Snack sticks and Coho - Qview

[pitrow]

I was at the grocery store friday to pick up some items for my first attempt at snack sticks this weekend and they had a good sale on wild caught coho, so I picked up two fillets.

Salmon after brining, forming pellicle (or however you spell that).


Put the salmon into the smoker at 125 over maple chunks. While that was going I got started on the snack sticks.

5lb batch, 2 lbs ground pork, 2 lbs ground cow, 1 lb ground buffalo


All mixed and ready to stuff


After stuffing.


i tell ya, next time I'm either going to get a dedicated stuffer, or the stuffer attachment for the kitchenaide. Doing it with my jerky cannon was not fun. I only had two blowouts, which I think wasn't too bad for my first time.

Formed into links, ready for the smoker.


I put it in the smoker with the salmon until the salmon was done, then bumped the temp up to 180 and let it go until the sticks hit 166. Still using maple chunks.

After about 4 hours total the salmon was ready



Shortly there-after the sticks were done too.


Can't wait for them to cool off and see how they taste.

 

[cowgirl]

Wow!! Looks awesome Mike!

 

[bassman]

That's some good looking chow! I guess I'll have to try making snack sticks. Haven't done that one yet.

 

[minn.bill]

Awsome lookin stix! cant wait to refill my freezer with some veny.snack stix season is just around the corner.

 

[mulepackin]

Looking really good! Yeah, stuffing those little devils with anything but a stuffer is a PITA.

 

[ronp]

Looks great Mike, how was the salmon?

 

[supervman]

Now that's frickin cool!
Salmon looks EXCELLENT and the sausage looks wonderful as well.

Nice job man!

 

[pitrow]

Thanks everyone!

Salmon was excellent! Just the way I like it. The snack sticks however weren't quite what I was expecting. I was expecting something like a pepperoni stick I guess, but these had an almost sour flavor, more like summer sausage I think. Not bad, just not quite what I was looking for. Guess that means I just get to play around with it more until I find a seasoning I like right?

 

[curious aardvark]

what seasoning did you use for the stix ?

 

[pitrow]

LEM snack stick mix

 

[curious aardvark]

ah store bought lemon flavouring. Probably had some artificial lemon flavour and (sometimes lemongrass) in it.
That'd probably account for the sour taste.

make your own - use dried lemon peel and grind to a powder. Or better still use fresh lemon zest.
Though lemony sanck sausage isn't something that readily springs to mind as a good idea.

Given the meat combo you had you could have got away with a few herbs, salt, cbp and a few other seasonings (lemon peel if you like). The buffalo and beef would add sufficient flavour to the pork I would think.

I'm somewhat bised in that I've never used a commercial seasoning mix. But I came to sausage making with a pretty fair grounding in cooking anyway.
And part of the whole make your own sausage thing for me - is to make it all seasoning, rusk and all.
Not having a go at people who use commercial seasonings lol, but make your own and it will be better - guarenteed.

 

[pitrow]

yeah I'm with you. I usually prefer to make my own seasoning, but since it was my first time trying it, or really stuffing anything, I figured I'd take one less variable out of the equation and use a pre-made mix. Next time I think I'll mix up my own and see what I can come up with.