# Ring Bologna?



## redneck steve

My Grandad used to have his venison made into ring bologna which was then smoked. He was located in central Pa., near Williamsport. It had a unique flavor that I crave for, I'm in upstate NY and no one here knows how to make it. I even sent for the spices from the butcher shop that makes it down there and then took it to an old German butcher to make for me, but it's just not right. 

Is there anyone from the Pa. area that knows what I'm talking about and wants to share their secret??

Thanks!


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## meathead

Go to the sausagemaker.com thats were I get allot of my spices a seasonings . A good spot to look for recipes is stuffers.com  I've made a lot of bologna this year and I like Cabela's seasonings the best so far , I add jalapeÃ±os , garlic and sometimes a handful of cheddar cheese..........TOM


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## shaneholz

I will post a recipe tomorrow for you that I really like. This is a more german recipe but it might be worth a shot. Talk to you tomorrow.


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## shaneholz

BOLOGNA

INGREDIENTS FOR 25 LBS
18 LBS LEAN MEAT
7 LBS PORK BUTT
2.5 TSP GROUND WHITE PEPPER
Â½ CUP GROUND MUSTARD
2.5 TBS GROUND CELERY
2.5 TSP GROUND NUTMEG
2.5 TSP GROUND CORIANDER
2.5 TSP GARLIC POWDER
Â¾ CUP POWDERED DEXTROSE
5 CUPS SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE
5 CUPS ICE WATER
5 TSP INSTACURE NO. 1
2/3 CUP SALT

GRIND THRU A 3/16 PLATE AND MIX IN INGREDIENTS AND WATER AS YOU GO. I USUALLY STUFF IN 8â€ CASINGS BUT ANY SIZE WILL WORK. AFTER STUFFING HANG TILL DRY THEN PUT IN SMOKER THAT IS AT 165 DEGREES UNTIL INTERNAL TEMP IS 150. THEN COLD SHOWER TILL INTERNAL TEMP IS 90 DEGREES. IF YOU LIKE IT COARSER YOU CAN EMULSIFY THE MEAT IF YOU WANT. 

IF YOU TRY THIS LET ME KNOW IF YOU ENJOY IT AS MUCH AS I DO


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## redneck steve

Thank you!

I've ordered a grinder and when it arrives, I'll give this a try.


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## undertaker2401

Hey Steve Where in NY are you my dad is from pa, and he makes the garlic ring bologna taste great better than alot of the stuff you buy in the stores in pa. they seem to be mushy his isnt i'll get the recipe from him and send it to you if you send me your email addy but he doesnt like to give his recipes so its between you and i ok.
                                               Allan AKA undertaker2401


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## undertaker2401

damn he wont give me the recipe lol  sorry steve i tried


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## Dutch

Undertaker, don't ya just hate when they do that to ya?!!  Luckily, I was able to learn a lot of my dad's little cooking secrets while growing up.  Now that he has passed on, I get calls from my brothers and sister asking "When dad cooked ______, what did he add or how long did he cook it for?" So far they haven't been able to stump me (yet), But I've been cooking and experimenting for so long now that I can give them a good alternative to go with.


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## undertaker2401

Earl i do hate it when he does that but i eventually get the recipe cause he'll want one of mine lol ive learned so much just watching him he will smoke chunks of deer meat and slice it up no need for cooking just eat away my youngest asked him for his recipe for that  cause she will go to his house and eat all his smoked meat  and he told her well tell your dad to make some and she just tells him he cant papa he doesnt have the recipe  he just laughs he makes it when ever they ask for it lol but i'll get it sooner or later


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## undertaker2401

Earl come to think of it im the one got him back into smoking meats i should have all the recipes lol dont you think ?


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## Dutch

Shoot yeah!! I mean since you got him back into a "productive" life of smoking meats, he ought to give you all his recipes-even the ones he "forgot" about!!  :twisted:


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## the smokeman

I know what you are talking about I make my own ring bologna and smoked kielbasa also jerky,venison sticks,smoked turkey and ham I love smoking meats want to start my own business soon


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## the smokeman

I live in eastern Pa. and I know all about ring bologna I smoke my owm also make smoked kielbasa,venison sticks,smoked turkey,jerky and hams I love smoking meats


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## jalan43

The taste comes from using beef not pork in the mix. Some recipes call for beef hearts, some just for shoulder chuck. We use the latter. No additives or fillers. Just meat and spices!


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## baloney lover

Redneck Steve,

Living near Williamsport, PA, we know what ring bologna is for sure.  If you want to buy some commercial product that is popular here and pretty good, try the Country Store in Pennsdale, PA if ever in the Muncy, PA area near the intersection of route 220 and I-180.  Most of the local supermarkets stock Country Store brand or similar ring bolognas.

My brother-in-law makes an excellent (to our taste) venison ring bologna using 20 lb of venison and 5 lbs of lean pork.  I have a couple recipes lying around for more-or-less typical Lycoming County ring bolognas, but hesitate to share them because the devil is in the details.  Grinding, mixing, setting time after mixing in the spices, smoke wood to use (b-i-l prefers birch), smoking time and water cook time are, or can be, critical.  Cook too long or too hot and the casing separates from the meat, for example.

