Hot Dogs

Preparation

1. Rinse casings and soak in warm water for 30 minutes.
2. Grind beef and pork together once through a 3/8” plate.

3. Re-grind once through a 3/16” plate.

   For a finer more traditional hot dog, re-grind through a 1/8” plate. 

4. Add seasoning to meat and mix for 2 minutes until fully incorporated.
5. Mix cure with water, then add to meat block.
6. Continue mixing for an additional 5-7 minutes until meat block becomes very tacky.
7. Load meat block into stuffer and stuff into casings
8. Link hot dogs into 7” sections.
9. Rest hot dogs in fridge overnight to allow flavor and cure development.
10. Line smoker drip tray with new aluminum foil.

Smoking Procedure

1. Preheat smoker to 130F on Smoke mode with dampers wide open.
2. Hang hot dogs on smoke sticks (avoid overcrowding for optimal airflow).
3. Insert meat probe to monitor temperature.
4. Dry hot dogs at 130F for 2 hours.
5. Fill pan ¾ full with sawdust and dampen thoroughly with water.  Form mixture into a funnel shape and place on the heating element.
6. Increase temperature to 180F. Set dampers to 2/3 closed.
7. Run until internal temperature of hot dogs reaches 155F. (4-6hrs)
8. Remove hot dogs from smoker and place in an ice bath until internal temperature drops to 100F.
9. Hang hot dogs at room temperature for 2 hours to bloom.
10. Store in refrigerator up to 2 weeks or freezer up to 6 months.