Albanski Sudzuk (Albanian style dry cured sudzuk)

rgauthier20420
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Post by rgauthier20420 » Mon Dec 01, 2014 16:32

Bob K wrote:Lookin good Rg!


Was there any sugar added to the recipe, and were you able to check the Ph after fermenting?

What is the white thing and the paint-type can for?
Hmmm there was no sugar added. I guess I missed that....hope it doesn't fully compromise them. I haven't done fermented anything in awhile....I didn't measure the Ph because I've only got the strips as of right now.

The white piece is the humidifier and the paint can is a DIY paint can heater that I use when maintaining fermentation temps.
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Post by Bob K » Mon Dec 01, 2014 19:39

RG -
There is nothing wrong with using Ph papers. While they are a bit hard to interpret, for us color challenged folks, they work just fine.
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Post by rgauthier20420 » Mon Dec 01, 2014 20:44

Bob K wrote:RG -
There is nothing wrong with using Ph papers. While they are a bit hard to interpret, for us color challenged folks, they work just fine.
Yeah. I'll admit, I got a bit lazy. I'm hoping they turn out ok as far as being safe to eat. They were properly cured and cleanliness was kept in mind all through grinding and stuffing. Everything that was used was washed and then got a bath in the sterilizing liquid. There are no off putting smells in the least and the meat was properly cured for 48 hours in the fridge. It was a bright red/pink when when ground (besides the little bit that usually get a little darker because of the oxygen). I'll update again with photos in about a week of drying. I'll be keeping a close eye on the exterior of these guys.
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Post by rgauthier20420 » Fri Dec 12, 2014 15:15

So a few of these have finished. I pulled 2 of the links down from the dowel and the 1st weight in at a 40% weight loss and the other 41%. They're a little softer than I'd like, but a little time of the fridge vac sealed should even them out. I had some last night and I must say that they are very complex in flavor. The cinnamon isn't over powering and there is a slight heat that lingers.

Image

Image

Here's the original thread where you can see larger versions of the pictures. It's annoying to load them here.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/1729 ... st_1277243
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Post by redzed » Fri Dec 12, 2014 16:18

Looks like you succeeded RG! The % of weight loss is simply a guideline and not always the correct indicator since there is often a considerable difference in the amount of water between different cuts of of meat and where they came from. So there is no steadfast rule, it's ready when it's ready. You might want to leave the rest for anther week or two. And it's amazing how vac sealing and storing the sausage in a fridge for at least a week improves the texture and flavour. You fermented with F-LC at a higher temp so can you taste a bit of tang?

One note here, if you are going to dry cure anything for less than two weeks, use Cure #1. The nitrate in Cure #2 is there for longer cured products. European homemade sausage is usually made with nitrites only.
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Post by rgauthier20420 » Fri Dec 12, 2014 16:25

redzed wrote:Looks like you succeeded RG! The % of weight loss is simply a guideline and not always the correct indicator since there is often a considerable difference in the amount of water between different cuts of of meat and where they came from. So there is no steadfast rule, it's ready when it's ready. You might want to leave the rest for anther week or two. And it's amazing how vac sealing and storing the sausage in a fridge for at least a week improves the texture and flavour. You fermented with F-LC at a higher temp so can you taste a bit of tang?

One note here, if you are going to dry cure anything for less than two weeks, use Cure #1. The nitrate in Cure #2 is there for longer cured products. European homemade sausage is usually made with nitrites only.
Red, there's so many spices going on in this thing I can't detect all that much of a tang, but it's there. I'll leave the other 3 pieces in there a couple more days. The one I pulled out yesterday and left in the fridge overnight had a much better texture than even it did the night before and pulling from the chamber, so I'll be happy with the rest I think.

I'll be sure to use only Cure #1 then next time I make anything with the hog casings (that's what these are in). Anything I've done in the hog casings always seems to be done with 2 weeks.
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Post by Bob K » Fri Dec 12, 2014 19:28

Rg-
When you smoked them were they hot smoked or cold smoked?
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Post by rgauthier20420 » Fri Dec 12, 2014 19:29

Bob K wrote:Rg-
When you smoked them were they hot smoked or cold smoked?
Bob, these were cold smoked. They could definitely do with more smoke flavor. I didn't smoke with 100% hickory though so that might have contributed to the lighter smoke flavor (since hickory is so strong).
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Post by Bob K » Fri Dec 12, 2014 19:44

Thanks Rg that's what I was hoping to hear. (the smoke was not strong)
I want to make a German type smoked salami but did not want the smoke to be overpowering.

To increase the smoke flavor you can cold smoke on successive days.
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Post by rgauthier20420 » Fri Dec 12, 2014 20:55

Bob K wrote:Thanks Rg that's what I was hoping to hear. (the smoke was not strong)
I want to make a German type smoked salami but did not want the smoke to be overpowering.

To increase the smoke flavor you can cold smoke on successive days.
I smoked for 3-4 hours with a blend of cherry, hickory, and maple (Pittmaster's Blend from Amazen).

I plan to use Pecan next time I do these and smoked for 6-7 hours.
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Post by Igor Duńczyk » Wed Dec 17, 2014 21:06

rgauthier20420 wrote:so many spices going on in this thing I can't detect all that much of a tang, but it's there
Hi Richard, It sure looks like a very successfull first timer and I guess that if there is no overt tang it´s probably because of the lack of added sugar, but as meat content seems really high there has probably been enough glucogene in the meat itself to provide nutrition to the starter culture. So with the recipe/raw material + employed fermentation temperature which you used it may not even be necessary to add dextrose or sugar. The Sudzuk which I remember from Bulgaria is also quite low in tangyness which in turn gives more prominence to the added spices. And I sure would have liked to try a bite of what you came up with - it looked very tempting :razz:

Would you try to make the next batch in the traditional flat horseshoe shape...?
Wishing you a Good Day!
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Post by rgauthier20420 » Wed Dec 17, 2014 21:12

Igor Duńczyk wrote:
rgauthier20420 wrote:so many spices going on in this thing I can't detect all that much of a tang, but it's there
Hi Richard, It sure looks like a very successfull first timer and I guess that if there is no overt tang it´s probably because of the lack of added sugar, but as meat content seems really high there has probably been enough glucogene in the meat itself to provide nutrition to the starter culture. So with the recipe/raw material + employed fermentation temperature which you used it may not even be necessary to add dextrose or sugar. The Sudzuk which I remember from Bulgaria is also quite low in tangyness which in turn gives more prominence to the added spices. And I sure would have liked to try a bite of what you came up with - it looked very tempting :razz:

Would you try to make the next batch in the traditional flat horseshoe shape...?
Igor, the lack of sugar was one thing that had me a bit worried at the beginning, but it turns out all is well with the end product. I would like to do this again, but as far as casings go I've only got hog and 65mm beef middles. However, I may go ahead and give it a shot using my UMAI bags because I've seen a recipe and youtube video on it. Next time around I'll be adding a bit more onion powder and cayenne. I'll also be removing the cinnamon. Not that it wasn't nice, but it's not something he remembers being in what he used to eat. It also needs more smoked time which is an easy fix. I will definitely be giving it that flattened look though.

Thanks for the kind words also. It is indeed something that is very different and has some complex flavors going on.
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