Well I ran the test and all went well but it turned out very mild sausage. So if you try this and want a bite add more cayenne.
I like this sausage but at $14.00 an lb for alligator here, next time I will try boneless chicken thighs in place of the gator meat and double the recipe.
Smoked Mild Alligator Sausage
1lb of alligator filets
1lb of pork country style boneless ribs
cut gator and pork into 2"x 2" chunks and using a fine mincing grinder plate (I used a 3/16" plate), grind 2 to 4 gator chunks and then 2 to 4 pork chunks alternating back and forth between both meats entill all meat is ground, alternating makes mixing easier.
Now mix and mash the ground meat with your hands in a large bowl
And add all the following seasonings on top of the ground meat;
1 tablespoon of Fresh FINELY chopped parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon Tony Chachere's creole seasoninng
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon ground basil
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne (red pepper) or more for a hotter taste
2.8 grams of instacure #1
mix and mash well with hands once again entill even in color and then
Run the mix into your casings and hang to air dry 1 hr
Then Hang your sausages in the smoker, fill the water pan half with hot water and turn on the smoker setting the temp to 130F (set your timer for 5 hrs, the timer is only for referance and a shutdown failsafe incase you get lost) now slowly ramp up the smoker temp to 170F over the next 40 minutes (+10 degrees every 10 minutes) Dump your wood chips in after 30 minutes (I used apple) and when you hit 170F internal smoker temp. Go grab a beer or a koolaid and Check your sausages after 2 hrs for thier temp, 152F is done so watch them closely and check every 30 minutes or so for a sausage temp of 152F
(my sausages hit 152F in 4 hrs at 170F But I only used 2 lbs of sausages, so a larger quanity might take longer)
Once they hit 152F pull them out and put them all into a clean sink of cold water or use a full sink of ice and cold water for a faster cool. Entil cool to the touch. I have been told this is a optional step and not always done by some sausage makers.
And I have been told that it is best to put the sausages into a large brown paper shopping bag on its side on top of a large baking sheet/pan sealing the bag and then refridgerating for 12 hrs before packaging in ziplocks.
Also if you plan on vacuum sealing them after the 12 hr refridgeration time, than you should freeze them first so they don't get mashed in the vacuum process.
Anyway you look at it you can refridgerate or freeze for later, they are cured/cooked ready to go
Thx everyone that helped me learn how to make smoked gator sausages here
BTW a tip for grilling your sausages, take a toothpick and puncture each sausage in the middle once or twice. This should stop them from blowing up and or splitting
