Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Free Mr. Tony]

This recipe came from the book Olympia Provisions, which I have modified in some of the processing and cooking methods.

3/4 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tbs chopped garlic
2 1/4 pounds pork shoulder
1 pound fatback
2 cups crushed ice
1 1/2 tbs fine sea salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pink salt
1/4 cup milk powder, I used 1/2 cup because there was a grams/cup conversion discrepancy on the recipe
Sheep casing

Put your grinder parts in the fridge. Cube up the pork and fatback, and place it in the freezer on a cookie sheet until crunchy but not frozen solid. Using a mortar and pestle combine the garlic, mustard powder, chili powder,paprika, White pepper, coriander, and oregano to a paste. 

Grind the meats with the course plate using half the crushed ice. Grind it a 2nd time with the course plate. The meat should stay below 39 degrees. Lay the ground meat on the cookie sheet, and freeze for another 30 minutes or so.

Grind the meat two more times through the small plate using the other half of the ice. Refreeze for another 20 minutes or so. Put the mixing bowl and paddle of your stand mixer on the fridge.

Add the meat, Spice paste, sugar, salt, pink salt, and milk powder to the mixing bowl. Mix on low for 2 minutes.

Place meat mix in chilled stuffer, and stuff into sheep casings. Twist into hot dog size links, and prick air pockets. Dry with paper towels, and hang overnight in fridge to cure and dry. Smoke as low as possible (around 150) until internal temp is 150. Immediately put in ice bath for 5 to 10 minutes. Dry off, and let sit uncovered on a wire rack in fridge overnight.

Re-heat and serve, or vac seal and freeze.

[pz]

I've been gathering the courage to do sausages or hot dogs for some time now, but know nothing about the casings. What brand do you use (if I can ask that) and do they tear easily when you fill them?

[Free Mr. Tony]

I've been gathering the courage to do sausages or hot dogs for some time now, but know nothing about the casings. What brand do you use (if I can ask that) and do they tear easily when you fill them?

It does seem a little daunting before you do it once or twice. Once you do it couple times, you kind of find Your way. It becomes second nature. Go for it. It's fun. Having the freezer space (I have 3 refrigerators) and the right equipment makes it much easier, and fun. Not that it can't be done otherwise, but I think people are much more inclined to do things when it's not a pain in the xxx.

As far as casings go I use whatever I can get. I used to be able to get lem brand hog casings at gander mountain. I really liked those. Gander closed, so now I can get some other brand I can't remember the name at rural king. Haven't been all that crazy about those. I also have a local butcher that makes their own sausage. They sell me theirs in small quantities for next to nothing. If you have that option, I would suggest that first. I wouldn't worry too much about it though. Just use what you can get. The longer runs the better. I prefer to do as few coils as possible. Less tying off, and such.

The hog casings I have used don't burst much if you don't crazy overstuff. They seem pretty strong compared to these sheep casings I used for these. I had quite a few blowouts for these, as you can see by the several sets of coils. It's a pain when it does it, but not the end of the world.

Two tips I would give is put the casings you will be using in warm water with a splash of vinegar. It really clears them up for a better looking end result. My first batch of sausage was really cloudy looking casing. Purely aesthetic though. Tastes the same. Another tip I figured out is to gently push the meat down the line after twisting. After you twist, the next link will be really tight near the twist. Then you go to make the next link, and blow out. So if you ever so gently let the pressure off of the casing before doing your next twist. I rarely have blowouts anymore since I started doing that.

[pz]

Thank you for the detailed reply FMT 

I'm getting closer to try my first batch all the time, and am even thinking of trying to do snack sticks one of these days. I'll start with the hog casings I guess, since they are tougher to break 

[Bentley]

I though the big pile was garlic powder and said yeah, these are my kind of Polish hot dog, then I realized it was probably the powdered milk!

Like the modified Chicago Dog!

[Free Mr. Tony]

They are very garlicky as is. The tbs of raw garlic beat to a pulp with the mortar and pestle really makes its way through the end product. I was afraid too much, but ended up about just right.

