# Fattie Tutorial



## hillbillyrkstr (Aug 15, 2022)

Well I was certain I posted this before years ago but I was unable to find it if I did….

Seeing as we are less than two weeks away from Fattie 2022 and it’ll be the first fattie contest we’ve held since 2019 (due to covid) I need to post this quick fattie lesson so when people ask me how to make them I can send them here instead of texting everything to dozens of people. 

So here we go again….

FATTIE 101: 

A fattie is ground meat stuffed with anything you’d like and then rolled into a log and wrapped in bacon. Pretty simple. You need a theme (breakfast, pizza, cheeseburger, etc..) and ingredient list based on that theme, and in the contests case the rules. 







This happens to be a White Castle fattie entered by my friend Matt in 2017s contest.

The fattie contest rules are also simple. 

1. You must use one pound of ground meat (any ground meat will do) no more than one pound no less than one pound. 






We do this so all fatties cook within the same time frame as we cook them all on one smoker. 

2. All fatties must be wrapped in some sort of bacon. It can be regular pork bacon, beef bacon, any kind of bacon you want. 

Those are the only two hard rules for the annual fattie contest. We do strongly suggest if you are stuffing your fattie with meat (example would be sweet & sour chicken) that you cook that meat before you stuff your fattie with it to make sure it’s done when we pull the fatties. 

So tutorial time here we go: 






Roll out your one pound of ground meat (pork sausage in this case) in a one gallon ziplock bag. Seal the whole bag except one corner and use a rolling pin or a soup can to roll even and flat. When you are done cut one side of the bag off to get the meat sheet out. 

I like to put it back in the fridge before I cut it outta the bag. Once it’s chilled again I like to cut it out and place it on wax paper to work with. 







Next start stuffing your fattie based on your theme. Here is the start of. Pizza fattie sauced. 






Sauce, cheese, and some peppers added to the fattie. 






Pepperoni added.






Extra cheese. Remember to leave a border around the edge of the fattie. 






Start your roll. We use the wax paper to help with the roll. 

Another tip is to get your fattie stuffed as fast as you can when you pull it out of the fridge. The ground meat starts to get sticky and it makes everything harder. 






Start rolling your stuffed meat log in your bacon weave or just strips of bacon. The outside bacon layer is really all about presentation in this contest. But sometimes a weave can hurt your as well in competition. With so many pieces touching each other in the weave a lot of times the underside of the bacon will not get done and it can hurt your on the taste score of the contest. 






Here’s the finished pizza fattie wrapped in a bacon weave. Again one pound of ground meat shaped in a one gallon ziplock bag is the perfect size for a fattie. 






Final tip is to wrap your fattie in clear wrap and twist it tight and let set up in the fridge for a few hours if not over night. This will really help tighten up you fattie and help it from falling apart on the smoker. Presentation is worth 5 points and the tighter your sliced the better your box will look! 






Smoker loaded down with fatties that are ready to be boxed and entered into the contest back a few years ago. 






Here’s an Italian fattie box I entered in the contest a few years ago. 

So that’s the best way to describe making a fattie for this contest we are having in two weeks. I hope it helps people out. 

Scott


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## tbern (Aug 15, 2022)

Thanks for the info! Those sure look delicious!


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## millerbuilds (Aug 15, 2022)

Great looking Fattie, The options are endless.

- Jason


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## hillbillyrkstr (Aug 15, 2022)

tbern said:


> Thanks for the info! Those sure look delicious!


Yes you can’t beat a fattie. This is the 8th contest in 10 years we are having. I chose fatties for the contest over everything else because you never know what your going to get as a judge.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Aug 15, 2022)

millerbuilds said:


> Great looking Fattie, The options are endless.
> 
> - Jason


Yes the options are truly endless and that’s what makes it such a unique contest versus any other bbq.


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## jcam222 (Aug 15, 2022)

Nice post. I love doing fatties. Learned about them here at SMF


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## SmokinGame (Aug 15, 2022)

Fatties rule! About once a month my wife asks for one.

Does venison or elk burger count?


