Smoking!!

[NEMichsportsman]

Cashed in some Cabelas Bucks, and got an additional $80 to spend from Cabelas Club Days promotions.

Used it to buy a Big Chief Smoker (and a few other items of course).

I will be bothering Salmon Smoker and the rest of you guys more often.

First question:

I have about 25-30 lbs of Ground Bear mixed with Pork Shoulder Butts about a 3-1 ratio. I want to make summer sausage out of this.

It was not coarse ground as I forgot to instruct the processor to do so...I am inclined to use it anyhow???

Any summer sausage recipes that you might use???

As I dont have a stuffer is it a realistic possibility to expect to be able to manually load those casings without a bunch of air spaces?

I have had a lot of suasage making experience in the past but that was using a commercial stuffer.

Just wanted some comments/opinions and perhaps a recipe?

[Neal]

Joel, I made some just last week. I bought some summer sausage seasonings and cure, at Gander mountain. I hand stuffed it. It had a few air pockets, but it was my first time and I didn't pay attention to the pockets. I have a Kitchen-aid mixer that will throughly make your bear/pork into a big pile of sticky mush if you want to borrow it.

Neal

[Brian S]

I usually use the tube and plunger method of stuffing sausage by hand. Luhr-Jenson sells the kit and includes the casings. I usually only make sausage in batches of 5 lbs or less so stuffing by hand isn't bad at all.

Last weekend I made a batch of summer sausage using a seasoning kit made by Hi-Mountain (picked it up at Gander Mtn). I think it came out well.

I would recommend making an insulated cover for your smoker. I have one made out of celotex (sp?). Without the cover, the smoker can only get up to around 110 - 120 in the winter. When I put the cover on I can get it up to 190. You'll need the high temp for sausage. Its easy to adjust the temp by shimming up the cover which lets more cool outside air in.

As far as the ground bear, I'm not sure about what "course ground" is. I just run mine through the hand grinder. I would think it would be ok.

[daddyduck]

could i use my venison hamburg to make summer sauage?

[Neal]

Originally posted by daddyduck
could i use my venison hamburg to make summer sauage?

Absolutely!!!!

[NEMichsportsman]

Brian-

Thanks for that tip & Please Check your PM's.

[NEMichsportsman]

Used the cellotex to fashion a box. Putting out good smoke but after 2 hours the sausages dont seem to be heating up a lot. I will let it go the rest of the night. I will check the thermometer... but will most likely put them in the oven for a short while just to be sure I get that 160 or so internal temp. Lot of work between seasoning stuffing and clean-up. I hope they turn out ok?!!

[NEMichsportsman]

:rolleyes: I know everybody is on the edge of their seat!

I got up and checked the internal temp and it was 160. So they seen to have turned out well. I am going to let them hang and dry some more before I Vacuum seal and freeze them.