Making ring bologna

[riverratt]

I have been experimenting making ring bologna using 5 pounds of ground beef mixed with 2 1/2" pounds of fresh sausage from a local butcher. My recipe calls for tender quick, salt, pepper, coriander, mustard seed, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder and I am stuffing them into collagen casings about 1 1/2" thick. Would it hurt to mix up a batch and stuff it but let it in the refrigerator over night before smoking it? I did 2  7 1/2 pound batches today and did them one at a time. I stuffed the first batch and put it in the smoker because thats all that can hang at a time and when i went to start stuffing then next batch the meat that was left in the stuffer was turning brown and it only sat for less than 1/2 hour. was this just from the cure? I hurried up and stuffed the next batch and ended up putting all 15 lbs in the smoker using the racks instead of hanging them since I was afraid the second batch would not be ok it I left it sit until the first batch was done. I also had some left over from a batch that I did Sunday that was left in the stuffer that I put in the refrigerator in a sealed dish and that also turned brown. Is it the the pork and cure that is making it turn brown?

 

[big casino]

yes the cure will turn the meat a grayish color if you was to take a spoonful out of the center you would probably find it nice and pink under the surface, I can't remember exactly why, but I think it has something to do with the cure and the meat  reacting with the air?

anyways yes you can put meat mixed with cure in the fridge over night, how ever it will get stiff, and can be harder to stuff, in my opinion it is best to mix everything and stuff it all ASAP and then refrigerate, and if you do refrigerate you should leave the sausage hang at room temp for a while b4 putting in the smoker

sounds like a good bologna, try fresh garlic sometime, the aroma you get from it is awesome

 

[DanMcG]

Like BC said .the meat will turn brown/gray with the cure. not a problem...Let's see some finish Q-view of you sausage

 

[riverratt]

Thanks for the replies. It should be ready to come out of the smoker any minute now. This will be my first time laying it on the rack. I hope it comes out ok.

 

[venture]

With cured meat, it will turn back to red/pink when cooked.  That is when the cure kicks in for color. And I am only talking color. The cure works way before that for food safety.

For stuffing, it is sometimes easier to do when mixed, because it will set up stiffer in the fridge.

You will be fine either way as long as you are following safe food practices.

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[africanmeat]

the guys got you covered  so left for me only to   wait for the photos 

 

[riverratt]

So what you are saying is that even though it was turning gray that is would turn back to pink once it is done smoking? We were afraid that it would turn gray overnight in the refrigerator in the casings before i could smoke it and it would stay gray. All in all it did not come out too bad laying it on the racks but the top rack and bottom rack definitely had signs of more heat on the casings. i made half rings instead of full rings and one little one directly above the burning got cooked open and a little fried. what is the max temp you should cook it at to get the IT of 155?

 

[sprky]

the guys gave ya great advice, just awaiting the Q-view

 

[big casino]

Yes the meat would turn back from gray to a nice pink or rosey red color

160 for  a while then I think you can go up to to 170 for the last couple of hours to get it to an internal of 155, I am not home right now or i would look up my ring bologna recipe, but I think it says to smoke to 135, and then to put in a water bath that is 180 and poach until it reaches an IT of 155, and that will take you less time to finish and also make the casings easy to peel

 

[couger78]

Good advice given here!

All I would add is this little bit of info: Do WATCH those temps, both in the smoker and/or the poacher!

I've had a few greasy batches due to runaway temps. My great dane thought the results were great. Me? not so much.

- Kevin

 

[riverratt]

So you are saying too high of temperature makes it greasy? I have been doing the no heat for about 1 hour at 100 and then raising it to about 135 for an hour or 2 and adding smoke then going to 160 for an hour or 2 then going to about 175 for the finish.
 

Good advice given here!

All I would add is this little bit of info: Do WATCH those temps, both in the smoker and/or the poacher!

I've had a few greasy batches due to runaway temps. My great dane thought the results were great. Me? not so much.

- Kevin

 

[gersus]

Where's the q-view?!?!?!

 

[riverratt]

Not the best pictures but this was one on the bottom rack. The flavor is great.

 

[venture]

Looks pink to me?

Send me some!

Good luck and good smoking.

 

[riverratt]

Yes it is pink but there was a little grease build up in some places on the outside. Is this from too much heat? How long do most people keep it in the smoker? I had a temp probe on a ring on one of the middle racks that showed an IT of 157 after about 7 1/2 hours but I had to close the vent and crank up the heat to get there.

 

[big casino]

yes the grease between the sausage and casing is due to high heat, they call it a fat out, basically it either stays in the smoker until it's done or, you can take it out and poach it to your IT alot quicker that in the smoker, and it doesnt affect the smoke flavor either

 

[riverratt]

Is it because I had the smoker heat too high or because I left it in the smoker too long?

 

[big casino]

high temps

 

[DanMcG]

.... You don't want you smoker temp to get above 170°-175°

 

[SmokinAl]

It sure looks good from here!