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## hillbillyrkstr (Aug 15, 2022)

jcam222 said:


> Nice post. I love doing fatties. Learned about them here at SMF


You know I’m not sure where I learned about fatties but being this is going on 10 years of this fattie contest I’m guessing I saw it on this site maybe 12 plus years ago. If not it was certainly on the internet cause nobody I knew was making them.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Aug 15, 2022)

SmokinGame said:


> Fatties rule! About once a month my wife asks for one.
> 
> Does venison or elk burger count?


Absolutely! Any ground meat is game as long as it’s one pound. We’ve had pork, chicken, burger, elk, venison, Turkey, and I think one year moose. And that’s busy the ground meat casing! The stuffing has been all over the board! 

We started year one with only 4 fatties and eBay was ten years ago. I believe in 2018 possibly 2017 we had 36 entrees. Usually we have about 20-24 entrees. So with that many fatties over the years we’ve seen some crazy stuff!


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## thirdeye (Aug 16, 2022)

You have inspired me, good job!! Very nice bacon weave and competition box. 

With very few exceptions.... In the 16 years since I was introduced to fatties, I've always just done naked fatties.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Aug 16, 2022)

thirdeye said:


> You have inspired me, good job!! Very nice bacon weave and competition box.
> 
> With very few exceptions.... In the 16 years since I was introduced to fatties, I've always just done naked fatties.
> View attachment 641029


Wrap em up in bacon! You’ll be happy you did!


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## Retired Spook (Aug 16, 2022)

I think they should be re-named: Heart-Attack-Rolls sounds about right to me! 

No offense to anyone's honor or heritage just having fun. I am sure it tastes great!


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## Retired Spook (Aug 16, 2022)

thirdeye said:


> You have inspired me, good job!! Very nice bacon weave and competition box.
> 
> With very few exceptions.... In the 16 years since I was introduced to fatties, I've always just done naked fatties.
> View attachment 641029


What, exactly, is a naked fattie? Just ground pork?


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## tbern (Aug 16, 2022)

thirdeye said:


> You have inspired me, good job!! Very nice bacon weave and competition box.
> 
> With very few exceptions.... In the 16 years since I was introduced to fatties, I've always just done naked fatties.
> View attachment 641029


those all look awesome too!!!


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## BigW. (Aug 16, 2022)

Retired Spook said:


> What, exactly, is a naked fattie? Just ground pork?


No bacon wrap


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## Retired Spook (Aug 16, 2022)

BigW. said:


> No bacon wrap


Thank you!

How long / or to what temperature is a typical cheese-filled fattie smoked?

I often smoke hot Italian sausages just because I love the taste - may sound strange but they taste great to me.


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## indaswamp (Aug 16, 2022)

What an awesome contest! Great tutorial!


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## Beechnut (Aug 16, 2022)

Looks good , have not made one , but will soon.


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## thirdeye (Aug 16, 2022)

Retired Spook said:


> What, exactly, is a naked fattie? Just ground pork?


A naked fatty is just a 1# or 2# log of sausage (home made or store bought) with external seasoning and sometimes sauce.   No filling or no bacon wrap.  For breakfast flavored logs I will use a spicy BBQ rub. And for logs of spicy sausage I'll use a sweeter BBQ rub. Low and slow is the key, they usually take around 2 hours to smoke and an hour to rest. 
Today is our primary election day so I'm smoking two later to serve with a quiche while watching the returns.  They reheat beautifully, so a late night snack might be in order.


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## Retired Spook (Aug 16, 2022)

That tray is mouth-watering. I am going to have to try this.


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## checkdude (Aug 16, 2022)

Nice post. I have made several of these, every one diferent. Couldn't say which I liked the best. Always the one I just ate lol! As simle as you please but so so tasty.


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## JckDanls 07 (Aug 16, 2022)

Yup..  just did one a few wknds ago...   Filled with mac and cheese and fresh broccoli ...


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## hillbillyrkstr (Aug 17, 2022)

JckDanls 07 said:


> Yup..  just did one a few wknds ago...   Filled with mac and cheese and fresh broccoli ...


