I've made pepperoni in the past a couple times . Once using a Kutis formula , and other times using a pre mix from TSM .
Wasn't wowed by either one .
Saw the recipe posted by @BGKYSmoker the other day , and I knew I was going to try it .
Here's that thread with the recipe .
Changes I made to Rick's recipe were .
Sodium erythorbate
Potato starch
18 g's of salt for a 2 1/2 pound batch .
1/4 tsp Carolina Reaper powder .
Doubled the amount of paprika . For color . Also the reason I added the erythorbate .
The rest was as posted
Started by busting up some fennel '
Then added the rest of the ingredients .
Got it all mixed up . Thinking about doing some of this ahead of time .
Minus the cure . Vac it up and have it ready .
Meats all mixed . I halved his recipe , but added the 1/2 cup water by mistake .
That's why I added the starch . Brought it right together . No issues .
I actually let the seasoned grind go 2 1/2 days in the fridge .
Re-mixed a couple times .
OK . This is where it starts to get busy and confusing . I wake up Thanksgiving day . Kids went off to some " Turkey trot " run they do every year .
I had 5 lbs. of grind left in the fridge . I wanted to do a starter culture , but wasn't sure how it would work with the erythorbate .
So I grabbed another 2 1/2 pounds and mixed it up using Marianski's semi-dry formula . Thinking I would just put it back in the fridge for the day . I realised after adding the TSP-X that I needed to get it stuffed so I could hang it .
So I stuffed it all . This is Rick's formula .
I like the color with the extra paprika . This went back into the fridge for another day .
Here's the Marianski semi dry formula . I used TSP-X starter culture
in some distilled water and a good pinch of dextrose . These went to the
basement to Ferment .
Next morning warming up to smoke . I'll leave this hang for a couple hours at least .
In the smoker at 130 to start . No smoke for these .
Ran the smoker up to 160 . Pulled the chubs when the IT was 148 .
Hanging in the kitchen to cool . No water bath .
I brought the Marianski batch out of the basement .
Took some nice color overnight .
Smoker was already at 160 from the first batch . I'm not running smoke on these ,
So I put them in and cooked them start to finish at 160 .
Pulled when the IT was 150 . These were room temp when they went it . No worries about fat out if you don't over shoot the internal temp .
Cooked and resting . No water bath .
Hung at room temp overnight .
Here's the results . Ricks on the left , Marianski on the right .
Also used some of it to make jerky .
Cut shots . This is the next morning .
Marianski .
Marianski after hanging at 60 degrees for 5 days or so .
Rick's , next morning .
After a week in the fridge @36 degrees . Wrapped in pink paper .
This is the winner for taste .
Both came out good . Rick's formula actually taste like pepperoni , and the added heat from the reaper powder is perfect .
Color is good for what I want too . Some of that is from increasing the Paprika , some from further drying .
These wood be great as sticks .
I rolled some of the paste out for the jerky . This was from Rick's formula with the added heat . Put on my oven jerky racks and cooked it at 200 '
It's good . Nice heat and texture .
This got way to long and somewhat confusing .
End of the story is the formula posted from BGKYSmoker is a keeper . I like the added heat , and for my taste it needs it .
Be great in sticks or jerky too .
Well , we're in this deep . Might as well add the pizza I made last night .
I usually have dough in the fridge . Grabbed 250 grams , used some Tillamook motz , chopped salami and the dried pepperoni from Rick's formula .
Came out great . The pepperoni cupped , and took some nice char on the edge . The cooked flavor is really good .
Thanks for looking . This got long . Hope it posts up in order or enough to be interesting .
I'll link this again for the recipe . Best one I've done .
Wasn't wowed by either one .
Saw the recipe posted by @BGKYSmoker the other day , and I knew I was going to try it .
Here's that thread with the recipe .
Sodium erythorbate
Potato starch
18 g's of salt for a 2 1/2 pound batch .
1/4 tsp Carolina Reaper powder .
Doubled the amount of paprika . For color . Also the reason I added the erythorbate .
The rest was as posted
Started by busting up some fennel '
Then added the rest of the ingredients .
Got it all mixed up . Thinking about doing some of this ahead of time .
Minus the cure . Vac it up and have it ready .
Meats all mixed . I halved his recipe , but added the 1/2 cup water by mistake .
That's why I added the starch . Brought it right together . No issues .
I actually let the seasoned grind go 2 1/2 days in the fridge .
Re-mixed a couple times .
OK . This is where it starts to get busy and confusing . I wake up Thanksgiving day . Kids went off to some " Turkey trot " run they do every year .
I had 5 lbs. of grind left in the fridge . I wanted to do a starter culture , but wasn't sure how it would work with the erythorbate .
So I grabbed another 2 1/2 pounds and mixed it up using Marianski's semi-dry formula . Thinking I would just put it back in the fridge for the day . I realised after adding the TSP-X that I needed to get it stuffed so I could hang it .
So I stuffed it all . This is Rick's formula .
I like the color with the extra paprika . This went back into the fridge for another day .
Here's the Marianski semi dry formula . I used TSP-X starter culture
in some distilled water and a good pinch of dextrose . These went to the
basement to Ferment .
Next morning warming up to smoke . I'll leave this hang for a couple hours at least .
In the smoker at 130 to start . No smoke for these .
Ran the smoker up to 160 . Pulled the chubs when the IT was 148 .
Hanging in the kitchen to cool . No water bath .
I brought the Marianski batch out of the basement .
Took some nice color overnight .
Smoker was already at 160 from the first batch . I'm not running smoke on these ,
So I put them in and cooked them start to finish at 160 .
Pulled when the IT was 150 . These were room temp when they went it . No worries about fat out if you don't over shoot the internal temp .
Cooked and resting . No water bath .
Hung at room temp overnight .
Here's the results . Ricks on the left , Marianski on the right .
Also used some of it to make jerky .
Cut shots . This is the next morning .
Marianski .
Marianski after hanging at 60 degrees for 5 days or so .
Rick's , next morning .
After a week in the fridge @36 degrees . Wrapped in pink paper .
This is the winner for taste .
Both came out good . Rick's formula actually taste like pepperoni , and the added heat from the reaper powder is perfect .
Color is good for what I want too . Some of that is from increasing the Paprika , some from further drying .
These wood be great as sticks .
I rolled some of the paste out for the jerky . This was from Rick's formula with the added heat . Put on my oven jerky racks and cooked it at 200 '
It's good . Nice heat and texture .
This got way to long and somewhat confusing .
End of the story is the formula posted from BGKYSmoker is a keeper . I like the added heat , and for my taste it needs it .
Be great in sticks or jerky too .
Well , we're in this deep . Might as well add the pizza I made last night .
I usually have dough in the fridge . Grabbed 250 grams , used some Tillamook motz , chopped salami and the dried pepperoni from Rick's formula .
Came out great . The pepperoni cupped , and took some nice char on the edge . The cooked flavor is really good .
Thanks for looking . This got long . Hope it posts up in order or enough to be interesting .
I'll link this again for the recipe . Best one I've done .
