First the recipe I followed
This recipe can take a full day, depending on the casing diameter.
This is for 2 1/2 lbs of LJ
1 1/2 Lbs ground beef chuck
1 lb poke butt
Grind thru med3/16" plate
Dry Ingredients
1 3/4 tsp non iodized salt
1/2 tsp cure #1
1 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic granules
1/4 tsp ground caraway seed
1/4 tsp coriander ground. Kinda pack with your finger.
1/4 tsp cardamom
1/4 cup fermento
Around 7 ft sheep casing or small hog casing
Wet
2 Tbs clear light corn syrup
1/3 cup cold water
The longer this dries the more concentrated the flavor will be. Your looking for a green weight reduction of 15-20%
Mix all the dry with the water and corn syrup. Mix this well into the meat. Put the meat mix into the fridge while you get the stuffing ready. Stuff the casings and make into links the size you like. Take one of the links and weigh it. Write the weight down. Take a length of twine and tie it around the link you just weighed (this will determine the green weight loss)
Next take all the stuffed links and place on a rack and cover (yes cover) with some paper towel and place links in fridge. Next morning take links out and dry in your smoker with vent open NO SMOKE at 140* until the casings feel dry to the touch. If you have a dehydrator with a fan you can use it for this dry time.
After casings feel dry start the smoke at 145* for 2 hours with vent full open. Raise the temp of smoker to 170-175 with or without smoke (your choice) and continue until you have a link IT of 160* At this point re weigh the link with the string you tied around it and you should have a reduction of 15% If you do not have a 15% loss place links back in smoker with a temp of 160-165* until the reduction has occurred. Check the tied link every hour.
When your happy with the reduction take links from smoker and bloom at room temp until cooled. After bloom put Links back in fridge UNCOVERED for 24 hours.
Easy peasy with no special equipment required.
The mix
10lbs. batch
All stuffed and into the fridge for the night.
Weight of one sausage was
207g's to start
165g's when finished
close enough
Finished product. This is for sure an all day event. This is what they look like today. Not sure if its right but it is what it is .
Little on the dry side for my taste but maybe they are suppose to be that way.
) have them dry again.
