Venison Snack Sticks - Test Batch #1

mickey jay · Aug 3, 2016

I'm on a bit of a quest to make a great eating venison snack stick. I've been researching on the forums and decided for the first batch to use Big Casino's recipe as a base to work from. I adjusted down to 3lbs (67/33 venison/pork butt), and reduced the heat. They came out okay. The flavor and smoke (hickory and apple) were good, but the texture could be better. I think I need more fat, a bit more salt, maybe some NFDM (they got a bit dry), and a bit more heat. Batch #2 will reflect these changes; hopefully I'll get to it in the next couple weeks.

Here's Big Casino's recipe using venison and scaled down to 3 lbs (with reduced heat and I added some chipotle powder):

2 lb ground deer venison
1 lb ground pork butt
2/3 c ice water
1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp Cure #1
2 tsp + 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp + 1/4 tsp mustard seed
1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp black pepper
1 tsp + 1/4 tsp white pepper
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp chipotle powder

Collagen casings are so easy! Excited to work with these more.

20160802_170132667_iOS.jpg

mickey jay
Aug 3, 2016

18" sticks

20160802_171119385_iOS.jpg

mickey jay
Aug 3, 2016

A bit of tying involved

20160802_171125353_iOS.jpg

mickey jay
Aug 3, 2016

Nice and straight!

20160802_172701749_iOS.jpg

mickey jay
Aug 3, 2016

On the smoker to dry:

20160802_180500242_iOS.jpg

mickey jay
Aug 3, 2016

Venison snack stick cheeseburger for lunch with the leftovers!

20160802_191943033_iOS.jpg

mickey jay
Aug 3, 2016

and 8 or so hours later

20160803_045921619_iOS.jpg

mickey jay
Aug 3, 2016

You can see the meat looks a little 'pasty'.

20160803_045935337_iOS.jpg

mickey jay
Aug 3, 2016

Bearcarver · Aug 3, 2016

Looks & sounds Great to me, MJ !!

----

Nice Job!!

Bear

SmokinAl · Aug 4, 2016

They look fantastic!

Great job!

Point!

Al

crazymoon · Aug 4, 2016

MJ, They look excellent sir !

driedstick · Aug 4, 2016

Looks great from here,,,, ya the NFDM may help I use it in all my sticks,,,

A full smoker is a happy smoker

DS

dward51 · Aug 4, 2016

I would use either Amesphos or Butcher & Packer's "special meat binder" instead of the NFDM. I've been using the B&P in my last few sticks and summer sausage smokes and the moisture retention and improvement of texture are well worth the small cost of the phosphate. I was picking up some other stuff at B&P so I went with theirs instead of the Amesphos, but they are both just food grade phosphates (and do not change flavor profile, just texture for the better).

mickey jay · Aug 4, 2016

Thanks for the suggestions and kind words! I've been eyeing Amesphos for a while now; the only thing holding me back is that I generally try to stay away from added chemicals if I can help it. Cure #1 is obviously a necessity, but phosphates probably less-so. While I haven't ruled it out, I will probably try the NFDM first because I already have a box in my cupboard.

Can anyone describe the difference in texture between using NFDM and Amesphos in a snack stick?

jake77 · Aug 4, 2016

What temps did you smoke them at?

mickey jay · Aug 5, 2016

Ran it up gradually from 120 up to 175 over the course of about 5 hours.. Took over 8 hours total. I didnt have any fat pooling so i'm fairly confident temps were in line. Calculating the fat content; it was probably around 8% total.

dward51 · Aug 5, 2016

I've tried NFDM and phosphates, and there is a huge difference IMO. NFDM does help with moisture retention and texture, but phosphates do a much better job and with a whole lot less product. The advantages of phosphates in sausage are generally:

Improved cooked flavor.

Reduced loss of meat fluids.

