Hot Dogs

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mulepackin

Master of the Pit
Original poster
OTBS Member
SMF Premier Member
Dec 27, 2007
1,328
13
Central Montana
Anyone ever make hotdogs? My wife has kindly asked me if I could do it, and since she is the final green light for all my toys I have to try to oblige. I have the recipe from Rytek Kutas book, just wondering if anyone has tried them and has any tips or tricks. I know the meat needs to be very finely ground, almost a pastelike consistency. Other than that, I can't see it being much different than any other sausage.
 
I have made them many years ago. I think the term for them is to make an emuslision? If I recall I used a Cuisinart food processor to do that. That was a long time ago, so the memory is getting weak. That is a good book by the way.

Good Luck!!
 
I've never made them either, but homemade should be way better than anything you can buy in the grocery store
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Please don't forget to take pics as you're making them. We'll be waiting to see how they turn out.
 
The book is great and has a ton of receipes in it, I would highly recommend it if your looking to make sausage or dogs.
 
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
6 pounds lean beef -- (chuck)
4 pounds lean pork trimmings
1 pint ice water
4 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground celery seeds
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups non-fat dry milk
2 teaspoons Prague Powder No. 1
6 tablespoons ground mustard
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon mace
8 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons powdered dextrose

If you wish, you may use 1 oz. coriander in place of the mace.

Wieners can be made from many different meats, as well as any combination of meats. In some cases, people want to use the left-overs when they butcher their livestock, while others prefer a quality wiener.

GRINDING

For home use, grind all the meat together using a plate with very fine holes. After grinding , mix all the ingredients with water and meat. Mix for 2-3 minutes or until all ingredients are evenly distributed with the meat. After mixing, pack into stuffer using a 24-26mm lamb casing to stuff wieners.

SMOKING AND COOKING

After stuffing, hang wieners on properly spaced smokehouse sticks. Be sure wieners are not touching each other. You may rinse the wieners off with cold water if necessary. Allow wieners to hang at room temperature when using natural casings for stuffing (about 1 hour). When using collagen or synthetic casings, hang at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Wieners should be smoked as follows:

Place into pre-heated smokehouse and dry for approximately 30 minutes. Apply heavy smudge for approximatelly 1 1/2 hours, gradually raise smokehouse temperature to 165 degrees F. and smoke until internal termperature of 138 degrees F. is obtained. Transfer to steam cabinet cooker and cook at 165 degrees F. for 5-10 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 152-155 degrees F. is obtained. Spot-check various wieners to be sure that these temperatures are obtained.

If you do not have a steam cabinet, you may leave the wieners in the smokehouse at 165 degrees F. until you obtain 152 degrees F. internally.

Ater smoking or cooking, the wieners should be quickly showered with cool water for agbout 10 minutes or until the internal temperature is reduced to 100-110 degrees F. After showering with cold water, allow wieners to chill and dry at room temperature or until desired bloom is obtained.

CHILLING

Wieners should be placed in 45-50 degrees F. cooler and chilled until product has reached an internal temperature of 50 degrees F.
 
I've tried it several times with mixed results, used Rytec's book and my Kitchen Aid processor. Honestly I didn't think it was worth the trouble. There are some gourmet frankfurters available out there that were just better than mine were.
 
Yes, I agree ... probably not worth the trouble ... I have a local butcher that makes homemade 1/4# dogs, that are out of this world ... 2 hours over hickory, oh yes. But I guess if you don't a local supply, making them yourself would probably be worth it ... 100 times better than store bought.
 
Now thats not the kind of defeatist attitude I expected to find around here, although it will probably prove right. I think I've got to try it though.
 
I still like the idear of hand craftin my own. Shomhow the stuff I make myself is just a bit more satisfyin then buyin um. Kinda why we all got inta smokin in the first place aint it? Just my two coppers worth.
 
Saturday and Sunday, we finally tried our hand at franks. I can't call them hot dogs, cause they really don't resemble the usual store bought in any way. I used Leggs seasoning mix, and stuffed them in hog casings. I used my very lean (> 90%) hamburger. I didn't even try to emulsify them as I did a 25# batch and felt it would have been nearly insurmountable to running a half pound or so at a time through my food processor. I did more mixing in the meat mixer to see if that broke the texture down any, and I think it did. The end result shriveled more than I would have thought given the leanness of the meat and ice bath, they kinda look like meat pickles. The flavor is just fine though and the whole family likes them. I didn't get any qview during the manf. process, I'll try to get some the next batch we cook up. I did a quick beer boil, then a turn on the grill which finished them up well, plumped them up and pretty good grilled flavor. I like my dogs with mustard and kraut, and while admittedly more of a traditional sausage than hot dog, these were pretty good this way. I think split and grilled will be good too.
 
I have never tried to make any .... yet. I would love to see some pics and any info you would like to share on them. Good luck
 
mulepackin
Last winter my wife and I made hotdogs for the first time and the compliments we have received over them I would highly suggest giving them a try.

We purchased the seasoning from Curley's Sausage Kitchen for Old Fashion Wieners http://stores.curleyssausagekitchen....%2C/Detail.bok ; we added 3 lbs. of hi temp chedder (recipe did not call for cheese) and smoke making them with venison and pork to the packages instructions http://stores.homestead.com/TCurley/...r%20Recipe.pdf . The casings we used were 22mm to 24mm natural beef casings; these were tough for us to find.

We made a 25 lb. batch and this next winter we are thinking of making up 50 lbs.
 
mule, have been making my own weiners and bologna for several years now. the emulsifying is what is called for in recipies and what is done commercially. i dont have my recipie handy right now but i generally make from venison of one sort or the other. recipie calls for venison(or beef), lean pork and in a 25 lb batch i pretty sure 4lbs back fat. the backfat is what really makes em juicy. anyway have had good results adding the seasonings and just running thru grinder 3-4 times and you will have a very fine mix, almost a paste which i then stuff in sheep casings and smoke to just over 152 deg. i personally wouldnt bother with the food processor.
 
Erain,

So,where do you buy your venison at??

sorry man, just could not help it. LOL..tears are comin out my eyes.LOL....

I don't know where you find all the time...
 
lol, man that is why i bought my gosm few years back. i wasnt even aware of butts,fattys,briskets, etc.... iliken the sound of cash register dor closing to the sound of bolt action closing on my rifle. that my main meat market!!!
 
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