Unstuffed Smoked Beef Logs (slightly hot) -- Bearcarver Qview

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Bearcarver

Gone but not forgotten RIP
Original poster
OTBS Member
Group Lead
Sep 12, 2009
45,279
18,182
Macungie, PA
Unstuffed Smoked Beef Logs (slightly hot)

Taste is very similar to a very good "Pennsylvania Dutch Smoked Ring Bologna".


This recipe is similar to my "Beef Stick" recipe, but with a little more heat (not too much).
Recipe is for 9 pounds of 80/20 Ground Beef.
Day # 1
Mix the following:
#1 Mix
Tender Quick
----------------------2 1/4 ounces (4 1/2 TBS)----Proper amount for 9 pounds of Ground Meat
Soy sauce---------------------------4 ounces
Ice Water----------------------------5 ounces
Stir this until TQ is dissolved, and put in fridge.

===================================================
Then mix the following
#2 Mix
Black Pepper----------------------------------1 TBS
Red Pepper Flakes---------------------------1 TBS
Cayenne Pepper------------------------------1 TBS
Mustard Seed----------------------------------1 TBS
Fennel Seed (slightly crushed)-------------1 TBS
Anise Seed--------------------------------------1 TBS
Italian Seasoning-------------------------------1 1/2 tsp
Garlic Powder-----------------------------------1 tsp
Onion Powder-----------------------------------1 tsp
===================================================

Any amounts of the ingredients above can change to suit your tastes, except the TQ.
The amount of TQ should be 1/4 ounce (1/2 TBS) of TQ per pound of Ground meat.
================================================


Now spread your ground meat out in whatever you're going to mix it in.
Incorporate Mix # 1 with Mix #2 together, and pour it over all of your ground meat.
Now Mix & Mix & Mix & Mix & Mix, until you're sure it's mixed as well as possible.
Cover the container with plastic wrap, and put in fridge (36˚ to 38˚) for an overnight rest.
===================================================

Day # 2
Remove meat from fridge, and proceed to roll into logs about 2" to 2 1/2" in diameter.
Place them on your smoker racks as you roll them, being careful not to allow them to touch each other.
After rolling, put them in the fridge (uncovered) for another overnight rest.


========================================

Day # 3
Preheat smoker to 130˚, and put smoking racks, with meat on, in smoker.

After about 1 hour, get a nice amount of smoke going in smoker (I used an AMNS loaded with Hickory).
After a total of 3 hours, bump heat up to 150˚.
After 2 more hours, bump heat to 170˚.
After 2 more hours, bump heat to 180˚.
Keep heat at 180˚ until internal temperatures of logs are all 160˚ or more.
Mine were 161˚-165˚-161˚-160˚-160˚-160˚-168˚ when I removed them.
Throw the logs into ice water to get them down to about 100˚, or below.
Pat them all dry, and put them in a dry bowl.
Put them in fridge, uncovered, overnight to cool down & mellow out.

Day # 4

Cut into the size pieces you want to freeze, vacuum pack, label packs, and freeze what won't be eaten within 5 days or so.
Keep refrigerated until eating.
BTW: I know they're a bit ugly, like my Unstuffed Beef Sticks, because there isn't any skin on them to keep them smooth & pretty, but they're Darn Tasty this way!

Thanks, and enjoy the Qview below,

Bear

Cure & Ingredients:
DSC01909-1.jpg


All mixed up---after being in fridge over night:
DSC01914-1.jpg


Rolled into logs:
DSC01915-1.jpg


Closer look:
DSC01918-1.jpg


In the middle of 36 hours of 35 MPH to 45 MPH sustained winds, with gusts of 60 MPH caused me to fasten a heavy old quilt to the end of the porch, to block the wind that was whipping through:
DSC01920-1.jpg


Closer look:
DSC01922-1.jpg


The heavy winds were ripping the screws right through the quilt, so I made some emergency washers:
DSC01930-1.jpg


Beef Bologna Under Glass:
DSC01923-1.jpg


Fresh out of the MES:
DSC01925-1.jpg


Cut for vacuum packing---couple pieces are missing!
DSC01928-1.jpg
 
Last edited:
Looking good. Nice quick thinking to get that wind break to stay up. So was there any particular reason that you didn't just stuff them into big casings? Did you have any issues with the logs wanting to fall apart or they they stay together nicely for you?
 
