Pepperoni . BGKYSmoker and Marianski .

  • Some of the links on this forum allow SMF, at no cost to you, to earn a small commission when you click through and make a purchase. Let me know if you have any questions about this.
SMF is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

chopsaw

Epic Pitmaster
Original poster
OTBS Member
★ Lifetime Premier ★
Dec 14, 2013
17,931
17,838
OFallon Mo.
I've made pepperoni in the past a couple times . Once using a Kutis formula , and other times using a pre mix from TSM .
Wasn't wowed by either one .
Saw the recipe posted by BGKYSmoker BGKYSmoker the other day , and I knew I was going to try it .
Here's that thread with the recipe .
Changes I made to Rick's recipe were .
Sodium erythorbate
Potato starch
18 g's of salt for a 2 1/2 pound batch .
1/4 tsp Carolina Reaper powder .
Doubled the amount of paprika . For color . Also the reason I added the erythorbate .
The rest was as posted
Started by busting up some fennel '
20231122_100408.jpg
Then added the rest of the ingredients .
20231122_100757.jpg
Got it all mixed up . Thinking about doing some of this ahead of time .
Minus the cure . Vac it up and have it ready .
20231122_102304.jpg
Meats all mixed . I halved his recipe , but added the 1/2 cup water by mistake .
That's why I added the starch . Brought it right together . No issues .
20231122_142019.jpg
I actually let the seasoned grind go 2 1/2 days in the fridge .
Re-mixed a couple times .

OK . This is where it starts to get busy and confusing . I wake up Thanksgiving day . Kids went off to some " Turkey trot " run they do every year .
I had 5 lbs. of grind left in the fridge . I wanted to do a starter culture , but wasn't sure how it would work with the erythorbate .
So I grabbed another 2 1/2 pounds and mixed it up using Marianski's semi-dry formula . Thinking I would just put it back in the fridge for the day . I realised after adding the TSP-X that I needed to get it stuffed so I could hang it .

So I stuffed it all . This is Rick's formula .
I like the color with the extra paprika . This went back into the fridge for another day .
20231123_092043.jpg
Here's the Marianski semi dry formula . I used TSP-X starter culture
in some distilled water and a good pinch of dextrose . These went to the
basement to Ferment .
20231123_092114.jpg

Next morning warming up to smoke . I'll leave this hang for a couple hours at least .
20231124_062427.jpg
In the smoker at 130 to start . No smoke for these .
20231124_121829.jpg
Ran the smoker up to 160 . Pulled the chubs when the IT was 148 .
Hanging in the kitchen to cool . No water bath .
20231124_164838.jpg
I brought the Marianski batch out of the basement .
Took some nice color overnight .
20231124_150636.jpg
Smoker was already at 160 from the first batch . I'm not running smoke on these ,
So I put them in and cooked them start to finish at 160 .
Pulled when the IT was 150 . These were room temp when they went it . No worries about fat out if you don't over shoot the internal temp .
Cooked and resting . No water bath .
20231124_193324.jpg
Hung at room temp overnight .
20231125_063617.jpg
Here's the results . Ricks on the left , Marianski on the right .
Also used some of it to make jerky .
20231125_063941.jpg
Cut shots . This is the next morning .
Marianski .
20231125_064637.jpg
Marianski after hanging at 60 degrees for 5 days or so .
20231128_080704.jpg
20231128_083444.jpg

Rick's , next morning .
20231125_064644.jpg
After a week in the fridge @36 degrees . Wrapped in pink paper .
This is the winner for taste .
20231204_123148.jpg
Both came out good . Rick's formula actually taste like pepperoni , and the added heat from the reaper powder is perfect .
Color is good for what I want too . Some of that is from increasing the Paprika , some from further drying .
These wood be great as sticks .