I made a semi-chicago with whatever I had at the house. It was really tasty. I made some pickles a few weeks ago, and that spear really was a nice flavor on it.

[Free Mr. Tony]

Thank you for the detailed reply FMT 

I'm getting closer to try my first batch all the time, and am even thinking of trying to do snack sticks one of these days. I'll start with the hog casings I guess, since they are tougher to break 

If you like snack sticks that would actually be a great way to get your feet wet. They are typically made with the collagen casings. No soaking, no tearing. Just ready to use out of the pack. By far the easiest to use.


Just an FYI. I had to buy a smaller stuffer tube for snack sticks/hot dogs. The ones that came with mine were for sausage size, and up.

[pz]

Thanks FMT - I might just start with the snack sticks after all

[ScottWood]

Great write up and you have me wanting to try this myself.

One question about the ice.  As I understand it you mix the ice in with the meat when you grind it?  Can I assume that is to both keep the meat cool but to also add moisture?

[Free Mr. Tony]

Great write up and you have me wanting to try this myself.

One question about the ice.  As I understand it you mix the ice in with the meat when you grind it?  Can I assume that is to both keep the meat cool but to also add moisture?

Yes to both questions, however if you have a decent grinder it's less crucial to the end result. As much as keeping your meat cold, it's also keeping your grinder cold. If you use a hand grinder or even the kitchenaid attachment you are asking alot of the grinder parts and/or motor.

Most recipes I've made call for ice water after the grinding is already done, so I don't believe it would make much difference either way. Because you are grinding the meat several times to get the smooth texture of a hot dog, it's probably the best practice for this situation. In other sausages where you are doing one or two grinds, I wouldn't worry too much about it.

[mowin]

Those look fantastic. 

I've tried hot dogs once. Got the mixture to warm so the texture was way off.

[Bentley]

I have a bunch of ground pork butt in the freezer, and I just found fat back at Food Lion.  Funny how I got the pork butt for $1.29/lb. and the fat back is $1.99, someone please explain that to me.  So I am going to make FMT hot dogs and see what I think.  I would venture to guess I have not had an all pork hot dog since the 70's!  And the rest of the ground pork will be used to makes some more Jimmy Dean knock off breakfast sage sausage with the proper fat content, no more of this 12% ridicules stuff!

[Bentley]

Sounds like there may be a metric for this?  if so, since I have the new digital scale, could you share it, now just seems the way to make this stuff!

3/4 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tbs chopped garlic
2 1/4 pounds pork shoulder
1 pound fatback
2 cups crushed ice
1 1/2 tbs fine sea salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pink salt
1/4 cup milk powder, I used 1/2 cup because there was a grams/cup conversion discrepancy on the recipe
Sheep casing

[WiPelletHead]

Sounds like there may be a metric for this?  if so, since I have the new digital scale, could you share it, now just seems the way to make this stuff!

3/4 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tbs chopped garlic
2 1/4 pounds pork shoulder
1 pound fatback
2 cups crushed ice
1 1/2 tbs fine sea salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pink salt
1/4 cup milk powder, I used 1/2 cup because there was a grams/cup conversion discrepancy on the recipe
Sheep casing

This might help you Bentley.

https://www.gourmetsleuth.com/conversions/grams/grams-to-cups-conversions

[Free Mr. Tony]

Sounds like there may be a metric for this?  if so, since I have the new digital scale, could you share it, now just seems the way to make this stuff!

3/4 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp sweet paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp dried oregano
1 tbs chopped garlic
2 1/4 pounds pork shoulder
1 pound fatback
2 cups crushed ice
1 1/2 tbs fine sea salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pink salt
1/4 cup milk powder, I used 1/2 cup because there was a grams/cup conversion discrepancy on the recipe
Sheep casing

Yes. There are many simple online converters. I sent you a PM with a pic with everything in grams. I don't necessarily trust my scale on the small stuff, so I just put it like this. I typically use grams for most things,  but then when you get down to like 3 grams of oregano or whatever I just use teaspoons.