Recently after I make A batch of cured sausage I have been taking A couple of sticks down to the fire station. They really enjoy it and it is my way of saying thank you for your service.

Re: New Batch of Dry Cured BaconI have been using part of A pork butt and use the dry bacon cure. I figure about 3 days A inch then add A day then just finish it like regular bacon. Much meatier and also much cheaper and easier to find. They are usually about 3 pounds a piece usually have at least 1 curing in the fridge. Love my BLT on whole wheat toast.

Did A dry brine on A 12 pound turkey 2 days ago. Cooked it in my cook shack smoker today used about 3 ounce of hickory and pecan. Smoked for about 4 and A half hours. Until the temp in thigh was 175 then covered with foil for A half hour. Best turkey I have ever made stayed juicy and just the right amount of smoke. Cook shacks web page has A lot of good recipes and good information about smoking. Love my new 20 year old cook shack 150.

I bought A bunch like 6 pork loin roast they were all about 5 pounds apiece. There is not enough of A fat cap to use for sausage so I have been using them for pulled pork. I put the roast in my CookShack 150 at 225 for about 4 hours or so the internal temp was about 160 degrees . Real nice smoke color to it then I bring it in and finish it in my instapot. Put it on top of trivet and cook manually for 1 hour. When I went to remove the bone came right out makes great pulled pork.

Max Baer jr. who played Jethro Bodine is still alive he is 103 years old. One of my favorite shows growing up.

I have made A lot of chicken sausage both cured and fresh. A lot of my friend prefer over the pork, just remember to add about 15 to 20 % more seasoning.

Cooked about A 16 pound turkey today in my cookShack 150 vintage smoker today. Used about 4 ounce of A mix of cherry and pecan wood. Cooked for about 6 and A half hours let it relax for A half hour. Best Turkey I ever cooked stayed very moist, I dry brined it dry for 2 days. Love this CookShack smoker, cooked it at 250 degrees turned out great.

RafterW I have decided that the best cheese to smoke is mild or medium cheddar. I slice it about A 1/2 inch thick and smoke for about an hour with apple wood. Then I wrap it in parchment paper and refrigerate for at lest 4 days before I eat it. It seems to always come out good.Also dice it and freeze it and use it in my snack sticks and summer sausage does not melt stays whole.

Made 6 pounds each of chicken fajita and smoked jalapeno sausage yesterday. They turned out great I think I like the chicken better than the pork now. If you use chicken for cured sausage always use sure gel add about 20 to 25 % more seasoning than you do with pork. Also I mix mine for at least 6 to 8 minutes with hand mixer. After stuffing just smoke as you would pork except bring internal temperatures to 165.

Used my new Walton’s 7 pound stuffer for the first time today very impressed. Makes making my sausages so much easier.

Sure gel is nfdm and cold phosphate. At roughly A 3 parts dry milk to 1 part cold phosphate.

Just stuff them loose sure gel will not affect the “wrinkles” it is A binder.

I have used pork loin for sticks for the same reason. I just added about 25% pork fat to it came out great.

Yes just add between 10-15% more seasoning than for the brats. Have used it with both pork and chicken to make sticks, the chicken came out very good.

I always figure 22 pounds for any packaged seasoning instead of the listed 25 pounds. Used the recommended amount A few times and was disappointed read on here to try the 22 pound ratio instead turned out much better.

Thank Twilliams my grand daughter has Down Syndrome they are special people A joy to be around.

I make my own sure gel I use nfdm and cold phosphate. 3to 1 ratio nfdm to cold phosphate have been doing it for years with no problem. Hope this helps.

That is why I put my sausages in A 2.5 gallon ziplock bag. Also do not like the oil and floaties getting in my Sous Vide machine. Plus I think they turn out better have tried both ways.

Have A save and happy holiday, suppose to be very cold here in KC for the holidays will just sit tight might even make some sausage.

No I don’t think there is much citric acid in mix believe the ingredient list goes from the most to the least if that makes sense. You will still need to add your cure #1 to the sausage then stuff and hold overnight. Hope this helps I always put in my own high temp cheese about 1 pound for each ten pounds of sausage have also put in dried red and green peppers in the sausage I like how it came out. Good luck it is fun to play around with some of the seasoning and this is one I have added this and that to.