Smoking and cooking summer sausage is a popular way to create the perfect meal in your home. Whether you want something to serve on the grill or an appetizer, summer sausage can be a great choice. With the proper techniques, you can ensure your summer sausage is cooked just right. Here’s everything you need to know about smoking and cooking summer sausage at home. Go to eatingwithyourhands.com for more information about preparing tasty dishes with your hands.
Summer sausage is one of those meats widely enjoyed across different cultures and countries, but not many people understand what it is exactly. Simply put, it’s a type of cured meat made from ground pork, beef, or poultry flavored with various spices such as garlic, coriander, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and others. It’s usually smoked over low heat, giving it its distinct flavor and texture before being cut into slices or chunks for serving.
Ingredients Needed
When making homemade summer sausage, there are certain ingredients you will need to achieve the best results: Ground pork or beef (or both), pork fatback/belly bacon (for added flavor), curing salt (such as Prague Powder #1 or Cure #2), sugar (brown sugar works well), Worcestershire sauce, mustard seed powder/whole seeds, garlic powder/granules/fresh cloves crushed finely or minced up finely. Depending on how spicy you like, you may also want some additional seasonings, such as smoked paprika or chili flakes!
Preparing Meat Mixture
Once you have all your ingredients ready to go, you can begin prepping the meat mixture for smoking and cooking summer sausages at home! Start by grinding together the pork/beef mix until it’s smooth in texture, then add in all other ingredients – including the curing salt & sugar – mixing them thoroughly so they are evenly distributed throughout each piece of meat before forming into desired shapes by hand rolling them or using a molder/stuffer tool if the desired shape isn’t possible manually. This step should take around 30 minutes total time from start to finish!
How To Smoke Summer Sausage At Home?
Smoking summer sausages at home can be done easily with either charcoal briquettes or wood chips if you can access them. Start by preheating a smoker for about 15-20 minutes before adding any food inside so that it reaches its optimal temperature range between 225-250℉; once this happens, place your prepared sausages onto racks inside after lightly dusting with wood chips if using the wood chip method instead of charcoal briquettes set up according too manufacturer’s instructions beforehand). Leave undisturbed anywhere from 4-6 hours while periodically checking their internal temperatures until they reach 145℉, which indicates they’re done! Be sure not to overcook; otherwise, they will become dry & tough instead of juicy & tender when eaten later on down the line 😉
Cooking Summer Sausage On The Grill Or In A Pan?
If smoking is not an option due to a lack of resources, grilling or pan frying could be an alternative solution when trying to cook up some delicious homemade sausages! For grilling outdoors, use a medium-high heat setting with an open lid; place prepared sausages directly onto grates making sure none overlap each other, before closing the lid back down again & leaving undisturbed until browned nicely & cooked through internally (around 5-7 minutes per side should do). When using the stovetop method indoors, set burner settings to medium-high heat level before placing prepared sausages into a large enough skillet coated generously with oil; let fry until golden brown on the exterior & cooked through internally, occasionally flipping (this should take approximately 10 minutes total).
Storing And Serving Tips
After taking out finished summer sausages from either smokehouse box/grill grate/skillet pan, transfer them over onto a cooling rack lined tray where they should cool off completely before slicing thinly against grain direction; however, preferably no thicker than ⅛ inch thickness pieces since these tend to work better aesthetically wise when served platter style accompanied sides such salads coleslaws potato wedges etc… As far as storage goes, refrigeration works best keeping wrapped tightly in plastic wrap else stored airtight container located within the fridge section, which extends the lifetime product plus maintains freshness for longer periods, therefore, allowing greater opportunity thoroughly enjoy delicious smoky aroma flavors every single bite taken 😉
In conclusion, following the directions above properly makes smoking and cooking summer sausage at home easy when following directions above correctly! Combining proper technique with quality ingredient selection guarantees a successful outcome each time, whether opting to smoke the traditional way via an outdoor grill or a simple stovetop method. Whichever chosen route, one thing remains same mouthwatering taste experience awaits anyone brave enough give try 😉 Go to eatingwithyourhands.com for more information about preparing tasty dishes with your hands.