Pepper Sticks

[reinhard1]

One of my favorite things to do is make sausage.  All year long for that matter.  Most of it goes to family and friends.  Just love doing it..I have made many different types of sausage and always trying something new.  Here are some Pepper Sticks I made recently.  I used 22mm collagen casings for beef sticks.  The smaller sized sheep  casings are just a pain in the arse to use for me.  I like using 80/20 lean ground beef for sticks [not having any venison this year] and buy some up when it's on sale.  I use a pre-mix seasoning I buy from Curley's.  I do add garlic and mustard seeds to sticks along with polish and other smoked sausage.  Another important ingredient for me in smoked sausage and some fresh sausage is powdered dry milk.  This is a binder and soaks up moisture, to keep the sausage moist and gives it a better texture as a final product.  It also reduces loss/shrinkage.  I will be posting some new sausage items as I make them, including some chili dogs I'm making tomorrow.  You can see some of my sausage I have made on my blog www.sausageheavenoutdoors.com in the Homemade Sausage page.  If you have any questions, just ask me on here in the cooking forum so we can share with others the love of sausage making.  Here are some pics of the Pepper Sticks I made:   good luck.

 

 

[thirdeye]

Those look pretty tasty.  I make peppered beef stick following a Morton's salt recipe, these are free formed into logs, then wrapped in plastic and the ends twisted to make the meat really tight.  They sit in the fridge for a day and are smoked following that.  I like the texture, color and the fact they don't need casings. I believe I increased the amount of mustard seeds they call for, then add cracked pepper to the outside too. They freeze well.

[ThunderLund78]

RH1???

Are you back???  

It's been a while since I've seen you post on here!  I've always enjoyed your very informative and illustrated posts, glad to see your handle pop-up in the cooking forum again.

.

[reinhard1]

Thirdeye, they look fantastic as does all of your great work!!!  I have made those also.  Always nice to add to recipes to your liking.  ThunderLund78,  Yes I'm back.  Great to see familiar names on here again.   good luck.

[LindellProStaf]

Ha Great to see you Reinhard.  As a smoking, and sausage rookie I always appreciated your posts.  They always make me hungry.  AND I want to make more sausages too.   

[Moose]

Thirdeye could you post that Recipe please? I do something similar with summer sausage but mine tends to loose it's taste after I freeze it. How do you free form the logs? Thank you and Welcome back Reinhard1 !!!!

[thirdeye]

Thirdeye could you post that Recipe please? I do something similar with summer sausage but mine tends to loose it's taste after I freeze it. How do you free form the logs? Thank you and Welcome back Reinhard1 !!!!

​Morton's actually has two recipes that are similar, so my "Beef Stick" is kind of a combination.  Like I mentioned I increase the mustard seeds and don't use the anise... and I always fry a small pattie to test the seasonings and adjust as needed.  I can't access my photo page, but I'll post a couple of photos later.  Basically I form small diameter logs, then wrap in plastic wrap and tie a knot in one end.  I take the other end and twist it tight which firms up the log.  Then I put a twisty tie on that end move them to the fridge for resting.  I smoke mine instead of the oven method.

BEEF SALAMI

Ingredients

1 pound of ground beef
1 1/2 level teaspoons Morton^® Tender Quick^® mix or Morton^® Sugar Cure^® (Plain) mix
1 teaspoon Morton^® Table Salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
Few drops liquid smoke, if desired

Directions

Combine all ingredients mixing until thoroughly blended. Divide in half. Shape 
each half into slender rolls about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Wrap in plastic or 
foil. Refrigerate overnight. Unwrap.
Bake on broiler pan at 325 degrees F 
until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of a roll reads 160 degrees F, 
50 to 60 minutes. Store wrapped in refrigerator. Use within 3 to 5 days or 
freeze for later use.

 

PEPPERONI

Directions

Preparations: 
Combine all ingredients, mixing until thoroughly blended. Divide mixture in half. Shape each half into slender roll about 1-1/2 inch in diameter. Wrap in plastic or foil. Refrigerate overnight. Unwrap rolls and place on broiler pan.

Cooking: 
Bake at 325°F until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of a roll reads 160°F, 50 to 60 minutes. Store wrapped in refrigerator. Use within 3 to 5 days or freeze for later use. If Morton Meat Curing products are not available at your local grocery store, the products can be ordered throught the Morton Salt online store

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1-1/2 level teaspoons Morton^® Tender Quick^® mix or Morton^® Sugar Cure^® (plain)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, slightly crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon anise seed
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

 

[thirdeye]

Here is the visual on how I wrap and tie off the plastic.  These show the initial forming and wrapping, the wrapped ones ready for the fridge, and the raw but un-wrapped ones getting ready for the smoker.  Notice the little puckers on the logs in the last photo, if you get those you know your logs were wrapped tightly.   I often give them a light spray of olive oil when they are unwrapped just to prevent any chance of them sticking to the smoking rack.

[hoggs222]

Reinhard,

I'm going to do a a smaller 5# batch of beef sticks.  I have the Cabela's sweet and spicy mix and I'm going to use 80/20 beef.  How much powdered milk would you suggest adding per pound?  I'm going to use a tray style dehydrator.  How long would you suggest and what temp?  Can you add extra fresh jalapeno, etc without any risk of going bad?

Thanks!

[McGurk]

Glad to see you haunting around the page again,  RH. 

[reinhard1]

Hoggs22,  I would use 1 cup of dry powdered milk per 5 pounds of meat.  Add about 1 cup of cold water to the mix as well when using the powdered milk.  I usually use fresh jalapenos in my fresh sausage and pickled jalapenos in my smoked.  Fresh sausage are cooked in a higher temp process while using a dehydrator or a smoker it's a longer and low temp process [and using cure].  I would set the dehydrator to the highest temp.  i think mine goes to 155 or so if I remember right.  Probably will take at least 4 hours on the dehydrator if I remember right.  I have been doing them in the smoker now for a long time.  I cold smoke the sticks for about 3 to 4 hours until they get the color I want and then turn the temp to 225 until I get an internal of 160 on the sticks.  Then I set them on the counter to cool off, and set them in the fridge overnight for vac packing the next day.  good luck.

[Moose]

Thank you Thirdeye. I'll give it a shot with venison burger.