Hot dogs questions ????

[shoneyboy]

I have been considering making Hotdogs for a while now

, I have never attempted making them and have been really wanting to try it…….. I do not know anything about how to make them or where to start other that I have found a premix from LEM….I wanted to ask for pointers from anyone that has made them before….Or is there some one that has a Hotdog 101 that I'm missing ?  My main questions are:

• What is the best meat to make hot dogs from ? Pork ? Beef ?
• Hot dogs are ground fine so I was going to grind the meat through a fine plate….Is this right ?
•  Has anyone tried the LEM premix ? or would they have a recipe that they like and would be willing to share?
• What size casings work best ? ( I see a post that Boykjo was discussing this and most people said 22/24mm   http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/129880/hot-dog-casing-size#post_880183 )

What’s the best method of cooking them?  Smoking ? Poaching ? recommendations?

I’ m not sure if I have covered everything yet, so if someone that has more experience doing this has some input feel free to cover anything that I may have missed. I would greatly appreciate it……I’m planning working on this during the Christmas holidays, so I have a little time to do a little more research……Any and all help is as always appreciated…. Thanks ShoneyBoy

 

[solaryellow]

I have been using a modified bologna recipe that Dan McGee shared with me. I use a mixture of 60% ground chuck roll, 30% ground boston butt, and 10% ground bacon.

Usually they are emulsified. I do a double grind through a fine plate and am happy with the texture.

I use a cellulose casing that gets stripped off after they have bloomed for skinless hot dogs.

I cold smoke and then poach.

 

[big casino]

I have made them once b4, flavor turned out good used Rytek recipe from his sausage book, the mistake I made was assuming that pork butts were  an 80/20 meat/fat ratio, they turned out a little dry, I smoked them to finish

the next time I make them which is going to be this week I will  let the casings dry at room temp and then smoke them an hour or so and then poach to finish them

Sorry have not ever used LEM products and the fine plate on your grinder is correct but you may want to double grind to help emulsify, or you can use a food processor to emulsify, which I found was  not that easy unless you have a "BIG" food processor, or I just wasnt doing it correctly.

I cant remember the size casings I used but if I was to guess I'd say they were 26 -28mm

Don't know if anything I typed will be helpful or not, but thats how my hot dog session went for the first time, hopefully next time will be a little better

 

[mossymo]

- We use 5 lbs. venison and 7 1/2 lbs. 80/20 pork trimmings and 2 lbs of hi temp cheddar cheese.

- We do a coarse grind and mix and mix everything BUT the cheese; venison, pork, seasonings and cure; this then sits in the fridge overnight to meld the seasonings and cure into the mixture. The next day we give the mixture two fine grinds mixing ice water into the mix so the mixture is not so stiff. After the final grind we add the hi temp cheddar cheese and stuff into 26-28mm sheep casings.

Below are links my wife and I have used for hot dogs, very good hot dog seasoning in our opinion.

Seasoning - http://curleyssausagekitchen.com/Old-Fashion-Wieners-25.html
Recipe - https://www18.corecommerce.com/~csk/uploads/file/Old Fashion Wiener Recipe.pdf

What we have done differently to improve on the recipe is to just give the hot dogs a few hours of smoke and then finish bringing the hot dog to internal meat temp of 152º in a hot water bath (water temp of 170º - 180º), then a cold water bath to stop the cooking process. Final step is laying the hot dogs on racks to bloom. We have found you get a plumper, better looking hot dog using this method; it is just a visual deal... the hot dogs still taste the same but look much better!

Here is the hot dogs in the hot water bath.

IMG_2374.JPG

• mossymo
• Nov 4, 2012

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Cold water bath.

IMG_2375.JPG

• mossymo
• Nov 4, 2012

-----

Tub of finished hot dogs to show the plumpness.

IMG_2380.JPG

• mossymo
• Nov 4, 2012

-----

Cut open hot dog to show inside texture. This batch was done without the hi temp cheddar cheese, same meat ratios.

IMG_2381.JPG

• mossymo
• Nov 4, 2012

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Use whatever meat you prefer, remove ALL connective tissue.
I typically make all-beef or all-pork franks, but have made them with many different meats...bunny dogs are real good!
A kiss of cold smoke and then very gentle 'steaming' at 155-166 degrees until the internal temp is 145.

Making Hot Dogs Tutorial - The Sausage Maker, Inc.

http://www.sausagemaker.com/tutorials/hotdogs/hotdogs.html

~Martin

 

[shoneyboy]

Ask and you shall receive, Man!!!  There is some great information that everyone has sent…..Now, I just may have to give this a try sooner than the Christmas holidays……. With having recipes this good, I think the LEM premix is out!!!! Thanks for all of the information that everyone has posted so far.....ShoneyBoy.......

