- Feb 5, 2009
- 152
- 10
Hi all,
Just finished my third batch of meat sticks this weekend. Sorry, no Q-view, not that I'd want you all oogling my failures anyways.
I posted here the last time I made snack sticks and the problem was, and still is, adherence between the casings and the meat. You may remember that thread was titled, 'Not enough bondage', or maybe it was 'Need more bondage'. I won't resort to such cheap tactics ever again. Promise. Not. teehee.
I used a non-smoked colligen casing the last time, and found some narrower, 19mm smoked colligen casings this time round. Things seemed to go well, I used the beef stick recipe from Kutas' book, followed the ingredients list close enough, and when I pulled them out, they looked good. I'm pretty sure I pulled them at the right time, internal was 147, which I didn't think was too hot, the directions said 145. but after they sat in the fridge for a couple days, they now appear to be 'smeared' with orange grease on the outside and the cases not sticking to the meat any more.
So, maybe I should be using pig or sheep casings? Should I have hung the sticks in a cool room rather than putting them in the refrigerator, you know, more drying at a cool room temp? Its just that those colligen casings are so convenient....
My buddy at work says they taste like those canned vienna sausages. Could've smacked him for that, but he loves those things so I guess it was a compliment. I think they taste a lot like Hotrods/SlimJims.
Thanks folks for any advice you might have!
Mark B
Just finished my third batch of meat sticks this weekend. Sorry, no Q-view, not that I'd want you all oogling my failures anyways.
I posted here the last time I made snack sticks and the problem was, and still is, adherence between the casings and the meat. You may remember that thread was titled, 'Not enough bondage', or maybe it was 'Need more bondage'. I won't resort to such cheap tactics ever again. Promise. Not. teehee.
I used a non-smoked colligen casing the last time, and found some narrower, 19mm smoked colligen casings this time round. Things seemed to go well, I used the beef stick recipe from Kutas' book, followed the ingredients list close enough, and when I pulled them out, they looked good. I'm pretty sure I pulled them at the right time, internal was 147, which I didn't think was too hot, the directions said 145. but after they sat in the fridge for a couple days, they now appear to be 'smeared' with orange grease on the outside and the cases not sticking to the meat any more.
So, maybe I should be using pig or sheep casings? Should I have hung the sticks in a cool room rather than putting them in the refrigerator, you know, more drying at a cool room temp? Its just that those colligen casings are so convenient....
My buddy at work says they taste like those canned vienna sausages. Could've smacked him for that, but he loves those things so I guess it was a compliment. I think they taste a lot like Hotrods/SlimJims.
Thanks folks for any advice you might have!
Mark B