Country Sausage Recipe Similar to Dziuk's

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sotx

Newbie
Original poster
Oct 23, 2011
14
10
SA, TX
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I don't know a lot about this sausage but have eat'n a lot of it....  It is made by Dziuk's meat market in Castroville, TX.  I always pick it up on the way out of town to pack in on river and backpacking trips - eat with candied jalapenos and sharp cheddar... The stuff is very good and quite dry (but doesn't taste dry if that makes any sense - must be the fat content... but its not too greasy either) and you need the floss close at hand after the deed but I would really like to learn how to make some:)  Anybody have any idears?  I presume it is a pork/beef/? mix but any other input for good dry country sausage or links to other posts/recipes would be greatly appreciated.

Also looking for a turkey jerky recipe similar to theirs ... amazing stuff.  If you ever drive through San Antonio - make sure you go!

Thanks in Advance:)!

Here is a pic of the turkey jerky:):

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Looks like Landjager. A German "snack" sausage. Nepas, oh here makes it. You can get seasoning for it from PS Seasoning. I've never had it, but it's definitely on my to-do list!
 
So - some notes from the interview I see:

85% Lean product (Pork w/ a little beef)

Smoke until casings are dry and continue drying for 5 days and somewhere in the he hit 151 Degrees

Salt - extracts proteins and binds the molecules and impact the texture greatly

Spices (to taste)
    Pepper
    Garlic
    Onion

    and cayennes, japapenos, garlic, cheeses, coriander, garlic,,, whatever direction you want to go

Pork or collagen Casings

Do not use nitrates in the cure - this reduces the shelf life greatly but also changes the flavor and appearances...

So - will need to find the correct salt ratio, the temp ramp for hitting 151 and drying and what % of dry weight to look for... still chewing at the bit...
 
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That looks like a really good method but looking for one with no Nitr*tes

I have been doing some reading and some say to use between 6 and 10% salt - I presume that is by weight but still uncertain.  Seems to me that the correct amount of salt and the correct temperature ramp are the two key features.  If I could get that down then everything else should be golden:)
 
come on - somebody here has gotta have a lead on nitrate free summer sausage and jerky recipes:(!
 
If he's smoking and drying it for five days, sure as hell he's got nitrite in it, but maybe no nitrate like you mentioned. I'll have to watch the video.
 
That looks like a really good method but looking for one with no Nitr*tes

I have been doing some reading and some say to use between 6 and 10% salt -
SoTx, I got to look into this recipe some, but that's a lot of salt. the ocean's are only 3.5% and that's salty
 
 
yeh 6 seems very high - I have been considering 3 at most now but still can't figure based on the interview.  Really just need to figure the salt content and temp ramp 150s early and then ramp down? 
 
Give it a try and make adjustments.  Definetly start with cure 1.  Remember Cure 1 is 93.7 percent salt I believe (check for yourself) so once you determine how much cure 1 you need adjust the added salt to get to your 3 percent of salt by total weight of meat.  Takes a bit of practice but as long as you cook it properly and don't add to much cure you'll be safe.      
 
here's a generalized standard, as far as salt goes,

A fresh sausage  uses 1.5%

Cooked cured 1.5%-2%

Dried fermented 2.5%- 3%

Good luck
 
I got around to reading the article you posted and I stand corrected, he doesn't use cures in his dried sausage. but this is still not a good idea to try at home.  They advertise it as "shelf stable".

http://www.dziuks.com/PRODUCTS.htm

There;s a bunch of things that need to happen to make meat shelf stable including lowering the Water Activity, increased salt, cooking to 151° and lowering the PH usually by using a starter culture, which I think he eluded to in the article.   "—especially dried sausage, where it’s a naturally fermented product, where it goes in a drying room for a few days."

Not sure how you could do it at home safely without cure.

interesting though.

I did notice that there turkey jerky is cured
 
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ahh - i was wondering about the turkey - thanks for catching that!... I also missed the 'fermented product', or breezed over not catching it... this seems to be a far more involved project than the smoke tofu I have goi'n atm:)  thanks for helping me understand all the pieces; at least I know what I dont know at this point and that is always the beginning!  Thanks DanMcG!
 
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