Increased tenderness and juiciness

Improved firmer texture

Better and faster color development

I know some recipes call for dissolving the phosphate powder in water or beer before adding to the meat. The B&P I have wanted to clump more than dissolve so I've just started adding it to the dry spice mix and then add that to the liquid like normal before mixing. It's dispursed enough that way that clumping is not an issue.

As to the concerns of additives, phosphates have been around in meat processing next to forever and you are only adding 0.3 to 0.5% of the finished weight, so it's not much. It's just a chemical like salt, and anything else you are putting in the meat mix. Also you will be adding a whole lot more NFDM that you would a phosphate.

Oh, one last point on NFDM. If you have the grocery store NFDM instead of the stuff made for sausage making, it's a lot courser than the sausage NFDM. Just run it trough your blender to make a fine powder out of the grocery store stuff and it will basically be the same as the stuff made for sausage making.

jeffinn · Aug 6, 2016

dward51 said:
I've tried NFDM and phosphates, and there is a huge difference IMO. NFDM does help with moisture retention and texture, but phosphates do a much better job and with a whole lot less product. The advantages of phosphates in sausage are generally:

Improved cooked flavor.
Reduced loss of meat fluids.
Increased tenderness and juiciness
Improved firmer texture
Better and faster color development

I know some recipes call for dissolving the phosphate powder in water or beer before adding to the meat. The B&P I have wanted to clump more than dissolve so I've just started adding it to the dry spice mix and then add that to the liquid like normal before mixing. It's dispursed enough that way that clumping is not an issue.

As to the concerns of additives, phosphates have been around in meat processing next to forever and you are only adding 0.3 to 0.5% of the finished weight, so it's not much. It's just a chemical like salt, and anything else you are putting in the meat mix. Also you will be adding a whole lot more NFDM that you would a phosphate.

Oh, one last point on NFDM. If you have the grocery store NFDM instead of the stuff made for sausage making, it's a lot courser than the sausage NFDM. Just run it trough your blender to make a fine powder out of the grocery store stuff and it will basically be the same as the stuff made for sausage making.

I Use NFDM right out of the box and have never had a problem with it. It retains moisture well and keeps the sausage sticks from drying out. Fresh meat, fresh spices, a little liquid, some cure #1 and a bit of NFDM are all you need to make great snack sticks. Smoke them with the wood of your choice and increase the temps slowly and you'll be all set.

mickey jay · Aug 7, 2016

Thanks everyone for the info! Regarding adding nfdm, i've been using 1c per 5lbs for brats etc. Does that standard hold true for snack sticks as well?

BGKYSmoker · Aug 9, 2016

Yeah buddy.

Nice sticks

BGKYSmoker · Aug 9, 2016

Some info.

NON-FAT DRY MILK

Milk powder has been used for years in sausage making. Acts as a binder by helping to retain the moisture of the meat. Although not highly effective as a binder, it can impart a creamier taste to some sausage products. You can use up to 12% (of the meat weight) without affecting the taste of the sausage. This product is good at hiding salt flavor in most sausage and is used in liver sausage, hot dogs and bologna.

SODIUM TRI POLY PHOSPHATE

(Also Known As SODIUM PHOSPHATE) is a food grade phosphate that is used with meat products to help in the retention of moisture and soluble proteins. Sodium Tripolyphosphate is compatible with all curing ingredients such as nitrites, nitrates, sugar, salt and ascorbic acid or its derivative, sodium erythorbate.

NOTE: NOT The TSP you get from Lowes.

MJ

Try 3/4 cup of good quality buttermilk in your sticks

Venison Snack Sticks - Test Batch #1

Meat Mopper

Gone but not forgotten RIP

SMF Hall of Fame Pitmaster

Legendary Pitmaster

Smoking Guru

Master of the Pit

Meat Mopper

Newbie

Meat Mopper

Master of the Pit

Smoke Blower

Meat Mopper

Nepas OTBS #242

Nepas OTBS #242

Similar threads

Hot Threads