Smoking store bought sausage

[bowvalley]

Got a few links to smoke from the local butcher shop. Just plain cased sausage. Any suggestions on heat or any other tips? Using an electric masterbuilt. Thanks all

 

[pineywoods]

Unless your going to cure it then it needs to be hot smoked I'd suggest 200-225. Most likely 152-160 internal depending on the type sausage

 

[travcoman45]

Yup, like jerry said, hot smoke it, I'd even go 250° to an internal a 155°.

 

[mballi3011]

I agree with those two guys. Yes their that good. That OTBS really does mean something here.

 

[erain]

and that advice was from two peeps who i know make alot a sausage... and that was sound advice...

 

[gnubee]

For anyone who has not tried this, I can tell you its the only way to do sausage. Store bought hams re smoked are also the bomb.

My favorite thing is to do hotdogs in the smoker. Usually at 250f with hickory or even mesquite smoke. Get the biggest fattest dogs you can find. You score them on all four sides about 1/8 inch deep in a criss cross pattern. This will open them up and a lot more of the fat will drip out of them done that way. The increased surface area will allow smoke penetration which imparts an awesome flavour.

I let them go for about an hour or so till they look a bit shrunken and done. Then I take them out and paint them with bbq sauce. Now they go on the uber hot grill to caramalize the sauce. They are now simply to die for... which is the downside because your kinfolk will now demand them done like that all the time, instead of simply grilling them. They are a bit of work but man that's the only way to do hotdogs.

 

[Bearcarver]

If you want to cure it and turn it into "Smoked Sausage", you can do that too. I just did that & will be doing it again soon.
It turned out great.

Here's the link of my "Venison Fresh Sausage converted to Smoked Sausage":
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/for...ad.php?t=83516


Bearcarver

 

[bowvalley]

Great info. Thanks everyone. Firing it up after we get back from church. Great thread Bear, thank you.

 

[meat hunter]

What a great idea. Thanks Gnubee, will try that one for sure.

 

[tn_bbq]

Yep, the store bought sausage is mighty good when smoked. I usually buy whatever is on sale (pepperidge farm, etc.) and give em a couple hours on the smoker. They make for good chef samples and appetizers.

 

[centexcarnivore]

GnuBee, Almost everytime I do a smoke I grab a couple rings of Hillshire sauage or Elgin Holinks (popular around here) and load them on the firebox end of the chamber. I have a deflector but that end is usually 20 degrees hotter than the middle so too hot for my main course. At any rate I love the taste of smoked sausage and links. On a long smoke like brisket I am "testing" my smoking capabilities by nibblin on sausage wraps to hold me over. I just love the smoked sausage fresh off the pit! Next time I am trying your suggestion and grabbin some fat hotdoggies.

Happy Smokin, -B

 

[justpassingthru]

SVP, I have a question, I have bought local sausages, they are filled with fat, but after smoking them at 225°-250° until an internal of 155°, they shrink from 1 1/2" to about 3/4" diameter, the meat is very coarse and the casing has to be cut with a knife, am I smoking them wrong or is it the fault of the sausage.

Thanks,

Gene

 

[tn_bbq]

Might be natural casings.

I'd probably grill those and compare. Might even do what I call the "brat" method and simmer them in beer then finish on the grill.

 

[justpassingthru]

Thanks TN_BBQ,

May I ask another question, what are 'natural casings' as opposed to...?

I can't cook them in beer, deathly allergic, is there something else I could cook them in?

Gene

 

[Bearcarver]

Allergic to beer !?!?

 

[travcoman45]

Natural casins er hog, sheep an beef innards that have been cleaned an preped. There are some other man made casins that are edible as well as some what ain't.

Can't cook em in beer, water with some seasonin works to. Or just the plan water with a dash of salt. How bout non alcoholic beer? Sure ain't good fer drinkin so maybe fer the sausage?

 

[justpassingthru]

Yep, deathly allergic!

Last beer was August '76, it put me down, had a fever of 105° for 5 days, left me flat on my back for 2 months, doc said I was very fortunate to not have died, ...didn't go to him until the fifth day, he ran a bunch of tests, all came back - allergic reaction, 4 months before I could return to work, don't have to hit me in the head twice with a 2x4, I'll pass on the beer.

Thanks travcoman45 for the explanation, I'll try the water next time.

Just for the gee whiz file, anyone remember when Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law of a fever (Mark 1:31), ...the miracle was she GOT up immediately and served them.

Gene

 

[Bearcarver]

Yup,
An old high school buddy of mine used to break out in "stripes" when he drank too much beer.

BC

 

[tn_bbq]

When it comes to sausage, I wouldn't recommend asking too many questions

.... you might ruin a good thing.

Natural casings are pretty much intestines (you asked

). That's the way they used to make sausage before somebody invented man-made casings.



1. NATURAL CASINGS

Sausages have historically been manufactured in natural casings. Natural casings are almost exclusively prepared from different parts of the alimentary canal of pigs and ruminants. Pig casings are derived from the stomachs, small intestines (pig casings, smalls or rounds), large intestines (caps and middles) and terminal straight end of the large intestines (bungs).

2. ARTIFICIAL CASINGS

Artificial casings offer a uniform cylindrical shape and the choice of any specific diameter and suitable tensile strength as well as resistance to damage. They are filled uniformly and, after filling, sausages can be linked by machine or by hand into required lengths. The artificial casings are made from cellulose, collagen, plastic and other materials.