1st Moose Pepperoni .... NEW PICS !!!!!

[goliath]

well here is a pic of the smoker loaded up ...

stuffed 150 ft of 19mm collagen casings, and 6 mini salami style for pizza. in all it was 30 pounds. we used burger that was already 10% pork fat and added another couple pounds.

my buddy has the pics on his phone but who knows when i will get them !!!!!

sticks are just hanging and drying, its quite cold out there in the shop so i will start the smoke early in the am.

1 QUESTION : how the hell do ya get a meat probe in them without exploding the skinny little DEW WORMS anyways? tried 1 and then decided to wait until they are going for a few hours tomorrow and stab them then . have the probe from the PID and the Maverick, i like to use both. one at each level..

more to come tomorrow....

P1010013.jpg

• goliath
• Jan 4, 2014

P1010011.jpg

• goliath
• Jan 4, 2014

can see the chubbies in the back ..

 

[mossymo]

Looking good!
As they cook they will firm up and will not explode, you will be fine. Looking forward to seeing and hearing about your finished product!

 

[crankybuzzard]

I agree with Mossy.

Looks very good, and will firm up for a good poke after a bit. I make a LOT of snack sticks in the 19 and 22mm casings and generally place the probes after about 30 minutes of heat.

How does moose compare to venison from a flavor standpoint? An old friend of mine is coming to town in a few weeks and is bringing some down from Maine.

 

[goliath]

Moose is a mild game taste. actually prefer our local moose to store bought beef. very lean, one of the reasons i grind it. if a guy wants a good steak i prefer beef for the marble.

as for a venison comparison ..IM NOT THE GUY. the mule deer we have out here are very tallowy... i just cant get past that layer it leaves on the roof of my mouth. none of that with moose. also its all in how you look after the meat after the kill. an old timer here told me years ago (before i was an old timer) .... "most guys cant take it past pulling the trigger" ... and somehow that can be true. looking forward to bear season in spring cause it makes great sausage too. never tell anyone till they are on the 2nd sausage or they wont even try it ...  LOL
this will be the 1st year i make my own bear sausage.. but have had some great stuff made in the past !

thanks for the tip about the probes

 

[tom ryle]

Moose is a mild game taste. actually prefer our local moose to store bought beef. very lean, one of the reasons i grind it. if a guy wants a good steak i prefer beef for the marble.
as for a venison comparison ..IM NOT THE GUY. the mule deer we have out here are very tallowy... i just cant get past that layer it leaves on the roof of my mouth. none of that with moose. also its all in how you look after the meat after the kill. an old timer here told me years ago (before i was an old timer) .... "most guys cant take it past pulling the trigger" ... and somehow that can be true. looking forward to bear season in spring cause it makes great sausage too. never tell anyone till they are on the 2nd sausage or they wont even try it ...  LOL

this will be the 1st year i make my own bear sausage.. but have had some great stuff made in the past !

thanks for the tip about the probes

cc

Love smoker set up!! Should be a winner!

As for mule deer (or any wild game) you MUST remove all fat and never run it through a bandsaw. A saw just drags bone marrow and bone particles across all your steaks. As with any big game animal, you need to cool the meat quickly, keep it clean, and keep the flies off it. I've hunted far and wide and have yet to have bad or gamey tasting meat. My 2013 blacktail was an old brute with teeth worn to the gums...and he tastes great!! Glad to send my "Field to Freezer" article to anyone interested in wild game processing and meat care. Lots of photos ;-)

 

[goliath]

here are the goodies out of the smoker. the sticks have been hanging for a few hours as they came up to temp 1st

brought them up to 155, seem a little chewy on the skin but more moist in the middle. flavor is super. the chubbies just came off. that is water on the floor not FAT !!!!!!

looking thru the site it seems people pull the sausage anywhere from 150 to 160. i figured 155 was a good number.
SO HOW DO I KEEP THE STICKS MORE MOIST ?? its a great bit of pepperoni and i have hung stuff in the past to get dryer that i had commercially made, was just wondering if i should change something or if i made a mistake. its actually quit lean as it is probably less than 20% fat.

looking forward to homemade pizza thursday with the new pepperoni.....

P1010020.jpg

• goliath
• Jan 5, 2014

chubbies and some cripples on the front stick...  ha ha ha

will post more pics when i slice some up after it rests..

thanks for any help you pass on  :0)

 

[boykjo]

To retain moisture you can always add nfdm (non fat dry milk) and a small amout of water..................

 

[goliath]

P1010023.jpg

• goliath
• Jan 9, 2014

P1010024.jpg

• goliath
• Jan 9, 2014

There is some of it, the sticks and the Chubbies .....
really looking forward to some home made pizza tonight with a little smoked cheddar on it too...

 

[driedstick]

Those look great, Did you know I am a free taste tester - Yes FREE!  call now

Recipe??

A full smoker is a happy smoker and yours looked happy

 

[goliath]

I CHEATED .....

used a prepackaged blend from Stuffers, a sausage making supply place here near Vancouver in Canada.

will try one off the site here next time though. this turned out very tasty, like a commercial pepperoni i would say, but quite lean as it was moose/pork fat 85/15.

NO COMPLAINTS FROM ANY VULTURES... took some to the butchers at the local supermarket that save fat for me an it was well liked there also.

 

[woodcutter]

They look good from here. I was wondering, wouldn't you want pepperoni a little on the dry side?

 

[goliath]

I panicked .. when i ate a couple right out of the smoker it was quite leathery on the skin BUT after it sat for a few days it is just right, not too dry. i actually had to hang stuff i had paid to get made in the past to get it where i wanted it. on the other hand, the chubbies could be a little more moist but i think that is because of the low fat content, another 5% and have a 80 / 20 split might be better....

still no complaints

 

[samuel trachet]

Goliath--

                          Everything you had it the smoker looks amazing!! I personally love moose meat and consider it my all time favorite. I miss it as I havent had any in about 20 years. I remember it as being better than beef. Congratulations! You have done well!!

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Not sure how I missed this thread but that sausage looks damn good !! Love moose meat, real tasty...... Dang, nice man !! BTW, nice smoker too !! Gonna get into making sausage myself real soon and can't wait....

 

[daveomak]

Adam..... morning.... Try Amesphos in your sticks..... NEPAS, our resident expert on all things smoked and fermented, turned me on to it some time ago.... It's a patented moisture "thing" for stick meats etc.... In the link below, is the place to get it....

Dave
http://store.theingredientstore.com/amesphos.aspx

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/131312/what-is-amesphos