First try at breakfast sausage. Need some advice

fratthewcraig

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Mar 3, 2015

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #1

So I bought some sausages and wanted to give them a good smokey flavor. I'm not really sure if these have cure in them or not. I cooked them to about 180 internal since I read so much about dangerous of not smoking to low of it doesn't have the cure in it.

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• fratthewcraig
• Mar 6, 2015

The skins came out a little tough so I might add some water to the pan next time

 

bluewhisper

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #2

Hm, what if, after smoking, they went into a hot water bath for a few minutes? Or maybe steam them like vegetables?

 

rgautheir20420

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #3

You could just cook them in a 225 smoker until you hit IT of 165? Just like any other brat or sausage without cure that's cooked in the smoker really.

 

fratthewcraig

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #4

i feel like my IT goes up very quick when i cook it at 225.  not sure if its my meat probe or they just heat up to quick.  i wonder if my meat probe gets its reading from only the end of the probe or from parts that are exposed too.  I guess i have some meat probe calibrating to do

 

rgautheir20420

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #5

Well considering the thickness of breakfast sausage, I'm sure you could cook at a lower temp to get a bit more smoke on them and still get out of the 140 range fairly quickly. Hopefully others could chime in on such an approach.

 

fratthewcraig

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #6

thanks for the info.  i feel like ill just end up constructing a cold smoker for the unit

 

timberjet

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #7

I detect a future sausage maker here. Hahaha.... Once you get the bug it's all over for store bought stuff. That is uncured fresh sausage and should be hot smoked to 165 within 4 hours to be safe. How you get there is your part of the plan. I don't know if I would bother cold smoking fresh sausage unless you can for sure keep the smoker temp below 39 degrees the whole time. It is fun to make your own sausage and you can get all the stuff you need for under 200 bucks if you shop around. Then you can use cure and that opens up many many more possibilities for smoking and stuff. Just my 2 cents. I have a kitchenaid stand mixer with the meat grinder attatchment and a stand alone 5 pound stuffer for stuffing links. You don't need a stuffer to start as you can make patties and smoke them for future use. Happy smoking. timber.

 

bluewhisper

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #8

Oh yeah if you can grind, you'll laugh at the store-bought stuff.

 

reinhard

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #9

Those look like fresh breakfast links.  In my opinion, those are made for frying.  There is no cure in those so cold smoking is out of the question.  They are made for a hot smoke [If you do want to put them in a smoker], but if you dont watch them those will dry up on you.  They are fairly skinny so if done in a smoker I would go at 225.  There are plenty of folks on here that can help you out in a addiction to sausage making.  They can give great advice on the grinder [depending on how much you want to spend and amount you will make], the stuffer [ a must in my opinion vs. stuffing from the grinder], casings, and all the rest [even what cocktail or beer to drink while making your mix].  Reinhard

 

gary s

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #10

Yeah  I think those would be best fried up. If it's like the stuff around here it's just fresh sausage in small casings 

Gary

 

fratthewcraig

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #11

yeah its just fresh sausage in a casing.  well I wanted too add some smokey flavor to them so which way do you guys suggest bringing them up to 165 internal temperature.  Idk if its just my smoker but if i set it at 225 it would get the internal temp up to 165 way to quick for the smokey flavor to get in. i brought them up to about 185 last night cooking them because i was scared of that bacteria.  i will try a dif flavor of hot smoke tn

 

timberjet

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• Mar 6, 2015

• #12

Heck ya. and precook some potatoes in the microwave par cooked of course. put them in too. you can even do twice baked this way. add some cheese and stuff. Breakfast.