Snack sticks - a method question (and new idea)

[dward51]

I throw this out for Rick and the other master stick makers to ponder...

I was just thinking about how I make my summer sausage. I have started using my sous vide to finish my summer sausage ever time. First part of the process and the smoking are basically normal, then after the meat is set in the 145* area, I vacuum pack the summer sausage and then finish the "cook" in a sous vide bath at 154* for a few hours. No danger of over cooking or fat out and they are already vac packed for storage when done. Plus time at temp basically pasteurizes the meat inside it's sealed vac bag for added safety in storage. Not sure if it would be room temp storage safe as I still refrigerate mine, but it has to add an extra layer of safety I would think.

Here is my "have you ever tried this idea" part.....

You know how when you open a real slim jim and most other brands of snack sticks, there is a slight oil coating inside the packaging. The slim jim brand seem to have more oil than most others I've seen in stores. It's almost like they are cooked inside the packaging and the oil is released from the cooking process rather than being packaged after full cooking. You would think if they are shrouding them in the packaging after cooking you would see the juice extend and be trapped into the part where the 2 halves are fused but you don't.

So I'm wondering how it would work applying my sous vide finish method to sticks? You could even take them higher than the normal 152-154* range to get a certain level of oil release (is their method basically fat out?) by design. Sous vide has the precision to get it spot on once we have a target temp. Also pasteurized sticks vac packed and not opened after pasteurization "should" have a much better room temp shelf life for storage and shipping (in theory - but would still need cure). I'm sure the commercial sticks are not actually smoked and use a liquid smoke flavoring instead.

So has anyone ever heard of this or tried anything like it with sticks?

I'm talking about either smoking or drying sticks the "normal way" to about 145* to get the ECA to start to release. Then vac pack and finish in a souse vide bath. I may have to pull some small 4 stick batches in small vac pack bags and take them to different temps on my next stick batch. If I do, I will certainly post the results. If I get good results then I can look at shelf stable storage times and see how that works out.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

I throw this out for Rick and the other master stick makers to ponder...

I was just thinking about how I make my summer sausage. I have started using my sous vide to finish my summer sausage ever time. First part of the process and the smoking are basically normal, then after the meat is set in the 145* area, I vacuum pack the summer sausage and then finish the "cook" in a sous vide bath at 154* for a few hours. No danger of over cooking or fat out and they are already vac packed for storage when done. Plus time at temp basically pasteurizes the meat inside it's sealed vac bag for added safety in storage. Not sure if it would be room temp storage safe as I still refrigerate mine, but it has to add an extra layer of safety I would think.

Here is my "have you ever tried this idea" part.....

You know how when you open a real slim jim and most other brands of snack sticks, there is a slight oil coating inside the packaging. The slim jim brand seem to have more oil than most others I've seen in stores. It's almost like they are cooked inside the packaging and the oil is released from the cooking process rather than being packaged after full cooking. You would think if they are shrouding them in the packaging after cooking you would see the juice extend and be trapped into the part where the 2 halves are fused but you don't.

So I'm wondering how it would work applying my sous vide finish method to sticks? You could even take them higher than the normal 152-154* range to get a certain level of oil release (is their method basically fat out?) by design. Sous vide has the precision to get it spot on once we have a target temp. Also pasteurized sticks vac packed and not opened after pasteurization "should" have a much better room temp shelf life for storage and shipping (in theory - but would still need cure). I'm sure the commercial sticks are not actually smoked and use a liquid smoke flavoring instead.

So has anyone ever heard of this or tried anything like it with sticks?

I'm talking about either smoking or drying sticks the "normal way" to about 145* to get the ECA to start to release. Then vac pack and finish in a souse vide bath. I may have to pull some small 4 stick batches in small vac pack bags and take them to different temps on my next stick batch. If I do, I will certainly post the results. If I get good results then I can look at shelf stable storage times and see how that works out.

Dave

You are right.
I have done vac sealing and SV with SS and sticks with great success. I leave in the vac bags and hang the whole bag. Yes it is hard to know the exact IT of the meat but like you said your safe being its pasteurized. There is a slight oil film inside the vac bag. Poking a hole to hang just above the top seal the vac will retain.

Rick

 

[dward51]

My logic is based on the thin size of the meat, 1 hour at 152* from a reasonable starting temp after smoking most of the way, should ensure 152* internal stick temp. 2 hours is good for a nice thick steak so it should be plenty for a skinny stick.

I picked up some 80/20 beef to run a 5 lb batch of sticks in the coming days (I'm out of sticks anyway). I may pull some and try a few different temps and times in small vac bags as an experiment. Time to use those 17mm casings I ordered too (skinny Slim Jim type sticks!). Say 4 sticks per 1 pt bag.

If I like the results, for the next batch I may have to set a few test bags aside to see about room temp storage after SV pasteurization.

I'll post my comments either way.