What's in your smoker?

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by 357

Never made sausage. I don't have the equipment, but I do like the idea.

Not a huge investment, really.

You absolutely need a device to grind the meat. Attachment for a KitchenAid runs $69-$79. A stand-alone electric meat grinder can run $89-$149. Most electric grinders come with the horns for stuffing into casing. I prefer another appliance that is a hand crank and very easy to use but those run around $150. With the hand crank, you have more control over the speed.

I don't cold-smoke sausage but frequently cook my home made links on my Traeger. Sometimes on high heat. Sometimes low and slow.

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by Chainsaw13

You can cold smoke sausage, but you'd still need to fully cook it, unless of course you're making a dry cured sausage. Then you'd need a setup for hanging/curing those. I was thinking more of just a fresh sausage, like brats or italian sausage.

Home made brats and Italian sausage are da bomb. Plus you know you are not getting any knees, knuckles, lips, ears, bone etc.
My wife's favorite is chicken with sun-dried tomato sausage.

www.thespicysausage.com is an excellent website.

[Chainsaw13]

Originally Posted by pnoon

Home made brats and Italian sausage are da bomb. Plus you know you are not getting any knees, knuckles, lips, ears, bone etc.
My wife's favorite is chicken with sun-dried tomato sausage.

www.thespicysausage.com is an excellent website.

Yea, so true. Plus you can fine tune the recipe to your own liking, adding more of one spice or less of another. One trick is to make 1/2 or 1lb batches. Weigh the meat out, then weigh out your spices to get the percentages of each. That way you don't end up with 5+lbs of something you might not end up liking. You can then wrap the finished sausage in plastic wrap, the size of a normal link, poach to cook, then finish on the grill or sauteed in a pan (remove the plastic wrap of course).

I've got my eye on a new grinder, LEM .25hp, on Amazon. My KA attachment has about had it and I want to step up to something with a bit more oomph.

[357]

I borrowed a grinder from Steve (Fissure) to process my first deer, and it worked pretty well. The next year I had a butcher grind it for me and add some pork fat. Anyway, I did borrow my mom's KA and grinder attachment once to grind a pork shoulder. It worked but did lack power. I used it to make the sausage for a fatty. I had to stop and clean stringy stuff from the plates every so often which slowed the process down a bit. My wife now has a KA, a step larger than my mom's. Not sure if it'll fare better or if it'll even accept the same attachment. If so, that might be worth a shot. Where do you get casing from a butcher or do you strictly use cello to form until cooking?

BTW, thanks for helping bring a n00b like me up to speed. Any rub recommendations for my pork? This will be my first attempt with swine. So far I've done 5 chuck roasts and a brisket, which think was only a flat. Obviously, I'm still learning. Any IT (for pulled pork), and/or minimum rest recommendations? If I start them tonight they could be ready for dinner tomorrow depending on how quick/slow they go.

Thanks again guys.

[pnoon]

Originally Posted by 357

I borrowed a grinder from Steve (Fissure) to process my first deer, and it worked pretty well. The next year I had a butcher grind it for me and add some pork fat. Anyway, I did borrow my mom's KA and grinder attachment once to grind a pork shoulder. It worked but did lack power. I used it to make the sausage for a fatty. I had to stop and clean stringy stuff from the plates every so often which slowed the process down a bit. My wife now has a KA, a step larger than my mom's. Not sure if it'll fare better or if it'll even accept the same attachment. If so, that might be worth a shot. Where do you get casing from a butcher or do you strictly use cello to form until cooking?

BTW, thanks for helping bring a n00b like me up to speed. Any rub recommendations for my pork? This will be my first attempt with swine. So far I've done 5 chuck roasts and a brisket, which think was only a flat. Obviously, I'm still learning. Any IT (for pulled pork), and/or minimum rest recommendations? If I start them tonight they could be ready for dinner tomorrow depending on how quick/slow they go.

Thanks again guys.

I've used two online vendors for casing. But a local butcher would work, too.
Here is one http://www.makincasing.com/x/home.php
I can't remember the other but both are good quality. I'll try an remember to check the other when I get home and post here.

I have a "sweet rub" for pork that I like on smoked butt/shoulder. I'll post that one up, too

[357]

Thanks Peter!!!

[T.G]

Pork butt, chuck roast, same thing, different animal. If you like the pulled/shredded results from the chuck that you bbq'd, then just apply the same technique to the pork butt.

Apple juice, Dr. Pepper and Coke (never use the diet stuff with sodas) all make good braising sauces.

