to have some new advice to go off of.