I rolled some of the paste out for the jerky . This was from Rick's formula with the added heat . Put on my oven jerky racks and cooked it at 200 '
It's good . Nice heat and texture .
20231124_123706.jpg
20231124_124702.jpg
20231124_182729.jpg
This got way to long and somewhat confusing .
End of the story is the formula posted from BGKYSmoker is a keeper . I like the added heat , and for my taste it needs it .
Be great in sticks or jerky too .

Well , we're in this deep . Might as well add the pizza I made last night .
I usually have dough in the fridge . Grabbed 250 grams , used some Tillamook motz , chopped salami and the dried pepperoni from Rick's formula .
Came out great . The pepperoni cupped , and took some nice char on the edge . The cooked flavor is really good .
20231204_125152.jpg
20231204_125635.jpg
Thanks for looking . This got long . Hope it posts up in order or enough to be interesting .
I'll link this again for the recipe . Best one I've done .
 
Nice work.
What I noticed in BGKY's recipe is his contains the missing ingredient I've been looking for..
Anise.

Adding anise seems to change the flavor to a more "Italian" for my liking anyway.

I also left out the mustard seed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chopsaw
Boy howdy Rich, a lot of fine work there and well thought out too, along with a great write-up. I tried a batch using the Rytec Kutas recipe some time in the last century, yours looks and sounds to be quite a bit better, good job! RAY
 
  • Like
Reactions: chopsaw
I've made pepperoni in the past a couple times . Once using a Kutis formula , and other times using a pre mix from TSM .
Wasn't wowed by either one .
Saw the recipe posted by BGKYSmoker BGKYSmoker the other day , and I knew I was going to try it .
Here's that thread with the recipe .
Changes I made to Rick's recipe were .
Sodium erythorbate
Potato starch
18 g's of salt for a 2 1/2 pound batch .
1/4 tsp Carolina Reaper powder .
Doubled the amount of paprika . For color . Also the reason I added the erythorbate .
The rest was as posted
Started by busting up some fennel '
View attachment 682413
Then added the rest of the ingredients .
View attachment 682414
Got it all mixed up . Thinking about doing some of this ahead of time .
Minus the cure . Vac it up and have it ready .
View attachment 682415
Meats all mixed . I halved his recipe , but added the 1/2 cup water by mistake .
That's why I added the starch . Brought it right together . No issues .
View attachment 682416
I actually let the seasoned grind go 2 1/2 days in the fridge .
Re-mixed a couple times .

OK . This is where it starts to get busy and confusing . I wake up Thanksgiving day . Kids went off to some " Turkey trot " run they do every year .
I had 5 lbs. of grind left in the fridge . I wanted to do a starter culture , but wasn't sure how it would work with the erythorbate .
So I grabbed another 2 1/2 pounds and mixed it up using Marianski's semi-dry formula . Thinking I would just put it back in the fridge for the day . I realised after adding the TSP-X that I needed to get it stuffed so I could hang it .

So I stuffed it all . This is Rick's formula .
I like the color with the extra paprika . This went back into the fridge for another day .
View attachment 682417
Here's the Marianski semi dry formula . I used TSP-X starter culture
in some distilled water and a good pinch of dextrose . These went to the
basement to Ferment .
View attachment 682422

Next morning warming up to smoke . I'll leave this hang for a couple hours at least .
View attachment 682418
In the smoker at 130 to start . No smoke for these .
View attachment 682419
Ran the smoker up to 160 . Pulled the chubs when the IT was 148 .
Hanging in the kitchen to cool . No water bath .
View attachment 682420
I brought the Marianski batch out of the basement .
Took some nice color overnight .
View attachment 682585
Smoker was already at 160 from the first batch . I'm not running smoke on these ,
So I put them in and cooked them start to finish at 160 .
Pulled when the IT was 150 . These were room temp when they went it . No worries about fat out if you don't over shoot the internal temp .
Cooked and resting . No water bath .
View attachment 682427
Hung at room temp overnight .
View attachment 682428
Here's the results . Ricks on the left , Marianski on the right .
Also used some of it to make jerky .
View attachment 682586
Cut shots . This is the next morning .
Marianski .
View attachment 682587
Marianski after hanging at 60 degrees for 5 days or so .
View attachment 682589
View attachment 682590

Rick's , next morning .
View attachment 682588
After a week in the fridge @36 degrees . Wrapped in pink paper .
This is the winner for taste .
View attachment 682591
Both came out good . Rick's formula actually taste like pepperoni , and the added heat from the reaper powder is perfect .
Color is good for what I want too . Some of that is from increasing the Paprika , some from further drying .
These wood be great as sticks .

