Looking for Honey Ham Stick Recipe

[woodcutter]

I buy these ham sticks from Nueske's Meat Market in Wisconsin and I would like to make some. I couldn't find anything on the search bar that helped.

This picture is from Nueske's web page.

I'm thinking of curing some port butts as I would with Buckboard Bacon. Instead of smoking the slab, grind the cured slab add some honey then stuff into sticks and smoke.  Any help would be appreciated as you can't stop eating these..........Thanks!

 

[daveomak]

woodcutter, evening.. sounds interesting....   Are there other spices or herbs in the sticks ???  Or do they just taste like honey bacon.... 

Seems the flavor profile might be a little bland with honey only....  Maybe "Real Maple Syrup" and bacon flavored sticks.... Just thinking out loud.... For some other zing, and not over power the stick, add a half rate of pepperoni, andouille, bratwurst or beef stick mix.. Just enough to add some flavor...  Do a fry test of the raw mixed product before stuffing to check flavor profile....   Dave

 

[smokinhusker]

Sounds interesting so I googled them...Nueske's states "Honey, Ham and savory seasonings". Not much help there. I also got a hit to PS Seasonings, which has a honey ham stick seasoning mix. Not sure if Sausage Maker or any of the others do

 

[woodcutter]

The flavor profile is ham and or bacon, sweetness from the honey, a little salty and smokey. Thanks for the PS seasoning tip. They had an ingredient list: Ing.: Honey Granules, salt, dextrose, spices, mustard, garlic powder, sodium erythorbate (0.5%)

I think I will start with cured buckboard bacon slab and add honey either to the raw pork or after it is cured. Then I will start trying the other ingredients mustard, maybe a little more garlic powder.

I'll do what Dave said and start test frying small batches and see what I get.

Actually I should be able grind the pork and mix the buckboard ingredients and skip the 10 days in the fridge, I think?

Still looking if anyone has he recipe or any more helpful ideas.
 

 

[woodcutter]

I just bought some casings from my local butcher. I gently asked him about ham sticks and he said he used his in house ham cure and added 4-6 ozs of honey then stuffed them and smoked to 155.

I'm going to use the dry cure I've been using for buck board bacon and see where that takes me.

 

[scarbelly]

This sounds like an interesting project - be sure to do some qview for us 

 

[diggingdogfarm]

I make some ham sticks, I just add a little ham base (for a very pronounced ham flavor) to the ground meat along with whatever spices I want.

~Martin

 

[woodcutter]

Thanks Martin! Do you smoke them ? Add cure?

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Thanks Martin! Do you smoke them ? Add cure?

Always add cure when smoking sticks... Cure #1 @ 1 tsp per every 5 lbs of meat.

And i have used what Martin uses.

 

[diggingdogfarm]

Yep, cured and smoked.



~Martin

 

[woodcutter]

I couldn't find any ham base at Sam's so I mixed

per 1 lb

1 TBS TQ

1TB brown sugar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp basil

1/2 tsp honey

The test fry tasted good but 1/2 of my smoker element quit and now it is 12:26 and it is only up 136 IT. Started at 6:20 so it will have plenty of smoke by then. I've never used TQ before and can see why some people comment on the saltiness. I think for ham sticks it is going to be ok but I will use cure #1 next time.

 

[ryan johnson]

I have had those honey ham sticks from Nueskes and they are very excellent!  Keep us posted on the recipe please!

 

[woodcutter]

My 220 outlet must have got wet during my ham stick smoke last night. Only 1/2 of my element would heat so it was on for longer than I expected. Later I saw fire flying from the outlet than no heat. I finished them in the oven at 2:30 am. Other than the battle to smoke the ham sticks turned out really good.

I used the AMNPS with apple dust. 20lbs of pork made around 100 sticks in sheep casings. Over all the sticks tasted pretty much like I wanted just a little salty. I won't have any trouble getting rid of them.

Next time I will try cure #1 in one batch and ham base in the other.

Here are a few pics:

DSCN7354.JPG

• woodcutter
• Oct 14, 2012

DSCN7357.JPG

• woodcutter
• Oct 14, 2012

 

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!

 

[ddemerath]

I would like to thank Woodcutter for the Honey Ham Stick Recipe.  Sunday I mixed up 3 lbs and last night smoked them up. 2 degrees above zero makes for one cold smoke!  Luckily the smoker maintained 200 degrees on high.  My wife thought they were great!  I also really liked them.  They weren't exactly what I was looking for but I am already planing on making another batch as I know these will not last very long! 

Thanks again!

snack sticks.JPG

• ddemerath
• Jan 22, 2013

 

[woodcutter]

They look great! Glad you liked it. We made a big batch a week ago. This time I used cure #1 so the salt could be reduced. We used this recipe and liked it better. Also the honey is the amount you like. I test fry a patty or 2 to check salt and honey taste before it goes in the stuffer.

1 LB Pork

1/4 tsp cure #1

1 TBS Brown sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 TBS garlic powder

1/2  TBS onion powder

1/2 tsp basil

1/2 tsp honey

This last batch I smoked until the temp was 145. Then pulled and put them in hot water in the Nesco at 175 until the internal temp reached 152. Then put them in ice water and then hung them back up to dry. They were nice and red like your picture when they came out of the smoker but the color faded a little in the Nesco. The trade off was that the texture was perfect.

IMG_9904.JPG

• woodcutter
• Jan 18, 2013
• sausage sausage-making

I ran out of sheep casings so we stuffed what was left over in collagen casings. It turns out we like them on Ritz crackers too.

 

[ddemerath]

did you omit the brown sugar also?

 

[woodcutter]

No, I just edited my post from yesterday. I'm sorry about that. The brown sugar helps balance the salt.

 

[ddemerath]

Thanks!

 

[rob sicc]

Hi,

I'm just reading your thread from over a year ago.  Do you have a definitive recipe at this point that you would be willing to share?

Thanks either way.  I loved the pictures.

Ciao,

Rob

 

[woodcutter]

 
Hi,

I'm just reading your thread from over a year ago.  Do you have a definitive recipe at this point that you would be willing to share?

Thanks either way.  I loved the pictures.

Ciao,

Rob

No, I haven't made any for a while. I have a note to cut back on the sugar and do some test frying. Stayhot said he was happier without the basil.