Using Tamale Husks to make homemade sausages

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smokeysooner

Fire Starter
Original poster
Nov 10, 2010
51
11
Norman, OK
Guys,

I just wanted to show off a technique that I picked up in New Mexico several years ago, which makes for some very tasty smoked sausage.  The beauty is that you can smoke any kind of sausages, from Italian to Western to Okie-Mex to anything...

The first thing you do is get some tamale husks, which will run about $3 for a large bag. 

Soak them in warm water for half an hour and then wrap your sausages, tie them up, and smoke them for at least one hour (rotate once) but husks will keep taking smoke for a few hours.  I am usually only cooking for two, so recipes will have to be adjusted for larger quantities.

Here is one simple recipe that I have made many variations of:

Okie-Mex sausages (smoked with mesquite/oak mix):

1/2 lb ground pork

1/2 lb ground beef

1 finely diced jalapeno

1 finely diced shallot

2 finely chopped garlic cloves

                  [pinch cumin

                  [salt

  (to taste)   [pepper

                  [oregano

                  [green chile powder

Tie them up with some husk like this or any other way:



and then after a good smoke, this is what you've got.  You can really put a nice smoke ring on these sausages.

49751c61_tamale1b.jpg


Another recipe that I love a lot, is for an Okie-style greek souvlaki based on a recipe I got while in Turkey.  I sometimes add ground pork, too, for more flavor.

1/2 lb ground beef

1/2 lb ground lamb

Tbspn. oregano

4 cloves garlic, chopped

salt

pepper

Slightly chop the sausages and serve on grilled lavash or pita with fresh lemon slices, cilantro, chopped napa cabbage, feta, yogurt cucumber sauce, lettuce and pickled peppers or any combination of the above.

There is no wrong way to do it, but it can turn out looking like this:

edffe727_tamale2.jpg


At any rate, I hope some of you enjoy using this technique as much as I do.  You can make a little or a lot and it stays really good in the husks if you want to wait until the following day to finish them off. 

Bon appetit
 
Loks like this is your first post so welcome to SMF. Glad to have you here.

Good looking sausage. I like the recipes too.  Someone from another forum did the corn husk thing a while back and you just reminded me that I went out and bought the husks right after that post to do that.  Need to go find where I put them LOL

What were your temps and smoke times
 
I typically smoke them at around 250-275F for an hour although I have smoked at 220F for 2 hours and done quite well. 

As for the set up, I smoke on a Weber grill with side-by-side indirect setup, so these sausages are set over water pan and then I use pecan, walnut, hickory or mesquite chunks to generate the smoke on Kingsford coals.
 
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First off Welcome Sooner Dude to SMF.  Now I do like your uses of corn husks for casing and your plate of some really good looking food.  You'll like it here for there are alot of really good folks here that would just love to help you with just about anything to do with smoking. Now there are alot of proven recipes for some amazing things here too. So the next big thing for you to do is go out and get you something to smoke and if you happen to have any questions just post it here and we will be happy to answer them for you.

Welcome To Your New Addiction              
 
Saw an episode of DDD mon night that had this exact same thing. Mini fatties!
 
Saw an episode of DDD mon night that had this exact same thing. Mini fatties!
That was a rerun of the one on Kansas City BBQ. It was from R.J's Bob-Be-Que Shack in Mission, Kansas.
 
That was a rerun of the one on Kansas City BBQ. It was from R.J's Bob-Be-Que Shack in Mission, Kansas.


That's really cool.  I learned about it from my Aunt who lives in New Mexico but let's get real here, it's probably used a lot of places!  Not surprised to hear it was on a TV show.

Take care
 
I meant to post this before, but the first recipe is superb with beans and cornbread.

I take 1 lbs of dry pinto beans (you can use any kind) and soak them overnight, wash them the next morning and then cook them in a combination of beer, chicken broth and water... cut up a jalapeno and an onion for flavor and then also add a ham hock or some other pork product like bacon and you can't go wrong after about 4-5 hours..

as for cornbread, I suggest Shawnee's Best white.  It is the best cornbread in the world.  I wouldn't bother with the Jiffy crap but that's JMO.

Add some jalapeno, diced onion, crumbled bacon to the batter and brown all around.

The smoked sausages go great with these beans and cornbread!
 
That was a rerun of the one on Kansas City BBQ. It was from R.J's Bob-Be-Que Shack in Mission, Kansas.
Dam ; You get all the good stuff up there . All i had tonight was shrimp stir fry
 
Dam ; You get all the good stuff up there . All i had tonight was shrimp stir fry
BBQ Capital of the WORLD...
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We try to have at least ONE BBQ JOINT for every 25 people in population...LOL
 
Well, I guess I have to make these next weekend along with the pineapple abt's that I saw on different thread. Thanks for the thread and how 2's before next weekend so I have time to prepare. I see you you started the thread on 11/10/10 so I have had plenty of time to prepare.

Looks good!! 
 
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