As I was about to start making sausage a couple months ago, I considered all of the different things I wanted to make. Snack Stix was at the top of the list. I've always loved them but have stayed away the past several years after finding out all the nasty stuff that goes into them. First two batches were somebody else's recipe. Batch one was done in "edible" mahogany collagen casings. I guess the word "edible" is a relative term. Perhaps if you have a set of chompers reminiscent to those of a Great White Shark you could eat these things. Mere mortals didn't stand a chance. Everybody just squeezed the filling out like a Pixie Stick. Second batch was done in natural hog casings, same recipe but upped the spices a bit because the first batch was lacking in flavor. Second batch was edible but still lacking in flavor, texture, and the deep mahogany color I wanted. Undaunted and unwilling to settle for a less-than-expected product, I tried again. This time I bought the meat, cut it up, put in the freezer to chill, and literally stood at the kitchen island and wrote down this recipe (listed below). Made the sticks and hung in the fridge for a couple of days then smoked. BINGO!! These were a LOT closer to what I was looking for. I call them "Combo Snack Stix" because it's a combination of beef and pork whereas most snack sticks are all beef. Here is the recipe with pics to follow:
2 ¼ lb. lean beef
¾ lb. fatty pork (12 oz. pack cheap fatty bacon)
2 packets American Harvest original jerky seasoning
1 packet American Harvest curing salt
2 T NFDM
1 T Garlic powder
1 T Crushed red pepper
½ T Black pepper
1 t Mustard seed
1 t Onion powder
1 t Cayenne pepper
1 t Liquid hickory smoke
¾ t Cure #1
½ t My hot pepper spice
¼ cup ice water
This is about a perfect combination of flavors. I have now made three batches of these and just finished the third batch yesterday. No pics of the first batch but here is a summary of the second batch, with experiment notes to follow.
Stuffed into hog casings. I do these in 17" links. This allows me to snip the ends and get 3) 5 1/2" sticks out of each kink which fit perfectly into a snack sized Zip Lock baggie
Smoked and drying after the ice bath
Cut into lengths to fit into the baggies
First batch of these were started in the smoker at 130*, gradually increasing temp to 170*, and pulled at an IT of 153*. The second batch (pictured above) was done in the same manner but at the end the smoker jumped to 175* and the sticks had an IT of 156* when pulled. Oddly enough this little accident had great results. This batch came out a bit darker and had a texture that was a little firmer, both of which were appealing. Decided to do a little experiment on the third batch which was smoked yesterday. Started the same with the smoker but when the IT of the sticks hit 150* I ran the smoker temp up to 210* then pulled the sticks at an IT of 160*. The results were pretty amazing IMHO. The sticks had an even firmer texture and a deeper mahogany color. The key is to watch the IT very closely so as not to have a fat-out if the temp gets too high. This is finally the level of perfection I've been wanting to achieve. These are simply amazing!! Far and again the best snack sticks I've ever had. Deep rich flavor, perfect snap to the casings, and a nice little spice tingle at the end.
Stick on left was batch 2. Stick on right was batch 3 done yesterday. You can see the color difference
I've been making beef jerky for many years and had just ordered enough of the spice kits for 25# of jerky so I had the seasonings on hand. Understanding that folks may be reluctant to buy a bunch of spices for something that is unknown to them, I'm going to make an offer. The first two people who send me a PM with their name and address, I'll send them enough of the jerky seasoning and curing salt to make a batch. The only caveat I'd ask is that once you make the sticks, please post your results to the group to help others possibly decide to buy the spices in quantity. I assure you, it's worth it :-) On a different note, I grow and dry all of my own hot peppers. There is a jar of spice in the pantry that's been in the making for well over 10 years. Every year, whatever the garden yields, I dry the peppers, grind them, and add them to the jar. It changes every year and never ceases to amaze me the depth of flavor...and the heat, that this stuff can conjure up. There is a mixture of probably 20 or more different types of hot peppers in this mix. Soooo....in addition to the jerky seasoning I offered to send to the first two people, I'll also include a couple tablespoons of this pepper spice mix.
Spicin' it up in Lago,
Robert
2 ¼ lb. lean beef
¾ lb. fatty pork (12 oz. pack cheap fatty bacon)
2 packets American Harvest original jerky seasoning
1 packet American Harvest curing salt
2 T NFDM
1 T Garlic powder
1 T Crushed red pepper
½ T Black pepper
1 t Mustard seed
1 t Onion powder
1 t Cayenne pepper
1 t Liquid hickory smoke
¾ t Cure #1
½ t My hot pepper spice
¼ cup ice water
This is about a perfect combination of flavors. I have now made three batches of these and just finished the third batch yesterday. No pics of the first batch but here is a summary of the second batch, with experiment notes to follow.
Stuffed into hog casings. I do these in 17" links. This allows me to snip the ends and get 3) 5 1/2" sticks out of each kink which fit perfectly into a snack sized Zip Lock baggie
Smoked and drying after the ice bath
Cut into lengths to fit into the baggies
First batch of these were started in the smoker at 130*, gradually increasing temp to 170*, and pulled at an IT of 153*. The second batch (pictured above) was done in the same manner but at the end the smoker jumped to 175* and the sticks had an IT of 156* when pulled. Oddly enough this little accident had great results. This batch came out a bit darker and had a texture that was a little firmer, both of which were appealing. Decided to do a little experiment on the third batch which was smoked yesterday. Started the same with the smoker but when the IT of the sticks hit 150* I ran the smoker temp up to 210* then pulled the sticks at an IT of 160*. The results were pretty amazing IMHO. The sticks had an even firmer texture and a deeper mahogany color. The key is to watch the IT very closely so as not to have a fat-out if the temp gets too high. This is finally the level of perfection I've been wanting to achieve. These are simply amazing!! Far and again the best snack sticks I've ever had. Deep rich flavor, perfect snap to the casings, and a nice little spice tingle at the end.
Stick on left was batch 2. Stick on right was batch 3 done yesterday. You can see the color difference
I've been making beef jerky for many years and had just ordered enough of the spice kits for 25# of jerky so I had the seasonings on hand. Understanding that folks may be reluctant to buy a bunch of spices for something that is unknown to them, I'm going to make an offer. The first two people who send me a PM with their name and address, I'll send them enough of the jerky seasoning and curing salt to make a batch. The only caveat I'd ask is that once you make the sticks, please post your results to the group to help others possibly decide to buy the spices in quantity. I assure you, it's worth it :-) On a different note, I grow and dry all of my own hot peppers. There is a jar of spice in the pantry that's been in the making for well over 10 years. Every year, whatever the garden yields, I dry the peppers, grind them, and add them to the jar. It changes every year and never ceases to amaze me the depth of flavor...and the heat, that this stuff can conjure up. There is a mixture of probably 20 or more different types of hot peppers in this mix. Soooo....in addition to the jerky seasoning I offered to send to the first two people, I'll also include a couple tablespoons of this pepper spice mix.
Spicin' it up in Lago,
Robert
