first attempt at fatties

[smokedad]

I ran across a few threads on fatties, and I think I would like to try one for my next smoke.  I would like to do a breakfast fattie with eggs, potatoes, cheese, bacon and maybe ham.  Do I need to cook the eggs and potatoes before I roll them up in the fattie?

If I chose to put the bacon inside the fattie instead of wrapping it, would I need to cook that, too?

 

[801driver]

Yes, cook everything before putting it in the fattie.  The inside will not get hot enough to really cook anything other than the sausage or hamburger you are using and getting cheese just up to a melting point.  Think about browning sausage in a skillet with a piece of raw bacon laying on top, it will be very limp after the sausage is done.

I actually smoke my fatties at 225, then transfer them to a hot grill for a few minutes to crisp up the bacon wrapping as it is still limp after smoking..

Good luck to you, keep us posted on your progress.

 

[worktogthr]

You got great advice up above.  The other suggestion I would give you is to fight the temptation to overstuff them.  Otherwise, they are hard to roll up and get everything inside without it falling apart which may cause holes and then all your delicious stuffing will end up on the bottoms of your grill or smoker.

 

[SmokinAl]

Yep, as said above cook everything first.

And I have been using 1 1/4 lb of sausage instead of 1 lb. so it would hold together better.

I'm guilty of over stuffing them & this seems to help.

Al

 

[smokedad]

If I use a mixture of sausage and hamburger, does the target IT of 165 change or stay the same? 

Does a fattie using all hamburger work the same way as an all sausage one, in terms of being able to roll it up the same way, etc?  I assume the IT may be different for an all hamburger one, too.

 

[crankybuzzard]

Comminuted meats (sausage, ground beef, etc) needs to be brought to an internal temp of 160.

Mixing the ground meats by hand until sticky will also help with binding and texture.

 

[smokedad]

Thanks, everyone.  Does ground meat like sausage and hamburger take on smoke flavor easily, like poultry?  I have read that with some meats you need to use wood that gives a lighter smoke flavor, like apple or pecan, so you don't give it an overpowering smoke flavor.  I was wondering if ground sausage or hamburger is like that, or if it matters since fatties usually get done in 2 - 3 hours. 

 

[crankybuzzard]

Soaks it up like a sponge. Light smoke for ground meats not in a casing.

 

[ab canuck]

Some good info here. I know I am going to make 1 when I get home. I haven't decided on what to stuff i twith yet. We mad e a really nice andouille, as well as a chipotle sausage. Now cheese??? Mozz, cheddar, Swiss, or Montery? Gouda.... man i'm getting hungry. 

 Are you guys using reg bacon or thick cut?