Here is my latest beef stick (pepperoni)

Rich- said:

You Bet I will share my recipe, This is my own concoction that I have come up with through trial and error. So far all that have tasted my pepperoni, say it is very good.

If anybody reading this has any suggestions for additional ingredients that you have tried, I would love to hear them and I will incorporate them in future batch's. As mentioned, I'm winging this by the seat of my pants

5#  Twice ground Top Round Roast--approx 20-80 fat content

5-- Tbls Morton Tender Quick

3-- Tbls Ground blk pepper

1-- Tbls Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

4-- Tbls Granulated Garlic 

1-- Tbls Onion Powder

3-- Tbls Paprika

3-- Tbls Dark Brown Sugar

2-- Tbls Marjoram

2 1/4-- Tbls Mustard Seed, Ground just a little

2-- Tabls Ground Fennel Seed

2-- Tbls Ground Anis Seed

1-- Tbls Cayanne Pepper, or less for taste

1-- Tbls Savory

I premix all dry seasonings, then mix with the ground meat. I usually let set in fridge overnight.

I stuff into 19mm Colagen casings, Hang in my smoker with temp kept at or a little below 100 degrees for at least an hour for drying purpose.

After that 1 hr. drying, I kick up the smoker temp to 140 to 150 degrees with apple chips on for smoke.

I keep this temp untill the I T of the snack stick hits approx 120 degrees and then i gradually increase smoker temps untill the I T temp reachs 155 to 160 degrees, Then pull the sticks, dunk in ice water and then let it rest for a few hours.

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alelover said:

Remember that TQ has a lot of salt and instacure don't. When substituting remember the salt content you will end up with.

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Bearcarver said:

The usage amount on the package is for solid "whole" meats.

Whole meats-----------1 TBS per pound.

Ground meat-----------1 1/2 tsp per pound.

Nothing to be alarmed about, but I would change the amount of TQ in your recipe.

However---Your pepperoni looks great!

Bear

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fpnmf said:

Twice the amount of recommended cure is not alarming??

Hmmm if someone used twice the amount of #1 the curing gods would bring havoc down here..

hahahahahahaha  ohhh wellll!!

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?736-Curing-Salts  

 have a great day!!

  Craig

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nepas said:

Try this MTQ pepperoni

1 lb 80/20 gb

1 1/2 level tsp MTQ

1 tsp liq smoke

3/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp mustard seed

1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed slightly

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/4 tsp anise seeds

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp cure #1 if your going to smoke

Your choice 17-19mm collagen

Or 32mm collagen.....NOTE You can peel the casings off this small batch

Roll, wrap or stuff the meat after mixing and fridge overnight for flavor to marry. Smoke in normal fashion.

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Bearcarver said:

Why would you add cure #1, when there is already the proper amount of TQ in the mix?

I realize 1/8 tsp is a very small amount, but...............

Bear

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Rich- said:

I have the same question, Why the cure #1

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Rich- said:

I learned a hard lesson today when placing these sticks in my smoker. I originally stuffed them in 48 inch lenghths, thats what I have done several times in the past.

I bought a case of casings and these are from that case, but they are not as strong as what I have used in the past, the weight of the 2 feet of stick hanging over the 1 1/2 inch wood dowel in my smoker was to much for the casing and most of it broke, I had to retie the broken ends and drape the shorter lenghth over the dowel agai.

From now on, I will only stuff the caings in 2 foot sections.

Rich

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Rich- said:

I really like the Dakotah sausage stuffer. I will add tho, that I do not use water to creat the pressure for stuffing, right from the start, my wife let me know just how much hell there would be to pay if I flooded the kitchen with water. Well kinda anyway.

I never ever used the water connection, right from the get go, I went to my local welding store, and bought a C0/2 cylinder and regulator, I then used existing nylon air hose and made up fittings to attach the air line to the stuffer. I did go to Home DePot and buy 2  brass water hose inline shut off valves and replaced the plastic ones that came with the stuffer.

I connect my air line to one of the connections on the stuffer, turn on the c0-2 tank, ajust the pressure to approx 20 PSI. When I'm ready to stuff, I turn on the valve that connects the air and stuff untill i am almost to the point I want to stop, I then shut the air off, put my fingers on the other valve and when I reach my stopping point, I open the lone v alve, release the pressure which stops the stuffing right then and there.

Ya have to understand that compressed air will continue to push the meat for a little bit and thats why ya open the other valve to release pressure and stop stuffing.

Rock bottom opinion, I love my stuffer, It is a 1 person operation, it is clean and dry, no fuss no mess.

By the way, I guess if you had a home air compressor with good clean filtered air, it could also be used, My old compressor pumps to much crud, thats why I went the c0-2 route.

Rich

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