It's time to reward yourself with some "GOOD EATS"

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Creole Hot Sausage

Creole to me means native. So what I have made is Louisiana Sausage. Either way its mighty fine eats. When you get a recipe from the internet you can only hope that it is true to form. I have not found this to be true with sausage recipes. Not saying that I like them all. But most sausage people take pride in the product they make.
This sausage is made from pork, for the meat cut I am using pork butt and some rib trimmings from spare ribs. I like using pork butt or pork shoulder (same cut) because the fat content is just about what is needed for 20% fat in your sausage. Fat adds flavor and acts as a binder for your sausage. Not enough fat and you have a crumbly product. If you are smoking your sausage be sure to watch you internal temperature. I like to bring mine to 150 to 155 deg. higher than this and the fat will start to render. (not good). So the photos show what happened in my process.
I like to cube my meat, add my spices, mix then grind.
Ready for the grinder:
Ground and mixed:
Hanging in the smoke:
Smoked cooled & bloomed:
Packaged for the freezer:
Hope you enjoyed this process, here is the recipe I used. Try it, I found it to be some good eats. Thanks Bill

CREOLE HOT SAUSAGE


  • 4 pounds lean fresh pork
  • 2 pounds pork fat
  • 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic
  • 3-4 tablespoons cayenne pepper (more or less for your taste)
  • 2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons salt
  • 3 teaspoons ground bay leaf (use a coffee or spice grinder)
  • 3 tablespoons paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 yards sausage casing (optional)

Grind the pork and fatback to a medium to coarse grind, and mix well with the other ingredients. Stuff into sausage casings, and tie them off so that each sausage is about six inches long. You can omit this step and make sausage patties if you like.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

All Beef Sausage

Yeah I know beef is priced way out there about now. But I had some in the freezer that needed to be used. I buy all I can or all that I can afford at the time, when it is on sale. So, I am thinking (gets me in trouble when I do that) why not some beef sausage. So hear goes, first I cut the brisket like cutting steaks. I did this so the fat would be easier to trim. I wanted to weigh the fat and the lean to see what the ratio was. I wanted at least 1/3 rd  fat. Brisket being a fat laden cut of beef I didn't have any idea how much fat was in this brisket.
Cut Brisket like Steak:
Trimmed most of the fat:
Not knowing at the time I could of save all this trimming. Fat and lean was just right.
 Notice that the meat and fat are cut into chunks. I do this, then add my spices and mix before grinding.
After grinding I mix again. I think doing this makes for a better mix.
Ground, Spice mixed, Ready to stuff :
Now I discover I don't have casings. I was to let the sausage sit over night in the cooler and also soak my casing over night. Can't buy casings local. So start thinking again, yeah, I know. Off to the Mexican store, I know the manager and they make sausage. I was able to beg enough casings for this batch.
Stuffed and ready for smoker:
I forgot to take photos of the sausage being smoked. I used hickory for the smoke slow smoke because the sausage was cured. Smoked until sausage was 150 deg. Remove sausage and give a cool bath to stop the cooking. Hang in cool place to dry and bloom. Then can be packaged for freezer.
Freezer ready:
15 pounds of ready to eat all Beef sausage.
Recipe:
Brisket Sausage

Slice Brisket as for steak, trim fat, weigh fat and lean meat. Sausage meat should be 1/3 fat.
For a smoked sausage use a cure number 1,   rate:       1 teaspoon  to  5 pounds of meat.
Spice Mix
For 7-8 pounds meat


3 Ts course ground black pepper.
2 Ts ground cumin
4 Ts Chile powder
4 Ts crushed red pepper
2 Ts whole mustard seed
2 Ts pepper corns
3 Ts dry mustard
1 Ts onion powder
11/2 Ts salt

3 Ts brown sugar