I rolled some of the paste out for the jerky . This was from Rick's formula with the added heat . Put on my oven jerky racks and cooked it at 200 '
It's good . Nice heat and texture .
View attachment 682594
View attachment 682596
View attachment 682597
This got way to long and somewhat confusing .
End of the story is the formula posted from BGKYSmoker is a keeper . I like the added heat , and for my taste it needs it .
Be great in sticks or jerky too .

Well , we're in this deep . Might as well add the pizza I made last night .
I usually have dough in the fridge . Grabbed 250 grams , used some Tillamook motz , chopped salami and the dried pepperoni from Rick's formula .
Came out great . The pepperoni cupped , and took some nice char on the edge . The cooked flavor is really good .
View attachment 682599
View attachment 682600
Thanks for looking . This got long . Hope it posts up in order or enough to be interesting .
I'll link this again for the recipe . Best one I've done .
What a great post I really enjoyed reading all of this. I’m gonna have to put this on my bucket list.

HT
 
  • Like
Reactions: chopsaw
chop chop, all that looks good..... by the way no confusion here as I just looked at the pictures and it all looked good to me....LOL
 
  • Like
Reactions: chopsaw
As usual, excellent write up! Oh man that PIZZA!!! Thanks for taking it for the team and reporting back! Oh man excited. Like you, ran pepperoni a few times and fails. To me the "secret ingredient" in Rick's is the mustard. I've looked at a LOT of recipes and that's the first I've seen it. Might not actually be traditional, but don't care.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chopsaw
a lot of fine work there and well thought out too,
Thanks Ray . The plan kind of changed as I went , but all turned out great .
Rytec Kutas recipe some time in the last century, yours looks and sounds to be quite a bit better,
The more you do this , the more you adjust for your taste and what you like . That's why I never follow percentage of spices .
What a great post I really enjoyed reading all of this.
Well I appreciate that comment . Wasn't sure how it was gonna flow in a post .
Thanks for looking .
gonna have to put this on my bucket list.
These would be great as sticks . My next batch will be sticks , smoked with mesquite .
Dried down a week or so .
 
  • Like
Reactions: sawhorseray
I don’t know man….that would never make it to the pizza stage… crackers, cheddar, and stick of that I‘d be fat happy boy. And using the jerky to clear my palate while cutting more to snack on!

Jim
 
  • Like
Reactions: chopsaw
Amazing work Rich! The cupped roni is perfect! I'm doing a pizza tonight. Though, not homemade pepperoni. But I did a three day rest on the dough. And the sausage I made. We'll see in a hour or so.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chopsaw
Yuk! I hate cold pizza!!! Lol!

I think I got the liking for cold pizza ( don't get me wrong , I love mine HOT out of the oven )
as when I was a kid when mom and dad had friends over and had pizza ( back then it was probable Kraft homemade )
they always left me a piece in the fridge as I delivered the morning paper. And no microwaves back than. lol

Sorry Rich for the hijack of your thread.

David
 
Great write up. I use BGKY's recipe too. Everyone that's tried it so far really likes it and are asking for more. I really like the idea on turning the left over meat from the stuffing tube into jerky. Great idea.

Just to clarify, you used starter culture in Marianski's recipe, but not BGKY's, correct?
 
Last edited:
SmokingMeatForums.com is reader supported and as an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

Latest posts

Hot Threads

Clicky