How much high heat cheese for sausage?

[uncle eddie]

Sausage Making Noob Question: I am curious what dosage rate you sausage making veterans use for high heat cheddar cheese? I am planning on jalapeno cheddar sticks and chubs if that makes any difference.

I got some good advice about jalapeno dosage rate in this thread last week! Thanks!

How much and what type of jalapeno should I used for venison/pork sticks or summer sausage

I have my "basic" summer-sausage recipe fine tuned to my liking so now I need to know at what rate I should add diced jalapeno's to the batch. Should they be fresh (de-seeded) or jarred? Any pointers will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Ed

www.smokingmeatforums.com

I put ^^^this^^^ in here so I have all tips in one place.

 

[oberst]

In a 6 pound sausage batch I usually add a pound.

 

[DanMcG]

I like 10% cheese in my summer sausage

 

[SmokinEdge]

10% of meat weight is fairly standard. 1# cheese to 10# meat.

But this can vary based on cheese flavor, and your personal taste.

 

[boykjo]

I prefer 5% to 8%. Any more is too cheesy to me. If you like cheese then go with 10%. I get mine from butcher and packer

Boykjo

 

[uncle eddie]

Thanks guys! I think I will start with 5% - see what it looks like - and adjust upwards from there if more is warranted.

 

[chopsaw]

see what it looks like

I go by looks .
Is this a store bought mix , or going from scratch ?
I always add sodium erythorbate in chubs that have high temp cheese . Keeps it from oxidizing around cheese . Some of the pre mixes already have it in them .
Not saying it will happen , but it can .

 

[uncle eddie]

chopsaw - It is a summer sausage mix from TSM (Jalapeno Herb) that I add a little Mrs. Dash Southwestern Chipotle (1 tablespoon per 5 pounds meat). I follow the TSM recipe precisely - which IMHO was a touch weak on flavor - which is why I add the Mrs. Dash. I run the Mrs. Dash through a spice mill to make it into a powder.

I will definitely check out sodium erythorbate.

So far, even my mistakes have been delicious to someone.

 

[poacherjoe]

I am not an expert but in my opinion the high temp cheese does little more than add color to the finished product. Plus the cost factor of the HTC . Myself , I like to buy a good quality cheese and add slices of it on the plate next to my sliced sausage . This way is more affordable and it tastes way better than the HTC. It could be that my taste buds are worn out but that's my 2 cents

 

[chopsaw]

chopsaw - It is a summer sausage mix from TSM (Jalapeno Herb) that I add a little Mrs. Dash Southwestern Chipotle (1 tablespoon per 5 pounds meat). I follow the TSM recipe precisely - which IMHO was a touch weak on flavor - which is why I add the Mrs. Dash. I run the Mrs. Dash through a spice mill to make it into a powder.

I will definitely check out sodium erythorbate.

So far, even my mistakes have been delicious to someone.

You're good bud . They may not list it on the package , but I'm going to say it's in there .

 

[thirdeye]

I'm a visual guy too. I don't have a photo of any sausage meat, but here is a slice of meatloaf, and I use about the same amount of hi-temp cheese in them as I do in sausage.

 

[zwiller]

I am not an expert but in my opinion the high temp cheese does little more than add color to the finished product.

Same here. I plan to try processed cheese like Duncan did and grind it with jalapenos. I thought I dropped that link in the jalapenos thread but guess not.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Same here. I plan to try processed cheese like Duncan did and grind it with jalapenos. I thought I dropped that link in the jalapenos thread but guess not.

Doing some with “Mexican” flavored velveeta right now.

 

[Steve H]

Usually around 20%. With SS I don't bother using high heat cheese. Not needed.

 

[JckDanls 07]

For cheese.. I use a good store bought (Habanero) cut into 1/4" cubes (1 lb per 10lbs of meat).. as for Jalapenos .. I use 8 med-large (seeds and all) per 10 lbs of meat... I run it through my slap chopper to chop them up... This makes for a not to spicy finished product...

 

[thirdeye]

I am not an expert but in my opinion the high temp cheese does little more than add color to the finished product. Plus the cost factor of the HTC . Myself , I like to buy a good quality cheese and add slices of it on the plate next to my sliced sausage . This way is more affordable and it tastes way better than the HTC. It could be that my taste buds are worn out but that's my 2 cents

Color for sure, and HTC gives a soft texture. Do you think the flavor dissipates while cooking or smoking, or was the HTC you tried not very flavorful right out of the bag?

The flavors I generally buy are pepper jack, cheddar, and blue cheese. I think the blue is the most robust, in fact we make a meatball dish which is smothered in a variation of the cream of mushroom soup gravy. The blue cheese flavor actually enhances the gravy itself. As far as heat.... once Butcher Packer sent 'Lava Jack' instead of pepper jack, and it was noticeably spicier.

 

[poacherjoe]

Color for sure, and HTC gives a soft texture. Do you think the flavor dissipates while cooking or smoking, or was the HTC you tried not very flavorful right out of the bag?

The flavors I generally buy are pepper jack, cheddar, and blue cheese. I think the blue is the most robust, in fact we make a meatball dish which is smothered in a variation of the cream of mushroom soup gravy. The blue cheese flavor actually enhances the gravy itself. As far as heat.... once Butcher Packer sent 'Lava Jack' instead of pepper jack, and it was noticeably spicier.

I have tried HTC from several sources and I didn't see much if any difference .Not sure if it loses flavor. It gives the sausage a good appearance but I prefer to slice some good quality cheese and place it on the plate with the sausage slices. Some people might even prefer no cheese so they have the option to add some to a plate if desired. And it is a hell of a lot cheaper this way and less work