Stocking Stuffers.....Snack Sticks

[radioguy]

I have put snack sticks in the kids’ stockings as Christmas time. This year my son in law wanted to help make some and give some homemade gifts to his friends. Plan is to make 15 pounds of beef snack sticks. A 15-pound batch is just about right. I've made them with collagen casings but prefer natural sheep casings. We buy meat that is a "manager" special. The beef is about to outdate and in the clearance bin. Most of it is chuck. We will freeze these roasts for sausage or sous-vide, insta-pot. I trim the beef, try to get most of the fat and sinew out. I add pork fat to make the mix about 80/20. I keep trim from pork belly. We visited Jungle Jim’s in Cincinnati a few weeks ago and bought some pork fat. If you are ever in Cincinnati, please visit Jungle Jim’s, it’s a great experience. Goods imported from all corners of the world. Jungle Jims International Market

My plan is to grind, add cure and spice. It will go into the fridge until Saturday. Will stuff it then. Cook and smoke over the next few days. I can do 5 pounds max in my little electric.

 

[one eyed jack]

I would love that as a stocking stuffer.

 

[radioguy]

All stuffed into natural sheep casings. For this go around I used sausage spices from Waltons. 5 pounds of BBQ, 5 lbs BBQ hot and 5 lbs Willies (this a good generic beef stick flavor). For the BBQ hot, I used 4 parts BBQ and 1 part Gigawatt hot. This Gigawatt hot is great on its own too. Encapsulated citric acid (ECA) for extra snap on the Willies. I am smoking the ECA batch as I make this post.

I did add high temp cheddar to the BBQ and BBQ hot batches. Anyone with experience of using just regular cheese. The high temp is a bit more per pound and I have read that it really is not needed provided you watch your temps.

Smoking, I really like my electric for smoking / cooking this. I go 1 hour @ 110F, 1 hour @120F, this is when I add smoke. 1 hour @ 130, 1 hour 140, 1 hour @ 155F. Then I rest it for a day or so in the refer, brown paper bag helps it breath and dry a bit more.

 

[radioguy]

 

[JckDanls 07]

Everything sounds good... except ... Are you taking a reading of the internal temp of the meat... reading your temp schedule.. you are going by time... with your max chamber temp at 155... I feel you are getting nowhere near the recommended 152` IT finishing temp...

I am in the middle of doing 60 lbs worth of sticks for the same reason ...

 

[radioguy]

Still working on smoking these sticks. Keith thanks for your comment about temp. I started with a 5 hour cook schedule and then added an hour to help dry the sticks a bit. I use a little water to add cure to be sure it gets distributed evenly. I may use some more water for the spice mix, this depends upon meat moisture at the time. I did not use any more water this time. After a good hand mix, I'll use our kitchen aide mixer (regular paddle) to mix it thoroughly. 5 lbs per bowl. I dont take IT when cooking, I use time.

I do believe I am getting to 152+ IT. My smoker has its temp sensor at the very top of the box. The product is between the heat element and temp sense. My logic is that the sticks are very thin and should come up to temp fairly quickly. It wouldn't hurt to temp a batch at finish. I do like it a bit moist and may let it sit and dry in the beer fridge depending on texture. I let it rest at least a day in a brown paper bag.


Lighting maple/oak mix in the pellet tray. I start smoke the second hour and let it go for 5 hours.


First 5lb batch is done.

 

[pushok2018]

Looks nice! Great color.... I would encourage you taking IT then going by time - it's better to be safe then sorry... My opinion.

 

[JckDanls 07]

I just ran a 30 lb batch yesterday... Another 30 lb batch just started 30 minutes ago... I used to much water in yesterdays batch and it took over 8 hrs just to get to 150 IT... I go 1 1/2 hrs at 120` for drying.. then add smoke and bump temps 10` every hour until I reach a max of 170` chamber temp ... And then let it ride there until I get to desired IT ...

Your sticks look purty damn good ...

 

[radioguy]

I cooked the last 5lb batch today. I did temp the last batch per JckDanls 07. It was a bit shy of 152F-155F. I upped the temp and ran it until 152F IT. I revised my temp schedule for all future cooks. Thanks JckDanls 07
1.5 hours 120F, dry time. I also put my pellet tray in the bottom of smoker for a final pellet dry.
1 hour 130F, light smoke tray
1 hour 140F
1 hour 150F
1 hour 160F
set temp to 170F until IT of 152F-155F.
I'll vac pack these in the next few days. I do like to let them bloom a bit in the refer.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Excellent.. job well done ...

That's the time/temp schedule I run as well... But I also run smoke the whole time after the drying time (first 1 1/2 hrs) ... Just finished up a 60 lb (uncooked) run... All packaged up.. sticks cut at 6" long and 6 to a pack...