SAUSAGE PHOTO GALLERY (Without Original Recipes)

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DLFL
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Post by DLFL » Mon Feb 20, 2012 21:15

They look very good. Great color.
Dick

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crustyo44
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Post by crustyo44 » Mon Feb 20, 2012 22:49

In my household they will last exactly 2 days. They look great and the finished colour is my favourite.
Congratulations on a fine product.
Regards,
Jan.
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Chuckwagon
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Post by Chuckwagon » Mon Feb 20, 2012 23:47

Brian, that is outstanding! Very nice indeed. Was it worth all the trouble of puttin' it all together?

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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Post by oops1215 » Tue Feb 21, 2012 00:55

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Well worth the effort! Cooled them in a ice bath then into the fridge a couple hours. Couldn't resist had to cut into it! Thank you for the feedback and compliments!
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Post by HamnCheese » Wed Feb 22, 2012 22:32

Hello All. Have been skulking around for a bit taking in all the wonderful information and making plans to make sausage. The other day I decided that I could make plans all day long and unless I actually made sausage they wouldn't mean a thing.

Had half a pork butt roast (half? Yup- used the other half to make some fresh Italian sausage for the homemade pizza) and decided that a small batch of cured something-or-other would move me from the skulking through this wonderful web site to actually posting something and would also move me from the planning stage to the sausage stage.

The first challenge was that I was working with such a small amount of meat that the digital scale had a difficult time "seeing" the cure. I did a work around but it was dicey - I wouldn't do it again just cuz it's too darn scary!

I bought a Chop-Rite grinder - nearly new - at a local flea market for $20 and it it so much easier to use than the KA! Yes, would love to have a vertical stuffer, but until I get to a higher level of experience and output, I think this little #10 will be fine.

So Here is a shot of the meat after semi-freezing and grinding....
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A shot of THE single link after stuffing and on the scale....
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And the baby in the cool box for a two day dry out....water bowl compliments of reading Project A salami!
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Can't wait to become more involved and would like to thank you all in advance, especially you, Chuck Wagon, for making it so easy to feel part of the group.

Lynn
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Post by Chuckwagon » Wed Feb 22, 2012 23:44

Lynn, That is magnificent work! Your sausage product looks like you've been making it for years. You definitely have the knack. Now, just keep it up. Why not scan through some of the sausages listed at this link: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?t=5146
I'll bet your family would really go for the "Bronsonville Jots" (brats for the grill). Keep up the great work and keep us supplied with info and pics.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
HamnCheese
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Post by HamnCheese » Thu Feb 23, 2012 00:59

Thanks, Chuckwagon. Stay tuned - I'm smoking this baby in a cardboard box smoker!!!!
I'll take pictures and document the journey... hopefully it won't be too laughable but even if it is, what's the worst (or even wurst) that can happen?
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DLFL
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Post by DLFL » Thu Feb 23, 2012 01:13

That is great looking sausage. Looking forward to the next part of the process.
Dick

Never quit learning!
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Chuckwagon
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Post by Chuckwagon » Thu Feb 23, 2012 01:50

Lynn, lots of beginners use a cardboard box smoker. Heck, I`ve known some ol` timers to use one occasionally. Alton Brown even did it on his show. Just remember a few basic rules and your sausage will be just fine. Allow the sausages to hang and dry at room temperature for an hour. Wipe them if necessary to remove moisture so they`ll pick up the smoke. When the sausages are dry to the touch, introduce smoke. It is most important not to exceed the IMT (internal meat temperature) of 170°F., to avoid breaking the collagen and liquefying the fat. Gradually, only a couple of degrees at twenty-minute intervals, raise the smokehouse temperature until the internal meat temperature (IMT) registers 152°F. (67°C.). This procedure must be done slowly over several hours time. Remove the sausages, showering them with cold water until the IMT drops to less than 90°F. (32°C.). Good luck and don`t forget the photos.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
HamnCheese
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Post by HamnCheese » Thu Feb 23, 2012 03:23

Thanks for all the tips - I'll be sure to keep notes and send pictures as things unfold.
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...thought you might enjoy this

Post by el Ducko » Thu Feb 23, 2012 05:05

Image check out the great "Off The Mark" cartoons by Mark Paresi at http://www.offthemark.com/
Experience - the ability to instantly recognize a mistake when you make it again.
story28
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Post by story28 » Thu Feb 23, 2012 17:00

Image



And now, we wait...
HamnCheese
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Post by HamnCheese » Fri Feb 24, 2012 02:10

I learned several lessons making this single sausage and couldn't be happier about the final product or the learning experience.

Lesson #1 - As Julia Child said, don't be afraid of your food!
Lesson #2 - Pay Attention. I suspect that it will be easier now that I've jumped into the pool and the abject terror about poisoning all those I hold dear has dissipated.

Here is a shot of the sausage after it has hung for two days in an annexed 'fridge.
Lesson #3 (I think....) is to make sure there is enough humidity to allow the sausage to dry properly.

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Here is the smoke set-up before I added the big cardboard box.
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Lesson #4 - Turn off the heat source once you have smoldering chips! I had a bodacious time keeping the heat in the box below 71 degrees until I had that AHA! moment.....turn off the propane, dummy!

Once the flame was turned off, there was good smoke and I switched from a big cast iron pan to a small one to cut down on the heat inside the box. Chips are inside the coffee can which rests on a cast iron saucer.
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After five hours of smoke, I weighed the sausage and it had lost the weight suggested by the recipe so I poached the sausage to an internal temp of 156 and then cooled it on ice to 54...at which point it had to be sliced.
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LOTS of things went wrong with this - not the least of which was not enough humidity during the initial hanging phase - at least I think that's what happened. I was supposed to cold smoke this baby for a day and then hang for an additional two days to achieve 13% weight loss. However, after smoke and before additional cooling/hanging I was at 17% weight loss and I could feel that the sausage was still very wet inside - hence the poaching step which doesn't exist in the original recipe.

I'll be doing this again real soon!!! SO much fun and so good, too. (That's an Ommegang brew in the background~)

Thanks to all for your support!!

Lynn
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Post by HamnCheese » Fri Feb 24, 2012 02:11

Story 28 - I'll be waiting right along with everyone else to see how wonderful this is!!

Lynn
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Post by Chuckwagon » Fri Feb 24, 2012 05:35

Congrats Lynn! Great photos and great details. What recipe are you using? Also, have you thought about using a cheap hot-plate with an old stainless steel pan? A thinner pan requires less heat to start the sawdust smoldering. The sausage looks great. How does it taste?

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it probably needs more time on the grill! :D
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