- We use 5 lbs. venison and 7 1/2 lbs. 80/20 pork trimmings and 2 lbs of hi temp cheddar cheese.
- We do a coarse grind and mix and mix everything BUT the cheese; venison, pork, seasonings and cure; this then sits in the fridge overnight to meld the seasonings and cure into the mixture. The next day we give the mixture two fine grinds mixing ice water into the mix so the mixture is not so stiff. After the final grind we add the hi temp cheddar cheese and stuff into 26-28mm sheep casings.
Below are links my wife and I have used for hot dogs, very good hot dog seasoning in our opinion.
Seasoning - http://curleyssausagekitchen.com/Old-Fashion-Wieners-25.html
Recipe - https://www18.corecommerce.com/~csk/uploads/file/Old Fashion Wiener Recipe.pdf
What we have done differently to improve on the recipe is to just give the hot dogs a few hours of smoke and then finish bringing the hot dog to internal meat temp of 152º in a hot water bath (water temp of 170º - 180º), then a cold water bath to stop the cooking process. Final step is laying the hot dogs on racks to bloom. We have found you get a plumper, better looking hot dog using this method; it is just a visual deal... the hot dogs still taste the same but look much better!
Here is the hot dogs in the hot water bath.

IMG_2374.JPG

• mossymo
• Nov 4, 2012

---

Cold water bath.

IMG_2375.JPG

• mossymo
• Nov 4, 2012

---

Tub of finished hot dogs to show the plumpness.

IMG_2380.JPG

• mossymo
• Nov 4, 2012

---

Cut open hot dog to show inside texture. This batch was done without the hi temp cheddar cheese, same meat ratios.

IMG_2381.JPG

• mossymo
• Nov 4, 2012

If I can get mine to look this good.....I will never buy them again !!!! I wish I had one of these on a bun with a little mustard right about now.......

Thanks for the pictures......

Use whatever meat you prefer, remove ALL connective tissue.
I typically make all-beef or all-pork franks, but have made them with many different meats...bunny dogs are real good!
A kiss of cold smoke and then very gentle 'steaming' at 155-166 degrees until the internal temp is 145.
Making Hot Dogs Tutorial - The Sausage Maker, Inc.
http://www.sausagemaker.com/tutorials/hotdogs/hotdogs.html
~Martin

Thanks for the link

.......Now that I think about it, I feel the first thing I'm going to do in invest in a Rytek Kutas book.....

http://www.sausagemaker.com/71200greatsausagerecipesandmeatcuringbyrytekkutas.aspx .....I have been wanting one since I have been smoking and just have not bought one yet.....If it has this kind of information

.....It's next on my "I want list

"....to the wife

.......ShoneyBoy......

 

[roller]

I have been wanting to try this myself...Thanks for all the info...

 

[arnie]

Thanks!  Hotdogs are on my To-Try list

 

[boykjo]

I have been grinding through the fine plate 4 times to get a puree.... I have been wanting to purchase a robot coupe blixer to purre to get a true puree but I am still waiting to get a deal.......  I cold smoke them for a couple of hrs then I smok'em to an internal temp of 140 then pull them and poach in 180 degree water to an IT of 160 then into a water bath then hang in the fridge to bloom. I have gotten better results with the poach rather than taking them to 160 in the smoker. They are plumper and have a better snap. I will not be going to the 24mm 26mm casings anytime soon because its just too much meat for me on a hot dog... The only thing bad about the 22-24mm casings is that there buggers to find the opening to slide it on the stuffing tube........

 

 

[shoneyboy]

I have been grinding through the fine plate 4 times to get a puree.... I have been wanting to purchase a robot coupe blixer to purre to get a true puree but I am still waiting to get a deal.......  I cold smoke them for a couple of hrs then I smok'em to an internal temp of 140 then pull them and poach in 180 degree water to an IT of 160 then into a water bath then hang in the fridge to bloom. I have gotten better results with the poach rather than taking them to 160 in the smoker. They are plumper and have a better snap. I will not be going to the 24mm 26mm casings anytime soon because its just too much meat for me on a hot dog... The only thing bad about the 22-24mm casings is that there buggers to find the opening to slide it on the stuffing tube........

 

Thanks Boykjo, I've been looking around for casings too....I was going to check at Bass Pro to see what they have available......

 

[fpnmf]

Hey!!

 Send me yer snaily and I will send you a pack of these...for a future trade....

http://www.eastmanoutdoors.com/sausage-casings-sheep

I used these for dogs I made..got 4 packs..I can live without one...

     Craig