Personal taste preferences also come into play, so nobody can point you toward a recipe you might like.  Our preference is NO GARLIC.  This must be something of a regional PA German thing.  I was raised being spoon-fed the information that garlic in meat was sort of like too much perfume on a woman.  Makes you wonder what is being hidden by it.  Strong boar hog pork?  Tainted meat? 

One recipe I have has no garlic, but does have a bit of red pepper in it, Just a little sting and not enough to make you run for the icewater.  The man who shared the recipe with me loved it.  To me it was just OK.

Anyway, if you are still on this forum and want to try one or both of the recipes, I will share with the understanding that nothing is guaranteed insofar as results.

Jack


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## thoseguys26

I'd love to try them out. I've been meaning to try ring balogna for some time now as well as a mortadella.


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## grinder61

Jack - 

I'd love to have any ring bologna recipes you have.  A friend and I plan to tackle ring bologna this spring.  We are in Eastern PA and have grown up on the stuff.  If you want to send it to my e-mail rather than posting it, let me know.

Bill


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## baloney lover

Guys,

I'll try to find the time to reply with the two recipes soon.  My wife's having very serious health problems and I have taken over all of the household chores in addition to being a caregiver and doing the other things I must around the house and farm.  Sorry to disappoint, but that's how it is.

Jack


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## BGKYSmoker

Old Amish Ring Bologna is made with pork.  Today we have non edible & edible collagen rounds.

For 2.5 lbs in a couple different ways.

2 lbs lean pork

1/2lb  back fat

OR

2 lb pork shoulder

1/2 lb beef heart or wild game.

Grind the meats thru med plate 2x

2 t salt

1/2 t cure #1

1 t ground mustard, packed

1 t white pepper

1/2 t allspice

1/2 t marjoram

2 garlic cloves chopped fine

1/2 cup fine powder milk (opt)

1/2 cup cold water

You can double if you like. I like all beef ring also.


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## grinder61

Jack - Family first!  Hope your wife feels better soon.

Thanks for the reply,

Bill


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## baloney lover

OK, here's one recipe. This makes a relatively small batch, though still expensive unless you can get some "speed beef" freshly killed along the highway. The recipe just calls for "meat". Beef would be good, but if you plan to use really lean meat like venison, I think I would substitute a pound or two of lean pork butt or shoulder for an equal amount of the venison.

USE YOUR GOOD JUDGMENT!!! IF SOMETHING LOOKS WRONG TO YOU ABOUT THIS RECIPE, DON"T USE IT!!! YOUR MILEAGE MAY VARY AND YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN. I MAKE NO PROMISES AS TO THE QUALITY OR FITNESS FOR CONSUMPTION OF THIS RECIPE!!! I HAVE NOT MADE ANY BOLOGNA MYSELF USING THIS RECIPE.

15 lb ground meat (see instructions for adding ingredients below)

6 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons meat cure (type not specified, use your good judgment based upon what the maker instructs)

1-1/2 tablespoons mustard seed

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 tablespoon coriander

1 teaspoon mace

Distribute the ingredients over the meat before grinding the firtst time

Grind, add one pint of water and grind again. 3/16" plate is about right.

Stuff in casings and smoke 6 to 8 hours

After smoking, cook 25 minutes at 170°F water temperature. Don't overcook or allow to get hotter than 170°F or you will see things like loose skins and fat separation under the skin.

Just some other notes:

"Ring" casings average about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 inch diameter. I've seen all different finished "ring" diameters, up to about 10 inches.

Lately, we have been using 2" diameter straight casing and making the bolognas about 16 inches long (using a different recipe) The only reason for doing this instead of rings is to make storing easier in the freezer; stacked like cordwood instead of a loose pile of randomly-arranged rings. Vacuum-sealed and deep-frozen, they are good for about a year.

I usually see synthetic casings, not animal gut. The ability of the bologna to "take" the smoke may be different depending on whether you use animal casing or synthetic, so the smoke time may need adjustment. Synthetic casings are more convenient as they are consistent in size and - being dry when received - can be stored longer.

I don't know what the fellow who gave me this recipe used for smoke fire wood. Use your favorite type. We use black birch, cut fresh.

You may need to adjust the water amount added to the meat to get the proper consistency for stuffing.

Tying the ends of the rings or sticks seems to work best using loosely-twisted cotton twine about 1/8 to 3/16 inch diameter. Make the knots tight. The knots in the cotton twine stay tighter and don't tend as much to slip off the casing. Trust me, you do NOT want to be picking up your bologna rings off the smokehouse floor after the knots slipped off the tied ends of the casings because you used the wrong type of cord. The commercial outfits use crimped wire on the ends of their bolognas.

Jack


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## the smokeman

I am going to be making venison ring bologna and venison sticks next week


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