After getting some excellent advice from the sausage heads I decided to make some summer sausage. Got some 80/20 beef chuck from Sam's Club.
Got it all trimmed, chunked up and 5 lbs into the freezer for a couple of hrs. First grind w/ 5/16" plate. Miixed in a solution of 1 c. spring water, 102g AC Legg Summer Sausage #114, 1 tsp pink salt.
After hand mixing very well, into the fridge for an overnight cure. Next morning out for another grind with a 3/16" plate, to which I mixed in 5 tsp Encapsulated Citric Acid after the grind. Then stuffed using a 5 lb stuffer w/ 1" tube. (largest I have) into 4, 2.56x12 mahogany fiberous casings with enough left over for a chub. If I had used better stuffing management, I'd have it all stuffed into 5 casings with none left over for a chub. Let them hang at room temp for 4 hrs. Then into the GOSM with a Black & Decker hot plate for heat @120-130° using an AMNS loaded with Hickory dust for about 6 hrs. Then bumped the hot plate up to 165-170° to finish them off to 152° internal.
Total cook time was about 13 hrs. Took 'em out and hosed 'em down on a rack 'til they cooled down to about 100°. Dried 'em off and stuck 'em back on the cooling rack for a couple of hours at room temperature again, then back into the fridge over night.
Whew! Long day! Since I had the chub, which got done cooking well before the stuffed ones, I had to cut some off and try it. WOW! Way too salty and sour! Or so I thought at the time. I found out the next day after cutting into the summer sausage itself, it had all mellowed out and was absolutly perfect!
I want to thank everyone who helped guide me on this endevour, and to Nepas in particular for his advice on the amount of ECA to use. If I had used any of the advice I got from the packaging 1.5 oz - 25 lbs, or from AC Legg 3oz - 25 lbs (although their seasoning mix is outstanding-I think I just got some flunkies advice from them as it was some gal who wasn't sure what I was asking about and had to ask someone else when I called.) This Summer Sausage would have been a disaster! So thanks again Nepas, you guys,(all 3 of you) are truely Masters!
OK! Enough of all this dribble, let's have a snack!
Thanks guys,
ShortEnd
Got it all trimmed, chunked up and 5 lbs into the freezer for a couple of hrs. First grind w/ 5/16" plate. Miixed in a solution of 1 c. spring water, 102g AC Legg Summer Sausage #114, 1 tsp pink salt.
After hand mixing very well, into the fridge for an overnight cure. Next morning out for another grind with a 3/16" plate, to which I mixed in 5 tsp Encapsulated Citric Acid after the grind. Then stuffed using a 5 lb stuffer w/ 1" tube. (largest I have) into 4, 2.56x12 mahogany fiberous casings with enough left over for a chub. If I had used better stuffing management, I'd have it all stuffed into 5 casings with none left over for a chub. Let them hang at room temp for 4 hrs. Then into the GOSM with a Black & Decker hot plate for heat @120-130° using an AMNS loaded with Hickory dust for about 6 hrs. Then bumped the hot plate up to 165-170° to finish them off to 152° internal.
Total cook time was about 13 hrs. Took 'em out and hosed 'em down on a rack 'til they cooled down to about 100°. Dried 'em off and stuck 'em back on the cooling rack for a couple of hours at room temperature again, then back into the fridge over night.
Whew! Long day! Since I had the chub, which got done cooking well before the stuffed ones, I had to cut some off and try it. WOW! Way too salty and sour! Or so I thought at the time. I found out the next day after cutting into the summer sausage itself, it had all mellowed out and was absolutly perfect!
I want to thank everyone who helped guide me on this endevour, and to Nepas in particular for his advice on the amount of ECA to use. If I had used any of the advice I got from the packaging 1.5 oz - 25 lbs, or from AC Legg 3oz - 25 lbs (although their seasoning mix is outstanding-I think I just got some flunkies advice from them as it was some gal who wasn't sure what I was asking about and had to ask someone else when I called.) This Summer Sausage would have been a disaster! So thanks again Nepas, you guys,(all 3 of you) are truely Masters!
OK! Enough of all this dribble, let's have a snack!
Thanks guys,
ShortEnd
