My first time making it. This is a Andouille sausage, not a true Andouille that is still raw but heavily smoked. I give a lot away and share with buds at the Vets Club so want all my sausages to be fully cooked normally. So, trying to stay fairly traditional I ground half the 5 pounds of butt with the coarse plate and semi-froze, then diced the other half. I went modern by using Cure #1 and a cup of NFDM to help bind it all up. Used 1 cup of water to dissolve all my spices, cure and NFDM. Ground one day, added spices & rested overnight. Stuffed the next day & allowed the cased sausage to rest, uncovered, overnight again to help dry out. Put them into the Smokin It the third day at 125 for an hour to dry some more. Inserted the AMNS dust burner in with a mix of pecan & hickory dust. For the first time I tried a $5 aquarium pump in my ultra tight SI #3 with the hose right under the AMNS for more air to help stay lit? It worked fairly well for 2 rows anyway. 2 hours in I bumped the heat to 150. 3 hours in I bumped the heat to 175. Around 4 hours the AMNS went out so pulled the Andouille. IT was 120. Smelled wonderful as I got my poaching water hot. About 45 minutes at barely a simmer I had an IT of 165 and shut the operation down. I ordered 38/42 MM casings from Waltons, biggest I could get without being a 'middle'. They are amazing!! So long, clean and easy to work with compared to what I was using....my new favorite casing perhaps. Sausages are huge in them. I'm very happy with the results of these.......Willie
notice the chunks on the right
linked, ready to rest overnight
after a night uncovered in the fridge
into the smoker went the piggies
out of the poach
morning after money shot...another day or 2 to fully bloom, but delicious with my eggs
notice the chunks on the right
linked, ready to rest overnight
after a night uncovered in the fridge
into the smoker went the piggies
out of the poach
morning after money shot...another day or 2 to fully bloom, but delicious with my eggs