Summer Sausage - Step by step

[92xj]

It's that time of year again.
I did one of these threads years ago, but it got jacked up when photo bucket screwed pictures, so I shall do this again.
This is what I do and how I do it.

I work in 23 pound batches.
My seasoning is good for 25 pounds, but I cut it short 2 pounds to increase boldness in flavor.
I mix all my sausages 70/30, Game to pork shoulder
This batch is 16 lbs deer, 7 pounds Boston butt.

I use AC Legg seasonings.  Salami, Summer Sausage and Jalapeño Summer Sausage.
For the ones with cheese, I use High Temp cheese and add 2.5 lbs per 23 lbs of meat.

So, lets start.
Setup your work area.  If you don't have 2 meat totes, stop everything, and go buy them now.
I grind my meat partially frozen.  It grinds so much better.
Start with your large grinding plate and grind away.


Once first grind is done, mix your seasoning AND your cure with super cold water.  Whisk away and dump all over first grind.  Then start mixing the meat.  The partially frozen meat will be in little marble clumps that fold over themselves nicely.  I mix by hand and go for 3-5 minutes or until I can’t feel my fingers anymore.


At this step, go get a bowl of hot water and soak your casings until ready to stuff.


Once meat is mixed with seasoning and cure, install your fine plate on your grinder and start mixing the second grind.  I pinch golf ball size chunks that fall into the neck of the grinder and never use the plunger.  Using the plunger creates suction and it’s a pain.  Just pinch small pieces and let gravity and the grinder do their thing.


After the second grind its time to mix again and also add cheese if you are wanting it.  Add the cheese (or not) and mix by hand.  I add more water here,  about 2 cups of cold water.  And mix away.  I fold and punch and push and fold and punch.  Once I cant feel my hands and see that the cheese is consistent throughout, I call it good.


Grinding and mixing are done and its time to stuff the stuffer.  Drop in handful size balls and press down getting all air pockets out of the meat.  Fill up the stuffer and get ready.  Get your casings from the water bowl, pull out a few and load one.  I would highly recommend an electric foot pedal stuffer.  It changed my life.  Start stuffing and hog ring the ends.



Once all are stuffed, rest in fridge for 24 hours.

[92xj]

Lets cook.
Internal temp 152 – 155.
Smoker temps from 120 – 179.9
Never, and I really do mean never, let your smoke house go over 180 degrees.  You have just spent hours grinding and stuffing and cleaning, don’t screw it up cooking.  It is going to take a long time and get annoying, but plan accordingly.  This batch took 24 hours exactly to hit temp.  I started at noon Thursday and ended today at noon. 
After your meat has sat in the fridge for 24 hours, hang in smokehouse and get your heat source fired up.
Run 125 degrees for an hour, no smoke to dry the casings and prep them to take on smoke.


After an hour, I crank up the heat to around 150 and start adding smoke.  I use a smoke tube that I place in the air intake port of my smoke house.  It is perfect.  Allows me to control the smoke and add more without opening the smokehouse door at all during the process.



I run two probes that hang in the smokehouse.  One even with the bottom of the sausage on the left hand side and one on the right hand side at the top of the sausage.  I want to know what the heat is doing throughout the house.  I then run two probes in the meat.  One in the bottom of a tube on one side and one in the top of a tube on the other side.  The bottom will be a tick warmer in the sausage and smokehouse that the top, but keep an eye on it all and do good work.  After a few hours, I crank the heat and hold between 170 and 179 with the lowest probe. And the waiting game continues…

8hour mark
Top of sausage = 133
Bottom of sausage = 138
Top of smokehouse = 161
Bottom of smokehouse = 169


10hour mark


18hour mark

24 hour mark
Top of sausage = 152.2
Bottom of sausage = 157.1
Smokehouse is cooling as I just turned off the heat


Open door and take some pride here…


Pull meat out and place in cold water asap.  Keep in there for 20 minutes at least.  I leave the garden hose running and walk away from a half hour and let water run.

[92xj]

Now that the meat is cooked and cooled.  I bring inside and lay out towels to roll the meat and dry it.


Once dry, I place in fridge and chill for however long you can stand it.  After chilled pull out and cut into whatever size you want to package.  I do quarters and fit two logs in one quart bag. 



I vacuum seal in premade quart bags.  I used to do the make your own custom size bag, but never again.  Premade is the way to go.  Just learn to deal with the little excess of bag and fold it under the logs when storing.


Stack in freezer and pat yourself on the back.  Also, every time you walk by the freezer, open it and accept the pride you feel.
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[3boys]

Awesome. 
Now I just need to kill something!
Thanks for the detailed pics and instructions.

[bigdave]

Thanks for posting such precise instructions and the photos are very nice. Thanks!!

[Wolfdog2314]

This is amazing, thanks so much! This is the year I completely switch over to completely processing all my own game. And summer sausage is on my list to tackle!

[jrebel]

I'll be following this shortly.  Have some bear meat that should make great summer sausage.

[Brushcrawler]

That is a work of art. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

[Taco280AI]

Great post 

[hunter399]

Great post
Looks a lot better than me just throwing it in oven.👍

[carlyoungs]

Looks amazing and good job. I am doing a batch this weekend.  For anyone who has never done this I would recommend doing a half batch on your first run. It gets intimidating doing all the smoking if you do not have a big smokehouse like the one pictured. Once you get a batch done you get a lot more confidence. Again good job XJ and thanks for the step by step 

[NRA4LIFE]

Very nice.  You need a meat mixer though.

[LDennis24]

Thank you so much for sharing this! Masterfully done!

How much water do you mix with the cure and seasoning on the first mix? The pic with the silver cup.

[92xj]

Very nice.  You need a meat mixer though.

Had one and sold it. 
It was a pain to clean and never mixed the meat 100 percent.  Always left some on the sides that didn’t get sucked into the big annoying ball of sticky meat.   After a few rounds of the mixer, I had to go back to hand mixing for a more consistent product.   Though I know lots of folks who love them. 

[92xj]

Thank you so much for sharing this! Masterfully done!

How much water do you mix with the cure and seasoning on the first mix? The pic with the silver cup.

That bowl in the picture, I filled up about half with water.  Maybe 2 quarts.  Not a ton but enough to get the seasoning and cure to whisk easily.