I personally think the combo of oak, cherry and hickory for smoke wood on pork is awesome. Some people like apple or peach. Or even just straight hickory, which I personally find too overpowering, but to each their own.

Here's a nice starter base for a rub - originally by Steve Raichlen.
Basic BBQ RUB

1/4 c sugar
1/4 c sweet paprika
3 T black pepper
4 T coarse salt
2 t garlic powder
2 t onion powder
2 t celery seeds
1 t cayenne
1/2 t oregano
1/2 t thyme


The type of sugar is up to you. If you use dark brown sugar, dry it by spreading it out on a sheet pan and sticking it in a 150 oven (you'll probably have to leave the door cracked open for this) for 30-45 minutes, stir once or twice.

You can take that base and wing it all kinds of directions, add more cayenne power and some chili powders for heat or things like ground cumin or even ground mace for spice, more garlic, powdered worschestere, even a dash of MSG if you're not afraid of it.

[jjirons69]

Our yearly Kingstree BBQ contest. 57 cookers starting Friday evening and results announced at noon on Saturday. Whole hog. We cooked two and placed 5th and 8th. Once all was said and done, came home with $500 (enough to pay for the entry), 35 lbs of BBQ, and a small trophy.



BIL and dad



Finished hog



BIL, family friend, and me in the goofy bucket hat

[Steve]

Looks awesome Jamie, congrats!

I would love to have one of those pig cookers to go with my Lang! Now that it is getting cooler, I am hoping to fire the Ol' Girl up. I'm sure she is feeling neglected. Now that Holly has started her treatments, I thing a nice Pig Pickin' Party with a lot of friends may be in order to keep her spirits up!

[T.G]

Very nice and congratulations, Jamie.

[357]

Congrats Jamie, great pics and story.

[357]

My most recent deal onto the smoker. While I do want to make sausage, I opted not to this time. I wanted a few good meals and lunches I could have ready to go. This is my first attempt at smoking pork. I did not brine, and I did not foil while on the smoker. I really wanted good bark. I think it worked. However, if brining helps with moisture, I might consider that in the future. One was a bit dry.

Twin Family packs of "Boston Butt"


The bigger one we actually paid for


The smaller one we got free with purchase of the other


The opposite side with fat caps showing


All trimmed up, possibly not in the same order

[357]

Two destined for the bottom rack all rubbed up


Two destined and sitting on the top rack before it went into my not so U-DS.



They went in at 1:45PM Saturday. I rotated them top to bottom once and kept the ET-732 probes on the bottom rack and in the smallest cut on that rack. I wasn't really sure of the best method given the lack of 5 total probes. So I figured this was the best option.

One of the bottom two ready to come off


I believe the removal from smoker times were Sunday 1:30 AM, 3:00 AM, 5:15 AM, and 7:00 AM. All were wrapped when removed in foil, then towels, and put into the same cooler.

Largest one, removed last


Pulled

[357]

2nd to last removed


Same one, just opened up


A little more


And pulled,


The one pulled last was a bit dry but we mixed it with the others that were plenty juicy. If it was the only one I did, then sauce would be mandatory. Flavor is fantastic. The first meal I ate, I sauced with one of my favorite commercial brands and it was good. The next time I went sauce free and it tasted even better. The sauce hides the amazing flavor of that bark. I need to find/develop a "finishing sauce" that is thinner and not so overpowering.

[jjirons69]

Serious bark, Mike. Great job!

[Chainsaw13]

Mike, next time with the pork, leave all the fat on.

[357]

Thanks Jamie.

Bob, you think that's why the one was dry? My only concern was that the fat would separate and take the bark with it once I was ready to shred/pull. I tried to leave some on, but not much. BTW, do yo prefer fat cap up or down?

[Chainsaw13]

I leave the fat cap on, and up in the smoker. Helps baste the pork as it renders. Yes, you will loose some bark, if you remove it before pulling. Kinda surprised even without the fat cap, the pork was dry as there's usually plenty of intramuscular fat in a typical butt. Could be you got one with a bit less than normal.

[Chainsaw13]

Also, what IT did you shoot for?

BTW, the results look really good. Nicely done sir!

[357]

Originally Posted by Chainsaw13

Also, what IT did you shoot for?

BTW, the results look really good. Nicely done sir!

I pulled when IT reached 200 on each one. Since I only had one meat probe, I had to move it around aiming for lower rack smaller cuts and working toward larger cuts and top rack assuming they would cook slower. I rotated them and moved the probes accordingly.

The one wasn't real dry, just a bit. Very edible, but better with sauce because of it. Once I mixed it (drier meat) in with the rest, you couldn't tell.