Thursday, I had some spare time. So, I decided to make 4 different types of sausage; smoked bratwurst, polish garlic sausage, a classic german sausage(non smoked), and hotdogs. All turned out well, but the hotdogs were like the one's we would get when I was a boy. They are the diameter of a brat, but made with more "hotdog" sensibilities and techniques. Unlike the brats, etc., the hotdog meat mixture is ground twice, but in the old world style, not pureed in a food processor, so they have a "meatier" texture. The folks at work went [email protected] crazy over them to my surprise and delight. Sometimes, when you cook something in the way you prefer it, folks don't really like your take on the dish, but not this time.
This is my variation of a recipe I got off the web. The hotdogs are all beef, but any combination of beef and pork shoulder will do. With beef, these are lean but not dry.
Recipe:
5 lbs. lean beef. Chuck, round, eye of round, or even 70-30 or 80-20 ground beef. If using ground beef, only grind once.
3 Tblsp. ground coriander
2 Tblsp. kosher salt.
1 Tblsp. garlic powder
1 Tblsp. onion powder
2 tsp. ground mace
1 tsp. prague powder#1, Instacure#1, or any 6.25% nitrite salt cure mix.
1 cup icewater
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 pkg. Hog casings(for bratwurst size) or 1 pkg. sheep casings for classic hotdog size.
Procedure:
Rehydrate your casings according to package directions.
Cut and cube the beef to whatever size will fit your grinder. Grind twice using your finest grinder plate. Place ground meat in the fridge.
In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, then add ice water and combine until well mixed.
Combine the meat and wet mixture and mix until well combined and sticky. I used my Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle blade, but one can do it by hand too. In the mixer, it takes about 4-5 minutes at low speed to get to the sticky stage. Remove from mixing bowl and back to the fridge. Get your smoker going.
Remove bowl from fridge and stuff into links and air dry for a few minutes.
Smoke low and slow with medium smoke levels, till an internal temp of 160 is reached. 200 is about right.180 is better but my rigs have a problem here. Time to get another Little Chief. Moisture is good too, but not required.
You can sear and serve, or remove and chill for another time.
For those of you who do not possess stuffing equipment, no worries. Just take the meat mixture and roll it into hotdog shaped and sized "logs." Then just smoke 'em up. They are good that way too. Use oiled hands for this, and give them a shot of cooking spray when they go in the smoker to prevent sticking. Bacon wrapping makes this job easier. Of course, bacon makes all life easier, right?
Thanks for reading and enjoy!
This is my variation of a recipe I got off the web. The hotdogs are all beef, but any combination of beef and pork shoulder will do. With beef, these are lean but not dry.
Recipe:
5 lbs. lean beef. Chuck, round, eye of round, or even 70-30 or 80-20 ground beef. If using ground beef, only grind once.
3 Tblsp. ground coriander
2 Tblsp. kosher salt.
1 Tblsp. garlic powder
1 Tblsp. onion powder
2 tsp. ground mace
1 tsp. prague powder#1, Instacure#1, or any 6.25% nitrite salt cure mix.
1 cup icewater
1 cup nonfat dry milk powder
1 pkg. Hog casings(for bratwurst size) or 1 pkg. sheep casings for classic hotdog size.
Procedure:
Rehydrate your casings according to package directions.
Cut and cube the beef to whatever size will fit your grinder. Grind twice using your finest grinder plate. Place ground meat in the fridge.
In a bowl, mix all the dry ingredients, then add ice water and combine until well mixed.
Combine the meat and wet mixture and mix until well combined and sticky. I used my Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle blade, but one can do it by hand too. In the mixer, it takes about 4-5 minutes at low speed to get to the sticky stage. Remove from mixing bowl and back to the fridge. Get your smoker going.
Remove bowl from fridge and stuff into links and air dry for a few minutes.
Smoke low and slow with medium smoke levels, till an internal temp of 160 is reached. 200 is about right.180 is better but my rigs have a problem here. Time to get another Little Chief. Moisture is good too, but not required.
You can sear and serve, or remove and chill for another time.
For those of you who do not possess stuffing equipment, no worries. Just take the meat mixture and roll it into hotdog shaped and sized "logs." Then just smoke 'em up. They are good that way too. Use oiled hands for this, and give them a shot of cooking spray when they go in the smoker to prevent sticking. Bacon wrapping makes this job easier. Of course, bacon makes all life easier, right?
Thanks for reading and enjoy!
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