Beef Sticks do's and don'ts

insdude91 · Jan 9, 2008

Ok, this weekend I am going to make my first attempt at making beef sticks. I have been reading up on these in some of the other threads and think I have the basics down. I just wanted to tap the infinite knowledge that seems to be on this forum for basically what not to do based on past experiences of the members. So if you can share basic do's and don'ts, then maybe I won't waste 15lbs of meat.

Thanks guys.

longshot · Jan 9, 2008

My own personal don't is I will not make snack sticks again until I get a vertical stuffer. Used my grinder last time and WOW what a pain!!! A lot of pressure to get meat mixture into those little casings.

Good Luck
LS

seaham358 · Jan 9, 2008

what spices are you using? Is it a kit and is there a cure in it?
I use the Leggs snack stick mix and have to add a the cure.
I bring the temp of the sticks up to 156 and I test each one to make
sure they all reached temp. I don't want to get someone sick with a
stick that did not get hot enough to kill off the bad stuff.
15lbs of sticks.... Man thats gonna be a lot of work for those little guys.
How do you plan on smoking them? what type of smoker.

sdeters69 · Jan 9, 2008

Do not smoke em for 5 hours straight. My first leason learned. I smoked mine for about an hour at 125 with smoke then heat the rest until the desired internal temp was reached. Also I did not put them in casings just jerky shooted them on the plates. See my pic on this thread

edit had to get link http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=12108

insdude91 · Jan 9, 2008

I have an OLD Enterprise stuffer that was handed down from my Grandpa. I used it for Keilbasa a couple of weeks ago and it worked well. I do plan on using a boughten spice mix. I believe it is a Legg mix. I am not at home right now so I can't say for sure, but pretty sure. I have a MES. I do plan on putting them in casings. I have monthly poker parties in my garage and I know these will all be gone quite quickly once I put them out.

longshot · Jan 9, 2008

Sounds like you got your bases covered. Good luck and remember without q-view we believe nothing!!

LS

walking dude · Jan 9, 2008

LOLOL ls..........I WANT TO BELIEVE!!!!!!!!!!

desertlites · Jan 9, 2008

AHH snack sticks(yumm)I use leggs #10 season & yes use cure-for they will cook at low temp.don't apply smoke right off the bat,let them go for a few hours first.after stuffing it's a good thing to let them sit in fridge for a few hours-or overnite is better. I prefer hanging mine as opposed to smoking flat.as far as heat I go 100's first few hrs-up to 140 & finish with 160 till done-good luck.as far as Q-view I know what I smoke and eat-u don't need to prove anything to me-cuz I belive!!

walking dude · Jan 9, 2008

he didn't use casing dude.......so no stuffing was involved

bigarm's smokin · Jan 9, 2008

I went through the same thing Longshot, then I got a bright idea, first I ground the meat, then I took the knife and grinder plate out of the grinder and put the stuffing tube back on, I filled the machine with the ground meat before I turned it on, that kept the auger seated in the motor. It was night and day difference.

The caseings filled very easily. I posted this once before but I don't think many people believed it would work without the knife and grinder plate. Try it, you will be amazed.

seaham358 · Jan 9, 2008

The Auger stays in??? Man I got to try this.. so you start stuffing and the turn off the grinder, take off the blade and plate and then start stuffing again?
This is why I got the stuffer, doing 6lbs of sticks took forever using my grinder. They don't make a stuffing plate for my grinder.

desertlites · Jan 10, 2008

walking dude are we reading the same thread? what do u mean no caseings??hmmm maye me bad! and I ain't Dude.

walking dude · Jan 10, 2008

seaham........the meat keeps the auger seated.........

des........he free-formed the meat sticks.........no casing involved

desertlites · Jan 10, 2008

from what I read from insdude91 was that his grnpappy left him with a stuffer & he plans on useing caseings,maybe somebody else pooper shot but I don't think it's him. no disrespect ment.just my 2 cent.

walking dude · Jan 10, 2008

ahhhhhhhhh.....k

but he's not the one that posted the pic of the beef sticks on the grill

no casings.......just pooped it str8 from his jerky shooter.........my bad

bigarm's smokin · Jan 10, 2008

Yes, the auger stays in, if you look at the auger, you can see that the meat forces the auger BACK, and the meat forward. I take off the knife and GRINDING plate, attach the stuffing tube, cram meat into the grinder, and it works great. PM me if you want more info.
I don't know what a stuffing plate is?

mossymo · Jan 10, 2008

Tip #1
After meat is mixed refridgerate overnight to let the cure fully distribute throughout the meat; then stuff and smoke the next day. This will give your meat sticks a much longer shelf life in the fridge (trust me, if not ask Walking Dude !!!).

Tip #2
After the smoke is applied move them to the oven to finish so you can smoke more meat sticks. What you have in the oven will be eaten up quickly and you will run out of meat sticks, smoke some more !!!

richtee · Jan 10, 2008

A stuffing plate is a plate that just has a couple wide openings in it... i think it's also called a "separator plate". Supposedly it breaks up the meat flow for more even pressures? Or maybe it's supposed to keep the auger in, which apparently stays in anyway? I dunno...I have a vertical, and MUCH more like using it than my grinder.

sdeters69 · Jan 10, 2008

Yes I just pooped shot the sticks onto the plates of the smoker. They workied out great. Also I do not have a stuffer and or grinder so the casings is out for me. I am going to get a nice stuffer hopefully soon.

How does the taste differ from putting them in the oven to finish versus letting them finish in the smoker?

sdeters69 · Jan 10, 2008

Yep I agree My first batch I applied smoke for 4 to 5 hours. It was eating smoke with texture. It was terrible

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