Want to cure and smoke some breakfast sausage.

Carter86 said:

Hi guys

I want to make a small 2lb batch of breakfast sausage but I want to cure it and smoke it.

Here's my questions 

1. After adding a cure #1 to the meat and stuffing, do I need to refrigerate them over night before smoking?

It helps the cure to work a bit and also let's the seasonings migrate. Not required, but helps with flavor.

2. Can I cold smoke them for several hours without bringing to a certain temp and cook them to temp when I'm ready to eat them since they have been cured?

As long as you keep the meat below 40 degrees. Even with cure, you want to keep it cool if you plan to repackage and freeze. Personally, I'd take then to 152 degrees, cool, and then freeze. Then you can reheat when you want them. Easy and fast.

3. If I need to bring them to a certain temp during smoking process, can I cold smoke for several hours sincevtheyvbeen cured asnd then warm smoke to desired temp?

Start them at 120 degrees, no smoke for 2 hours. Then, add smoke, bump the temp up to 130. Every 30 minutes, bump up the temp 10 degrees until you get to 170. Keep cooking until you get and IT of 152. Remove from the heat, cool down, and package.

I never smoked and cured sausage before but after seeing all the great results on the forum I want to give it a try and just want to make sure I'm doing it right.

Thanks for any help that you can give me.

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Carter86 said:

Thanks CB for the very helpful info.

One last question. Would it hurt after sitting in the fridge for a day to then smoke at a temp of 150 - 170 until internal temp reaches 152?

The reason I ask is because I have a kamado gril and not sure I can keep it below 150 without snuffing the fire. I know I can keep it at 150 - 170 for a long time.

Thanks

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