Sounds like a winner! Mac & cheese fatties are great!


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## clifish (Aug 17, 2022)

If this contest was anywhere near me I would love to do a bacon wrapped bratwurst,  stuffed with sauerkraut, Jarlsberg or Gouda cheese served with some spicy mustard.


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## Retired Spook (Aug 17, 2022)

clifish said:


> If this contest was anywhere near me I would love to do a bacon wrapped bratwurst,  stuffed with sauerkraut, Jarlsberg or Gouda cheese served with some spicy mustard.


Ever tried Rolph's on Third Ave and E 22nd Street in NYC? Back in the day that was The German place to go!


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## clifish (Aug 17, 2022)

Retired Spook said:


> Ever tried Rolph's on Third Ave and E 22nd Street in NYC? Back in the day that was The German place to go!


No,  never been there,  current reviews of the place are not so hot,  still may check it out.   Most of the ones on Long Island are not that good.  Need to try Zum Stammtisch in Queens though.  We mostly go to nurnberger bierhaus in lake ariel, PA when are at the PA house.


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## hillbillyrkstr (Aug 17, 2022)

clifish said:


> If this contest was anywhere near me I would love to do a bacon wrapped bratwurst,  stuffed with sauerkraut, Jarlsberg or Gouda cheese served with some spicy mustard.


Sounds like a great idea for an October fest fattie!


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## Retired Spook (Aug 17, 2022)

clifish said:


> No,  never been there,  current reviews of the place are not so hot,  still may check it out.   Most of the ones on Long Island are not that good.  Need to try Zum Stammtisch in Queens though.  We mostly go to nurnberger bierhaus in lake ariel, PA when are at the PA house.


I don't trust online reviews much anymore - half the kids today were raised believing Chef Boyardee is "real Italian food."

They had some killer pork chops, they know that a brautwurst is all pork and their Wiener Schnitzel was fantastic. I had Wiener Schnitzel there with some kind of mushroom sauce it was awesome.

It was years ago so things may have changed but I would not be afraid to walk in the door if I was back home again.

And man do I miss fishing the south shore and Captree.


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## clifish (Aug 17, 2022)

Retired Spook said:


> I don't trust online reviews much anymore - half the kids today were raised believing Chef Boyardee is "real Italian food."
> 
> They had some killer pork chops, they know that a brautwurst is all pork and their Wiener Schnitzel was fantastic. I had Wiener Schnitzel there with some kind of mushroom sauce it was awesome.
> 
> ...


I have made that gravy it is called German hunters gravy....speaking of fishing,  I am going on a private charter tomorrow out in Montauk.  They are getting huge fluke and stripers now.


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## Retired Spook (Aug 17, 2022)

clifish said:


> I have made that gravy it is called German hunters gravy....speaking of fishing,  I am going on a private charter tomorrow out in Montauk.  They are getting huge fluke and stripers now.


Fished many days in the surf at Montauk, the False Point (stripers and blues) and Shinnecock Bay (weakfish). I miss it very much. No place in the Country, including Hawaii, comes anywhere close to the inshore fishing around south and eastern Long Island.

Catch an 8-lb Fluke for me!


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## hillbillyrkstr (Aug 22, 2022)

indaswamp said:


> What an awesome contest! Great tutorial!


Appreciate it


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## nicefly (Yesterday at 10:08 PM)

clifish said:


> No,  never been there,  current reviews of the place are not so hot,  still may check it out.   Most of the ones on Long Island are not that good.  Need to try Zum Stammtisch in Queens though.  We mostly go to nurnberger bierhaus in lake ariel, PA when are at the PA house.


Hey clifish, I grew up in Waymart, Pa.  Same school district as Lake Ariel. Small world.

Good place to go and relax, not much else.  I live in Houston now maybe I will retire there to be closer to family.  I do miss the fall foliage but not the winters.

OP thanks for the post. I have made some fatties but have not fired up the smoker in a while.  Came here looking for inspiration.  Putting pizza fattie on the list, thanks.
John


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