My son was bugging me to make snack sticks, so I decided to make some on Friday
I bought 50# of ground pork from the meat locker, and use some for Italian Sausage and Breakfast Sausage this summer. I figured it was a good time to use the rest. I also save the pork trim and fat from ribs and making BBB, so we had plenty of pork. I got 10# of venison from a friend, and supplemented the rest with 90/10 ground beef and 80/20 ground chuck from SAMS.
Last year, we made a mess in my wife's kitchen, and she wasn't very happy with the mess
This year, we set up in the garage, and she was much happier!
Friday, we ground the venison and pork trim, mixed and stuffed casings and smoked my 1st batch.
Seasonings were premixed from a local supplier & added to 1 cups of water
We like the "Tang", so ECA was added
Used 21mm casings and my new 7# Weston Stuffer from Gander Mountain
Snack sticks were dried for an hour, smoked for 3 hours with an AMNPS & Pitmaster's Choice Pellets and finished in my MES 40
We did (5) 8 lb. batches of snack sticks. Seasonings were measured out for 10# of meat, but we like a little stronger flavor, so we only use 8# of meat and fat.
Slim Jims - Venison+ Beef Fat/Beef/Ground Pork w/ Cheddar Cheese & ECA
Pepperoni - Ground Beef/Ground Pork w/ECA
Jalepeno - Ground Beef/Ground Pork w/Cheddar and ECA
Willies - Ground Chuck/Ground Beef/Ground Pork w/ Pepper Jack Cheese & ECA
Salami - Ground Pork w/ECA
I started with about 43 pounds of meat and cheese. After smoking, the finished snack sticks weighed about 30 pounds
I tried to adhere to 80% meat and 20% fat. Since venison is so lean, extra beef fat was added to bring it up to 80/20.
All the snack sticks turned out good, but surprisingly, our favorite was the Salami Snack Sticks, made with 100% Ground Pork. These tasted very much like the "Hard Salami" from the deli.
ECA was added to every batch. We really like the "Tang" it gives the sticks
Rather then post 5 different threads, I condensed my batches into one thread.
ENJOY!
Todd
My sons Drew and Brady are helping me make snack sticks
If you look at the legs of my table, you'll notice PVC pipe.
I added 12" to each leg of my table, to raise it to 36". This is a perfect working height
Seasonings look lumpy, because they were previously vac sealed
Slim Jim Seasoning, Cure 31 and ECA Pepperoni Seasoning, Cure #1 & Sodium Erythorbate
Salami Seasoning & Cure #1 Willies Seasoning, Cure #1, ECA & Sodium Erythorbate
1st batch mixed and ready t stuff into 21mm casings
Seasonings were added to water and then mixed into the ground meat
The mix was ground thru a 3/16" plate
Cheese and ECA was added and all was mixed well before stuffing
Do Not mix ECA in before your 2nd grind!!!
My 7# stuffer held a little over 5# of meat
21mm collagen casings on a 10mm stuffing tube
Stuffed and ready to rest before smoking
Into the smoker for 1 hour at 130° w/no smoke, 3 hours of smoke and then finished at 155°
It was 29° outside, so no need for an ice water bath. I just let them hang in the cold!
Inside, hanging and waiting for the snack sticks to bloom
I turned off the heat in the garage, and the temp dropped to 45° for an overnight rest, before slicing and vac packing
Ready to slice 5" sticks + ends and pieces , ready to vac seal
Jackson is waiting for me to drop something!!
Vac sealing with my trusty Tilia FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer 48 packages all sealed up
I bought 50# of ground pork from the meat locker, and use some for Italian Sausage and Breakfast Sausage this summer. I figured it was a good time to use the rest. I also save the pork trim and fat from ribs and making BBB, so we had plenty of pork. I got 10# of venison from a friend, and supplemented the rest with 90/10 ground beef and 80/20 ground chuck from SAMS.
Last year, we made a mess in my wife's kitchen, and she wasn't very happy with the mess
This year, we set up in the garage, and she was much happier!
Friday, we ground the venison and pork trim, mixed and stuffed casings and smoked my 1st batch.
Seasonings were premixed from a local supplier & added to 1 cups of water
We like the "Tang", so ECA was added
Used 21mm casings and my new 7# Weston Stuffer from Gander Mountain
Snack sticks were dried for an hour, smoked for 3 hours with an AMNPS & Pitmaster's Choice Pellets and finished in my MES 40
We did (5) 8 lb. batches of snack sticks. Seasonings were measured out for 10# of meat, but we like a little stronger flavor, so we only use 8# of meat and fat.
Slim Jims - Venison+ Beef Fat/Beef/Ground Pork w/ Cheddar Cheese & ECA
Pepperoni - Ground Beef/Ground Pork w/ECA
Jalepeno - Ground Beef/Ground Pork w/Cheddar and ECA
Willies - Ground Chuck/Ground Beef/Ground Pork w/ Pepper Jack Cheese & ECA
Salami - Ground Pork w/ECA
I started with about 43 pounds of meat and cheese. After smoking, the finished snack sticks weighed about 30 pounds
I tried to adhere to 80% meat and 20% fat. Since venison is so lean, extra beef fat was added to bring it up to 80/20.
All the snack sticks turned out good, but surprisingly, our favorite was the Salami Snack Sticks, made with 100% Ground Pork. These tasted very much like the "Hard Salami" from the deli.
ECA was added to every batch. We really like the "Tang" it gives the sticks
Rather then post 5 different threads, I condensed my batches into one thread.
ENJOY!
Todd
My sons Drew and Brady are helping me make snack sticks
If you look at the legs of my table, you'll notice PVC pipe.
I added 12" to each leg of my table, to raise it to 36". This is a perfect working height
Seasonings look lumpy, because they were previously vac sealed
Slim Jim Seasoning, Cure 31 and ECA Pepperoni Seasoning, Cure #1 & Sodium Erythorbate
Salami Seasoning & Cure #1 Willies Seasoning, Cure #1, ECA & Sodium Erythorbate
1st batch mixed and ready t stuff into 21mm casings
Seasonings were added to water and then mixed into the ground meat
The mix was ground thru a 3/16" plate
Cheese and ECA was added and all was mixed well before stuffing
Do Not mix ECA in before your 2nd grind!!!
My 7# stuffer held a little over 5# of meat
21mm collagen casings on a 10mm stuffing tube
Stuffed and ready to rest before smoking
Into the smoker for 1 hour at 130° w/no smoke, 3 hours of smoke and then finished at 155°
It was 29° outside, so no need for an ice water bath. I just let them hang in the cold!
Inside, hanging and waiting for the snack sticks to bloom
I turned off the heat in the garage, and the temp dropped to 45° for an overnight rest, before slicing and vac packing
Ready to slice 5" sticks + ends and pieces , ready to vac seal
Jackson is waiting for me to drop something!!
Vac sealing with my trusty Tilia FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer 48 packages all sealed up
