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Mpmitch1

Newbie
Original poster
Jan 15, 2020
4
1
What would be the difference if I

1. Made sausage links with cure and cold smoked it to 160 then froze it, grill to reheat and eat

Vs.

2. Made exact same sausage link recipe with no cure , froze it , then when it comes time to eat, smoke it 250 degrees until internal temp 165


Any thoughts appreciated...
 
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The cure prevents something very nasty that method 2 won't... botulism. It's deadly and completely avoidable with a tsp of cure per 5 lb of meat. Remember a head of lettuce has the nitrates of about 400 hot dogs. It's not harmful at all to you.

Happy Smoking,
phatbac ( Aaron)
 
What would be the difference if I

1. Made sausage links with cure and cold smoked it to 160 then froze it, grill to reheat and eat

Vs.

2. Made exact same sausage link recipe with no cure , froze it , then when it comes time to eat, smoke it 250 degrees until internal temp 165


Any thoughts appreciated...

Looking at the end products only, the flavor, texture and color of the sausage with cure added would be different than a fresh version of the same recipe.
 
Screenshot_20200116-065656_Google.jpg
 
Both methods are Botulism Safe. You have the Cure that let's you put several hours of smoke on safely at temps below 225. Plus the Cure keeps the meat pink and gives that Hammy flavor.
In contrast, at 250 you will only be in the smoke for 2 hours. The cooked sausage will have a Gray interior and no typical cured flavor...JJ
 
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If you smoke a fresh sausage at 250 would it fat out and become mealy?
Not sure but in my example it would be for immediate consumption. Seems the consensus is to cure anything you smoke , even if total cook time is 90 min.
 
Anything that is pan fried or grilled ie high heat 350 etc. Can go without cure?
 
Anything that is pan fried or grilled ie high heat 350 etc. Can go without cure?

yes such as breakfast sausages (no cure), but i believe if you smoke fresh sausage (like brats) at 250 it would reach safe IT fast enough that botulism or any harmful bacteria would not be a concern.

Edit, but like others said it will not have the same flavor, looks, and maybe even texture.
 
yes such as breakfast sausages (no cure), but i believe if you smoke fresh sausage (like brats) at 250 it would reach safe IT fast enough that botulism or any harmful bacteria would not be a concern.

Edit, but like others said it will not have the same flavor, looks, and maybe even texture.
How do you guys like to add your cure to ground meat? Dissolve it in water and pour water over meat incorapete together or just sprinkle it over ground meat and massage it in?
 
If you smoke a fresh sausage at 250 would it fat out and become mealy?

Not really. There is some but like Brats or other Fresh Sausage in a pan or on the grill, you are cooking to 165. Bite in and the juices squirt out. This is different than cured and Smoked Sausage hanging for 6 or more hours at 180+ letting the fat melt and settle out...JJ
 
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as others have said, low and slow or normal sausage smoking times and temps... definitely add the cure. but I "smoke" my brats all the time as part of my cooking process and I dont put any cure in my brats, however they go from nearly frozen in the stuffer to the freezer in minutes and from once thawed in a refridgerator to the smoke (on the grill at 250-300 indirect) pretty quickly so they really arent in any danger of forming any nasties. I think as long as you understand food safety and follow those rules you should be ok, but if you give any away, make sure cooking/handling instructions go along with them. I went to a BBQ once and a guy was slow smoking brats, said he had them on for hours at 215... i split one open and saw that it wasnt pink inside and told my wife she probably should go with the burger.
 
215°F would have gotten the IT over 140 in plenty of time. However, I highly commend you for learning about Time and Temp abuse with sausage and being cautious with your Wife's wellbeing...JJ
 
215°F would have gotten the IT over 140 in plenty of time. However, I highly commend you for learning about Time and Temp abuse with sausage and being cautious with your Wife's wellbeing...JJ

I always add an hour to handling time as well as figuring that peoples times and temps are never accurate... better safe than than double over vomiting i always say.:emoji_grinning:
 
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