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This recipe is a non UMAi product. I use smoked edible collagen casings and cure #1
The mix i use is AC LEGGS #116 Stick mix.
Measuring is as follows for the dry.
5 lbs 80/20 or 85/15 ground beef or game (you will need to add some fat for game meat) Use good quality ground beef you can see in the package, NOT the cheap walmart 5lb chub of meat.
8-9 Tbs of the #116 (taste raw here if you can. if needed add 1more Tbs) Easier to add than to take out.
1 level tsp cure #1
2 Tbs table grind black pepper
1/2 cup honey.
NOTE: Feel free to add other ingredients like jalapeno powder, red pepper flakes and so on but remember the heat will decrease the sweetness so you may have to adjust the honey. I dont mind tasting raw meat but others dont. This is the way i can add more if needed. Making a small patty and frying it will disrupt the flavore content.
Combine the dry together and mix very well in a zip lock bag. After the dry has mixed i put it in a shaker jar.
Shake the mix into the meat, mix by hand or use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer with the dough hook. Re pete with the dry while mixing until all the dry has been incorporated into the meat. Lastly add the honey and mix well. The meat mix will be sticky.
I put the mix in a gallon zip lock bag and fridge overnight. My stuffer is a LEM 5lb horizontal and i use 19mm smoked collagen casings. Normally i hang these on dowels in my smoker but this time i put them on racks.
Below is how i have done my time and temps for 33 years which has worked well for me.
Here is the temp and time scale i use for most of my sausage making. I use this for chubs and sticks. Please note that
YOUR RESULTS MAY VARY.
Outside weather conditions can also have a big part of how long it takes the meat to target IT.
TRY NOT TO EXCEED SMOKER TEMPS OF 170
I do not use a meat probe while smoking, the probe can cause fat cavitation and give false readings. Use a Thermapen to check IT of meat. I know that opening the door is going to increase your time, just the nature of the game.
Sweet slim jims and sweet lebanon bologna are very popular in Amish areas of Lancaster County, PA where we lived for many years.
Hang your stuffed casings at room temp for 2 hours to dry and set. Have your smoker pre heated at 130* I use a Masterbuilt electric. Keep your top vent open. Closing the vent off will increase moisture inside your smoker and give you an unpleasant discoloration on your product. Remember this is semi dry sausage, not dripping prime rib.
1. Hang in smoker at 130* for 2 hours (no smoke)
2. 140* for 1.5-2 hrs smoke (Use of a water pan is your call)
3. 150* for 2.5 hrs (smoke opt)
4. 160 for 2.5-3 hrs (smoke opt) check meat IT here from the top of the chubs. You may have a stall in this time period.
5. Increase smoke temp to 170* (opt smoke) For 3-4 hrs. Check IT again, You should be close to your target IT of 152.
6. Important DO NOT GO HIGHER than 170* ON YOUR SMOKER OR YOU WILL RISK A FAT-OUT. CHECK IT OFTEN
7. If you dont have time to do a complete smoke you can use hot water to finish to your IT. DO NOT EXCEED A WATER TEMP OF 165 AND MOVE THE CHUBS/STICKS AROUND IN THE WATER. Cold water bath after your IT is up to you.
Hope this helps you some.