Summer Sausage

Preparation

1. Soak casings in warm water for 30-40 minutes
2. Grind the beef once through a 3/8” plate

3. Regrind the meat through a 3/16” plate

4. Add seasoning to the meat and mix for 2 minutes or until fully incorporated
5. Mix speed cure into the water and then add to the meat block. Continue mixing until the meat becomes tacky, about 5-7 minutes
6. Load the meat block into a sausage stuffer and stuff into mahogany casings.
7. Tie off the ends and let rest 12-24 hours for optimal flavor development.

Procedure

1. Preheat the smoker to 110 degrees F. on Smoke mode

2. Hang the sausage on smoke sticks, ensuring there’s space between them for optimal airflow
3. Insert meat probe into one of the sausages to monitor temperature.
4. With dampers wide open, dry the sausage at 110 degrees for 2 hours
5. Increase temperature of the smokehouse to 120 degrees, run 1 hour

6. Fill sawdust pan with 6 cups sawdust and 4 cups water and form into a funnel shape.

7. Place the sawdust pan on the heating element and increase the temperature of the smoker to 130°F. Set dampers to 2/3 closed. Run 1 hour

8. Increase temperature of the smoker to 140 degrees F, run 1 hour

9. 
   Remove sawdust pan from smoker. Increase temperature of the smoker to 150°F, Run 1 hour.

10. Increase temperature of the smoker to 160 degrees F, run 1 hour

11. Increase temperature of the smoker to 180°F and run until the internal temperature of the summer sausage reaches 155°F.

12. Remove the summer sausage from the smoker and place in an ice bath to bring the temperature down to 100 degrees rapidly, about ½ hour.
13. Hang the sausage at room temperature for 2 hours to bloom.
14. Cool completely