Jalapeno cheese curd sausage

[jeremy5431]

So I was at a MN Wild game last night and saw a sausage that had jalapenos and cheese curds, and I got to thinking that this is an excellent combination to try. Cheese curds I think are a high temp cheese ( they typically bread them and fry them) so why not dice them up and put into the sausage.

I have tried xutfuzzy's sausage recipe and it was good, so I am using that as a base. I'll bold my additions / changes below:

• 5 lbs pork shoulder
• 6 diced Jalapenos
• 4 oz diced cheese curds
• 5 tsp salt
• 4 tsp brown sugar
• 2.5 tsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 1.5 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 tsp cure #1
• 1.5 tsp organo
• 1/4 cup Jalapeno cream ale

Before trying this I have a few questions.
1. My favorite beer is a Jalapeno Cream ale from a local craft brewery. It has a ton of flavor but not necessary the heat, so I would love to add this to the mix. Does anyone see any issues with this?
2. If you haven't had cheese curds they are really salty, so Im wondering if I should reduce or omit the 5 tsp salt from the recipe?
3. It will be my first time using cure #1. any advice?
4. I don't have an electric smoker so I am going to use my father in laws WSM, with a charcoal snake. any suggestions / advice?

More to come on this. I am planning on making the sausage in the next few weeks, but wanted to get the research done in advance.

 

[tx smoker]

1. My favorite beer is a Jalapeno Cream ale from a local craft brewery. It has a ton of flavor but not necessary the heat, so I would love to add this to the mix. Does anyone see any issues with this?

No issues at all. I brew my own beer and regularly use it instead of adding water to the farce for the proper consistency.

If you haven't had cheese curds they are really salty, so Im wondering if I should reduce or omit the 5 tsp salt from the recipe?

I've eaten cheese curds numerous times. I've found that by themselves they are not salty. One place I got them from and they were breaded, the breading had a lot of salt but not the curds

It will be my first time using cure #1. any advice?

1 teaspoon per 5 pounds of meat. Make sure you get a pretty accurate amount to ensure no spoilage of the meat when smoking.

I don't have an electric smoker so I am going to use my father in laws WSM, with a charcoal snake. any suggestions / advice?

Watch the grill temp very closely. I've never used a WSM but do have a Big Green Egg and it is not able to maintain temps low enough for smoking sausage. I cannot speak for the WSM though. My comment is based solely on them both burning charcoal. Others could probably chime in with more experience using the Weber

Robert

 

[fished]

With using charcoal you will have to watch the temperature closely. I cured my bacon in my Webber kettle using just the amps and 5 or 6 brickets, it kept the temerature to 100 without any problem. I'm planning on doing some summer sausage in it latter.
Ed

 

[crazymoon]

J5431,Recipe sounds good, you just need to keep the smoker temps below 165 ish to prevent fat out and cheese melt. I would taste the curds you are adding and if they are salty cut back some on your salt. Also don't forget your drying stage at the onset where the dampers are wide open and the temp is 120ish or lower. Sounds like a tasty recipe,please post results and a few pics !

 

[fished]

They say for dutch oven cooking that one bricket will give about 25 degrees temp. When I do mine that what I'm going to use as a gage, will see how it works out.

 

[jeremy5431]

Also don't forget your drying stage at the onset where the dampers are wide open and the temp is 120ish or lower.

So is there another way to dry them before putting them on the smoker? Would it be better to use an electric smoker or putting a hot plat in the Wsm as the heat source? I also have a amps that I would use for the smoke

J5431,Recipe sounds good, you just need to keep the smoker temps below 165 ish to prevent fat out and cheese melt.

I bought a thermoworks smoke last fall, so I’ll use the air probe for the temp and put the short 2.5 “ in the sausage, assuming omg going for an IT of 155?

 

[crazymoon]

So is there another way to dry them before putting them on the smoker? Would it be better to use an electric smoker or putting a hot plat in the Wsm as the heat source? I also have a amps that I would use for the smoke
You could air dry them for a few hours IMHO-If you have a choice go electric!

I bought a thermoworks smoke last fall, so I’ll use the air probe for the temp and put the short 2.5 “ in the sausage, assuming omg going for an IT of 155?

Put yout thermometer into the top of one of your hanging sausage to prevent the fat from running out as you cook them

 

[jeremy5431]

Put yout thermometer into the top of one of your hanging sausage to prevent the fat from running out as you cook them

I was planning on using S hooks attached to the grates to hang the sausage. Would this work or do they need to be higher than the cooking grate?

 

[crazymoon]

I was planning on using S hooks attached to the grates to hang the sausage. Would this work or do they need to be higher than the cooking grate?

J5431, Hanging from the grate is fine but try to stay 4-5 inches from your heat source at a minimum.You risk fat out and burning the bottom half of your sausage if you get too close.I am unfamiliar with a WSM smoker so I'm not sure of your set-up. I use an electric smoker for my sausage and can keep an even temp throughout the smoking process.