Hey workingpoor - Yeah, those bungs are pricey. I bought my first one, but haven't used it yet. I made lonzino using synthetic casing and also simply netting, same batch. I chopped the loin into 4 pieces, and stuffed 3 in synthetic and 1 in netting. The synthetic casing had me worried because it was...

I've had trouble with over saltiness in dry cured bacon, which is the only kind of bacon I've done. The solution for me has also been to taste test, and if it is too salty, soak for an hour or two. This has worked well. I've done this both before and after smoking, usually after. Has not harmed the ...

Well now there's a nice problem to have! You scored! Here are the first things that spring to my mind about lamb. Costco has been selling whole frozen lambs for 3.19 lb around here, and so lamb has been on my mind. Haven't made the plunge, however, because we're low on freezer space. Sausage-wise, y...

Must be for Old Hands like us.

Hey Laripu - I had the exact same problem with "hamburger like" consistency. It was because I wasn't working up the ground meat to the "stiff peaks" that Chuckwagon's instructions talk about. I find it hard to do that with a Kitchen-aid mixer, which is what we've got and many people successfully use...

Thanks CW for the great suggestion. I already mixed up the spices for California Hot Links, from Len Poli's site. Got kind of late, so will grind/mix/stuff tomorrow, and smoke them on Sat. We are leaving on Tues., so I am thinking, freeze them Mon. night. I mixed the cure and spices into the andouil...

Thanks guys. High quality hot dogs it is! No reason to shy away from any of the standards, if you ask me. I have NorCal Kid's bologna on my to-do list. They will be fatties because I only have hog casings, but that's they way I like em. Will let you know how they come out. Not counting on climbing a...

Butterbean, you nailed it. We will have to sneak our nites. I understand in old Italy they were scraped from urinal walls. Fact or fiction? Did Chuckwagon spread this one around?? All I know is that everybody from that era is DEAD! Tonight I have 15 lbs. of pork butt to turn into something. My kids ...

Well, we all need to pick our risks. What milk we do drink is raw milk that we get from friends. We have bought it before, but dang is it expensive and I don't think it's worth it. If you can get good clean raw milk from a very trusted source, I think it is a more wholesome product and better for yo...

Ross - if you told them you used wood ashes they would have been thrilled! Butterbean - I ate street food in Malaysia and that was a great way to lose weight! Though my body seemed intent on expelling its organs, which was probably going too far. Guess I'd do it again though - it was that good. Your...

It was all kind of interesting. But I am not going the just-sea salt route anymore. There is other stuff in typical "store bought" bacon that may bother this little girl. Just as celery juice powder is variable in nitrite content, sea salt is as well. Probably much moreso. I prefer going the tried a...

Kevin - I live in Sunny Northern Cal too and I get hocks in San Jose's "Little Saigon." If there are any Asian butchers near you, try 'em out. Mexican carnicerias too.

Jeff

Hey Marty - Welcome! My wife brought home some "uncured" pastrami that had celery juice powder in the ingredients. It had an unearthly green shimmer to it. Which means it was overcured, actually. Opposite of what she wanted and what she was promised by the label. I am sure that "uncured" is a legal ...

Aha! So you noticed the same thing. Rules of thumb, such as doubling/tripling fresh for dried, seem, like thumbs, made to be broken.

Waiting for your book - "100 Illustrated Sausage Recipes by Nor-Cal Kid"

(no, I'm not kidding)

Hey Kevin - I made your Jimmy Dean style breakfast links, except for the link part (I stuffed it into chubs for slicing off patties). Turned out fantastic! Thanks for a great formula. This will become a regular at our house. Notes: I used fresh sage. I'm not sure exactly what type is growing in our ...