Cooking web notes

Bubba’s Homemade Summer Sausage, Perfected

You’re probably asking why would anyone bother to make their own summer sausage.  The reason is, because it is so very delicious!

It is much better than the store bought version, cheaper also and you know exactly what it consists of.  You control the ingredients ~ no added chemicals~ and flavor it as you like.  It reminds me of growing up on the farm with Dad making our own pork sausage, not similar to supermarket sausage at all.

Bubba has been refining his summer sausage recipe and has hit on the exact proportions for it.   It is easy, it just takes time with needing 5 days to cure.  There is no casing involved.  Do not use a grade of ground beef with very low fat content as the result will be dry and crumbly.  Do not substitute salt for the Morton Tender Quick Cure ~ it is not the same thing!

 

It’s a great summer sausage that you just slice and serve with cheese and crackers or by itself.  I love the great flavor and the texture also!

Bubba’s Homemade Summer Sausage

Ingredients:

4-1/4 pounds 75%-80% ground beef

4 tablespoons Morton Tender Quick Cure

1 tablespoon yellow mustard seed

3 tablespoons coarse black pepper

2-3 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon onion powder

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons liquid smoke

Method:

Knead all ingredients together, mixing completely.  

Cover with foil and put in fridge.

Knead, re-cover, and put back in fridge for days 2-4.  Repeat each day.

On the fifth day, knead and then roll into 4-5 loaves (I roll it out on a board and put some pressure into it so the meat packs together without air gaps).

Place on broiler pan, and put in oven at 170-180 degrees.  

For 80% beef I've been using 170 for ~8 hours.  

For the 75% stuff, I went 180 for ~9 hours.  Turn every two hours.

Remove from oven, place on wire rack, and let cool to room temperature.  

When it's at room temperature I put it rack and all into the fridge.  

Make sure to leave a plate under the rack while it's cooling to catch the drippings (in the fridge as well).  

Once it's cooled to fridge temperature, remove from rack and put in bags.  

Freeze or keep in fridge (especially due to lowering of the curing salt).

Good job, Bubba!  It’s the best!!!

Be sure to visit my friend, Linda’s blog @My Kind of Cooking for great tips, recipes and cookbook giveaway!

This entry was posted on Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 7:44 AM and is filed under Appetizers, Beef, Bubba's recipes, Garlic, Ground beef, Home-made sausage, Sausages. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response.