I don't claim to be an expert, but I'm pretty pleased with my efforts so far. Here's how I roll fatties to get a nice spiral. Props to Capt Dan for the tip on twisting the plastic wrap.
1. Roll out! Flatten out the sausage on plastic wrap lengthwise. I do this on a 9 x 13 sheet because it keeps it narrow enough for my Rival KC smoker. I put the filling right up to the edge which will be the center (far left of pic) and leave about 1 1/2 inches at the other end for overlap (far right). I also leave about 1 inch on either side to allow for sealing the ends after rolling.
2. Lift off! Start by lifting the plastic wrap at the end which will be the center of the spiral.
3. Fold it! Fold that end in as tight as possible. If you simply lay it over by an inch or two, you're not going to get a nice tight spiral. The sausage should start to peel away from the wrap right away. (Some have suggested spritzing the wrap with water prior to rolling out the sausage, but I haven't had to yet.)
4. Keep rolling! Keeping the plastic pretty taut, keep rolling things tightly.
5. Tighten up! In the last couple of turns, focus on keeping it pretty tight. Some of the toppings, especially if they've been sauteed or packed in oil, like onions or sun-dried tomatoes, will let you slide rather than roll.
6. Seal it! When you finally roll over that last edge, crimp it down a bit on that edge; pinch the gap shut tight and smooth it out (for aesthetics, I guess).
Don't forget the ends!
7. Stuff it! Wrap it up in the plastic wrap again and twist up the ends as if it were back in the casing from the supermarket. You could even spin the fatty between the ends and get it nice and tight, to get that "chub" look.
8. Chill it or smoke it! That's it. I had two more to do, so I tucked the plastic wrap ends under the fatty and tossed it in the fridge until I was ready to load the smoker.
Hope this helps someone!
1. Roll out! Flatten out the sausage on plastic wrap lengthwise. I do this on a 9 x 13 sheet because it keeps it narrow enough for my Rival KC smoker. I put the filling right up to the edge which will be the center (far left of pic) and leave about 1 1/2 inches at the other end for overlap (far right). I also leave about 1 inch on either side to allow for sealing the ends after rolling.
2. Lift off! Start by lifting the plastic wrap at the end which will be the center of the spiral.
3. Fold it! Fold that end in as tight as possible. If you simply lay it over by an inch or two, you're not going to get a nice tight spiral. The sausage should start to peel away from the wrap right away. (Some have suggested spritzing the wrap with water prior to rolling out the sausage, but I haven't had to yet.)
4. Keep rolling! Keeping the plastic pretty taut, keep rolling things tightly.
5. Tighten up! In the last couple of turns, focus on keeping it pretty tight. Some of the toppings, especially if they've been sauteed or packed in oil, like onions or sun-dried tomatoes, will let you slide rather than roll.
6. Seal it! When you finally roll over that last edge, crimp it down a bit on that edge; pinch the gap shut tight and smooth it out (for aesthetics, I guess).
Don't forget the ends!
7. Stuff it! Wrap it up in the plastic wrap again and twist up the ends as if it were back in the casing from the supermarket. You could even spin the fatty between the ends and get it nice and tight, to get that "chub" look.
8. Chill it or smoke it! That's it. I had two more to do, so I tucked the plastic wrap ends under the fatty and tossed it in the fridge until I was ready to load the smoker.
Hope this helps someone!
