next batch of sticks

[dannylang]

last batch i made the sausage maker sticks, is there anything that i can add besides, peppers and cheese that will give me that DARN THATS GOOD STUFF. looking for that WOW flavor. can anyone help me?
dannylang

 

[oregon smoker]

just add YOUR favorite flavors. if you want heat add different pepper powders (Jalapeno, Habanero etc.) whole mustard seed, red pepper flakes coiander whole or powdered just for some examples. change out the cheese to a pepper jack, change out the Jalapeno for Habanero as an example. just remember as you change or ad ingrediants you may have to adjust your liquid . my self I start with a cup of Merlot instead of water with my basic sticks and my SS.

the main thing is play around and you hit a home run some days your out at first (hence the pre taste fry test) that is the time to make adjustments. we have had our share of things we look at each other and say...."Do Not Need to Try This Again"

so keep good records of what you are doing and you can always refer back for the good or the bad information.

Keep On Smokin,

Tom 

 

[mneeley490]

I know a friend of friend that tried using soy sauce and fish sauce, nước mắm in the ground meat. Gave it an interesting, Asian flavor, if you like that.

 

[oregon smoker]

 
I know a friend of friend that tried using soy sauce and fish sauce, nước mắm in the ground meat. Gave it an interesting, Asian flavor, if you like that.

Thanks for this info, it t got me thinking,

I put 2TBL of "Majji" sauce in one of my teriyaki batches but could not pick it up in the end. I might have to add additional ? if I do it again.

Tom

 

[dward51]

Depending on what your snack stick spice mix is, encapsulated citric acid is a good addition.  It gives them that "twang" sort of like slim jims.  You can add ECA to a commercial snack stick mix as an extra. Just make sure to mix in the ECA by hand just before the stuffing.  Also you cannot use a grinder to stuff with ECA, it must be a manual stuffer, but you can use the snack stick guns though.  Also ECA is added right before smoking starts.  If you let them sit overnight, the ECA can turn the meat grey and mushy if any of the little fat capsules break open prematurely.

 

[dannylang]

dward i do not know whay eca is,

 

[oregon smoker]

dward i do not know whay eca is,

Encapsulated Citric Acid

Tom

 

[dannylang]

thanks tom

 

[oregon smoker]

your welcome,

I myself have never worked with it but if your anything like the rest of us the "to do list" and the "to get to/try list" is a mile long. for every one knocked off it seems five more go on.... it's a vicious circle

Tom

 

[tropics]

I have heard Amephoes ( not sure on spelling) also Cultured Butter Milk Powder.

Richie

 

[dward51]

AmesPhos (Ames Phosphorus or tri-phosphorus) helps with moisture retention, tenderness and adds flavor.  Non-fat dry milk (NFDM in recipes) is a more common substitute but it is not a 1 for 1 swap out and does not perform exactly the same (but a lot of recipes call for this as it's easy to obtain).  NFDM can be found in the grocery store (powdered milk) but this version is usually course flakes compared to the powdered version made for sausage making.  Just run the grocery store powdered milk through your food processor to turn it into a powder for better results.

Cultured Butter milk or more accurately powdered buttermilk can also be used in place of the encapsulated citric acid (ECA) for a taste twang similar to the flavor of fermented snack sticks. It is sometimes incorrectly called Fermento (which is actually a different product also sometimes used in snack stick & sausage making), and you can buy it in most grocery stores as powdered buttermilk. ECA and powdered buttermilk do taste different, but they both serve a similar function (use one of the other).

True Fermented sticks use cure #2 and special bacteria and are made in a totally different process which takes a number of days or even weeks.  It requires both control of humidity and temperatures as the sticks dry under controlled conditions. They are made safe by the formation of a low PH condition in the presence of reduced moisture, both of which are not friendly to the harmful bacteria that cause meat spoilage.  The old style Swiss Colony sticks that you used to see hanging or in a jar at the mall are fermented sticks. True fermented sticks are generally shelf stable and do not require refrigeration (if done right). The fermentation process also gives them a distinctive taste which is what the ECA or buttermilk powder will be similar to. The process with cure #1 and some of the alternatives such as ECA or powdered buttermilk is much quicker and easier.  This is what you will mostly see it in the forums.

Here is a link to a page with background info on a lot of the ingredients used in sausage and snack stick making and what these ingredients are.

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?867-Sausage-Ingredient

 

[oregon smoker]

That is a Great Link..

Thanks !!

Tom

 

[chopsaw]

last batch i made the sausage maker sticks, is there anything that i can add besides, peppers and cheese that will give me that DARN THATS GOOD STUFF. looking for that WOW flavor. can anyone help me?
dannylang

Good quality DRY red wine and fresh garlic packed in olive oil . Heavy hickory smoke . Vac pack and rest in fridge for a few days , then freeze what you dont eat . 

Chop