Jalapeno & Cheese Summer Sausage
5 lb Ground Venison
1 lb Ground Beef
2 cup Water
3 Tbsp Mortontender Quick (this is the cure and is VERY important)
2 Tbsp NonIodized Salt
4 Tbsp Soy Flour or non fat dry milk
3 Tbsp CoarseBlack Pepper
1 Tbsp MustardSeed
1 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
2 tsp GarlicPowder
1 cup Dehydrated JalapeñoPeppers 1/4 in Chopped (more or less to taste)
2 cup High Temp Cheese (More or less to taste) I've used both pepper jack and cheddar
2 to 3 21/2" X 20" Fibrous Casings
Liquid smoke (optional, use if cooking in an oven instead of smoker)
[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]If you are grinding your own, start out with a coarse plate.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Before you start, get the casings soaking in warm water with a pinch of salt added.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Mix all of the spices & meat (not the cheese and jalapenos) together until thoroughly mixed. If you are grinding your own, run it through the grinder again through a medium plate.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Add the Cheese and jalapenos and carefully mix them in. They tend to break apart easily. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]If desired, take a small piece and pan-fry it to determine if adjustments need to be made. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Here it is, ready to stuff:[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]If everything is to your liking, you can now stuff the casings. There are a couple of options when it comes to stuffing. You can either use a stuffing horn on the grinder (I don't like this option), use a stand-alone stuffer (preferred option), use a jerky shooter (which really is just a small stuffer), or even stuff it by hand. Hand stuffing will likely result in an end product with a fair amount of air in it, though I actually hand-stuff the very last little bit of sausage that my stuffer can't stuff. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]To hand-stuff, form meat balls out of the sausage, and drop it in the casing, squeezing as much air out as possible. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Get it stuffed as tight as possible, it is highly unlikely you'll break the casing. Fibrous casings are incredibly strong. Once the casing is full, tie off the open end with the string that comes with the casing, or you can use hog rings.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Once stuffed, allow the sausage to cure in the fridge for 24-48 hours. [/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Once cured, it is time to cook it. This can be done in an oven, a grill, or a smoker. Set the temperature for 200-250 and cook until the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 160 degrees.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]As soon as you remove the sausage from the cooker, put them in an ice-water bath to cool them. Keep them in the bath until the center temperature reaches 80 degrees or so.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Once they are cooled, you need to hang the sausage to allow it to bloom. If you use a clear casing, you will see the sausage getting darker as it dries. After several hours, when the sausage is completely dry, they are ready for the fridge, freezing, or eating. They will last at least a year in the freezer with freezer paper. Longer of you vacuum seal.[/FONT]
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[FONT=Verdana, sans-serif]Here is the finished product:[/FONT]
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