Snack Sticks From Ground Beef

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reinhard

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
Feb 6, 2013
1,192
288
Andover Minnesota
We had a ground beef sale here and I took advantage of it.  85% lean it was and that's what I used.  I like having it around when I'm short on meat with other sausage batches to compliment any pork I use or with venison.  I've been making sticks generally without casings since sheep casings for me have become a pain to use.  So I went with 21mm collagen casings.  I went with Curley's snack stick seasoning called Cody's snack sticks.  First time using it and I liked it.  It has a little heat to it which I found to be just right.  Here is what I used---Reinhard

1 pack of Cody's snack stick recipe  [Enough for a 10 pound batch]

2 cups of cold water

2 cups of dry powdered milk

2 big spoons of diced garlic [stuff in jars] [I use spoons you eat soup with]

2 tsp cure#1 [comes with seasoning pack]

1 pack of "flavor enhancer" [comes with seasoning pack]  I believe it's MSG

10 pounds of 85% ground beef


Spread that ground beef out some.


Put the dry powdered milk on the ground beef.


Mixed the garlic, enhancer,cure, and seasoning in the water.


In goes the rest of the ingredients.


Everything is all nice and mixed up. In the fridge it goes for an overnight meld of flavors and cure.


I slipped on as much of the collagen casings as I could.  Left over an inch or so empty for tie downs and cut off the rest.  Only had one blowout which was my fault.  Had my eye's on my beer glass instead of the casing.


Made the sticks about as long as my smoker grate


As usual, I had to have a taste patty.


Tied down each end with my butcher knot method which is all by one string.


In the smoker they went.  I set the smoker to 140 for a couple of hours.  The second hour I started the smoke.  I have a lot of oak mixed with maple a buddy gave me.  So that's what I used.  Think I'll have enough for the whole year.  After the two hours at 140 I jacked the temp up to 160 with smoke as well.  Probably another 2 hours. After that I had the color I wanted and set the temp to 180 until I hit the internal of 155.


The color was great!!


I hit my internal of 155 and pulled the sticks for a nice cold water bath.  I'm happy with the flavor and the texture of the sticks and these will head up north this weekend for our deer camp along with my polish.
 
Looks great.  I hate how you guys make it look so easy.  Guess I just need to keep trying and probably invest in an electric smoker to make it easier.
 
Thanks everyone!!!  Lips,  I"m still learning.  I've said many times that I'm more of a sausagehead than a smokehead.  I have learned to take more time with this [smoking].  I have been frustrated  many times.  Lot's of times folks will see things on this forum and compliment the poster and probably say to themselves, "Why cant I get results like that".  That is why it's important to ask questions and  try the methods described here.  You will probably change a few things [everybody does to their preference] but you will get started and in no time you will be giving some of your ideas as well here on these forums.  A electric smoker is a good idea to start with.  I've been stubborn at times and stuck with things only to find out here that there are better ways to smoke different items [like beef sticks].  The most important thing I can say about smoking is the old saying "low and slow".  Low temps and longer times, especially when it comes to smoked sausage. Be your own best critic as well.  Heck I'm still looking for the perfect Swedish sausage recipe.  Something is missing.  I want it like we used to make it years ago at a meat market I worked at.  Still learning, still asking questions, and most of all, being on this site with the best people I have found with vast knowledge of the art of smoking and more.  Reinhard
 
You could save yourself some time and hassle by eliminating the tying, once stuffed and rested, the meat will hold shape without the tie especially if you lay the sticks on racks to smoke. I hang my snack stick sausages from rods and don't bother tying as the meat will not "fall out" the open ends. Only need to tie larger sausages that will be hung from the strings like summer sausages or ring bologna. This also frees you up to have more time to concentrate on that beer glass!
 
Look real good there, Reinhard. As you probably remember I used some GB in a sausage recently with less than stellar results (being my own worst critic) but used the last of it mixed with some ground pork loin for a Kielbasa knockoff. It worked well enough and I didn't have to toss any meat. Regardless, I've got my eye on some 80/20 ground chuck to use when I get my new SS stuffer tubes from Lem, due any day. I'm hoping to be able to slide more collagen casing length on them as opposed to the plastic ones provided. I'm also going to order some 21MM casings as I only have 19MM now & they seem a tad to small for my mouth <grin> and the tube. I'm thinking of ordering some pre-mixed stick seasoning when I order the casings just for grins as I've never used a commercially prepared product like that. Good luck at camp....Willie
 
Yes sir, nice looking sticks, can imagine that they taste as good as they look from the way you described them, also, good luck with your hunt! Thanks for sharing the recipe.
 
Nice looking sticks Rein.........
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Those look great - I tried a small batch (1lb) of ground beef last night for sticks.  The beef was a bit lean, it was from my brother-in-law who raises cattle and farms and does NOT put his steers on corn before butchering as he wants very lean. I was raised on corn fed beef so that is very different to me.  That being said, I can buy 85/15 at my local grocery store so I'll try that.  My question is - why the dry milk?  What does that do? Is it a binder?  Also, I had good flavor (I used a commercial mix and smoked with hickory and apple) but probably started my smoker too high so I need to slow it down a bit as I got to my IT of 155 in about 3.5 hours.  Lastly, the sticks didn't have that "snap" that commercial sticks have.  How do I get that?  Thanks - Plan to do another back this week. 
 
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Those look great - I tried a small batch (1lb) of ground beef last night for sticks.  The beef was a bit lean, it was from my brother-in-law who raises cattle and farms and does NOT put his steers on corn before butchering as he wants very lean. I was raised on corn fed beef so that is very different to me.  That being said, I can buy 85/15 at my local grocery store so I'll try that.  My question is - why the dry milk?  What does that do? Is it a binder?  Also, I had good flavor (I used a commercial mix and smoked with hickory and apple) but probably started my smoker too high so I need to slow it down a bit as I got to my IT of 155 in about 3.5 hours.  Lastly, the sticks didn't have that "snap" that commercial sticks have.  How do I get that?  Thanks - Plan to do another back this week. 


...click on this link....
http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-making/additives


I use Amesphos and Soy Protein concentrate, or Dried Buttermilk powder but any moisture grabber will do..... What ever you have on hand or prefer...
 
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