Looking good. Nice quick thinking to get that wind break to stay up. So was there any particular reason that you didn't just stuff them into big casings? Did you have any issues with the logs wanting to fall apart or they they stay together nicely for you?
Thank You Ross,

IMO: I can get much more smoke on my meats, without the smoke having to travel through a heavy skin, and if possible, I'd rather eat smoked meat than smoked skin, even if it's only a thin skin. I consider it about the same as removing the skin from a belly before curing it & smoking it into Bacon.

No problem with 80/20 falling apart.

Bear
 
Yea I bet you get much more smoke flavor since it doesn't have to penetrate the summer sausage casing. I guess you might as well eat the smoke flavor instead of thrown out the SS casing. As long as you can keep them together. I still have yet to to make summer sausage. Its on my list of things to do with my venison sausage this year. I'm hoping it will be the first thing I smoke on my new fridge build I am going to start.
 
Last edited:
Bear, that bologna looks great, but I can't believe you don't have a room in your house for your baby. I mean leaving her out in the wind and cold like that? I'm sure there will be a smoke room addition in the spring.   
icon_mrgreen.gif
 
Wow!!!! They look tasty, but they look like giant turds!
icon_mrgreen.gif
eek.gif
.

Instead of "unstuffed bologna", maybe you could call them "Bear Turds"

Sorry, but I had to say it!
cool.gif
. Please don't take any offence as none was intended.

All joking aside; Why do you call it "bologna"? All bologna I've seen is an emulsified sausage, but yours seems to have some texture to it, similar to a hungarian or german salami.
 
Hey Bear those sound mighty tasty.  I have a fattie press and am thinking I might try to compress them in there first rather than roll them. I might hold them together a little tighter. Gonna have to give this one a try.

I think AK1 might be onto something on the name change
th_dunno-1%5B1%5D.gif
 kind of more personalized
icon_mrgreen.gif


Thanks for sharing my friend   
 
Wow!!!! They look tasty, but they look like giant turds!
icon_mrgreen.gif
eek.gif
.

Instead of "unstuffed bologna", maybe you could call them "Bear Turds"

Sorry, but I had to say it!
cool.gif
. Please don't take any offence as none was intended.

All joking aside; Why do you call it "bologna"? All bologna I've seen is an emulsified sausage, but yours seems to have some texture to it, similar to a hungarian or german salami.
Well............... He is in the woods.
ROTF.gif


Nice job Bear!

 
 
Wow!!!! They look tasty, but they look like giant turds!
icon_mrgreen.gif
eek.gif
.

Instead of "unstuffed bologna", maybe you could call them "Bear Turds"

Sorry, but I had to say it!
cool.gif
. Please don't take any offence as none was intended.

All joking aside; Why do you call it "bologna"? All bologna I've seen is an emulsified sausage, but yours seems to have some texture to it, similar to a hungarian or german salami.
Thanks AK1---I think?
I have spent too much time in the woods, and have seen a lot of Bears.

There is no such thing as a Bear Turd.

A Bear leaves things around the woods & corn fields that is more like a "Cow Flop" (which is what we always called it), or "cow pie" from a cow.

I guess I called it bologna, because like I said, "It tastes like a very good Pennsylvania Dutch Ring Bologna".

Might be better to call it a "Log".  Oh well.......

Bear


Hey Bear those sound mighty tasty.  I have a fattie press and am thinking I might try to compress them in there first rather than roll them. I might hold them together a little tighter. Gonna have to give this one a try.

I think AK1 might be onto something on the name change
th_dunno-1%5B1%5D.gif
 kind of more personalized
icon_mrgreen.gif


Thanks for sharing my friend   
Thanks Gary---See above.

Bear
 
Bear, that bologna looks great, but I can't believe you don't have a room in your house for your baby. I mean leaving her out in the wind and cold like that? I'm sure there will be a smoke room addition in the spring.   
icon_mrgreen.gif
Thanks Al !
Never happen---I tried that & it didn't fly!!

I'm building something for my MES 40, but it's not a room----SHHhhhhhhh...............

Bear
 
Great looking sausage Bear..every time i look at your Q Views i get another thing to smoke...these and your snack sticks in the same smoker will kill 2 birds with one smoke for me. Thanks for the detailed recipe.
icon_mrgreen.gif
 
Great looking sausage Bear..every time i look at your Q Views i get another thing to smoke...these and your snack sticks in the same smoker will kill 2 birds with one smoke for me. Thanks for the detailed recipe.
icon_mrgreen.gif
Thank You gotarace,

Actually if you like a little heat (very little), you can use this recipe for the Unstuffed Beef Sticks too, or vice versa.

If you like more heat, you can add more too with either of them.

Only thing is the sticks will get finished a while sooner, due to the thickness, if you do them together.

Bear
 
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