Summer Sausage meat color?

[carl golden]

Hi everyone, I have just started making summer sausage. I have previously made Pork sausage and breakfast with success. First time with beef , I ground the meat and used 1tsp of cure for 5lbs of meat , mixed in my spices with 2 tbls. of black peper to 5lbs of meat. After thoroughly mixing my meat is a sort of brown color is that normal? I'm letting it cure at about 36 degrees for 5 days with a good mixing every day. 

 

[bladeguy]

Carl, yes, my mixture often turns brown when I'm done mixing and ready for stuffing. Probably means you mixed it well. Hopefully it stuck to your hands like paste too. I don't know the science behind it, but when you smoke it, it should take on nice color. I wouldn't be concerned at all.

 

[carl golden]

Hey thanks for the response, I just dont want to poison myself or anyone else, yup it is sticky , thanks again!

 

[bladeguy]

No problem......wouldn't mind seeing some pics. If we don't see pics, it didn't happen!!! Lol.

Seriously, though, :th_nopicsye3:

 

[BGKYSmoker]

The nitrite, usually dissolved in water, causes metmyoglobin to be formed, which causes the meat to turn brown.

Eventually, the brownish colored meat will form the cured meat compound, nitrosylhemocrome, when the product is heated. The nitrosylhemochrome is a pink colored pigment that is heat stable. This pink “cured meat” color will continue to be pink when it is cooked as well as if the meat product is reheated multiple times.

So in normal people language = its normal.

 

[carl golden]

got em in and out of the smoker, looked the right color , and didnt poison me however........they came out a little dry, shouldve added more fat i guess