My sausages are done

[JoeD]

I couldn't pass a good supermarket sale, so I ended up buying 8 fresh hams for my first attempt to make smoked Chouriço, pronounced {ShóREEssoo}, which is a Portuguese sausage. This sausage is typically mildly spicy and well seasoned which IMO is the best sausage to stuff in lean cuts such as pork loin etc. etc.

Here’s the recipe for 50 lbs of pork, trimmed to + - 10% fat.

1 Qt freshly ground hot and mild peppers (home made)
5 large fresh garlic heads (grated to paste)
6 large sweet peppers ( purée)
2 glasses of red wine
6 glasses of white wine
12 tablespoons of fancy paprika
2 tablespoons of chilly powder
Two shots of whiskey, vodka or any hard liquor.
8 tablespoons of hunter’s meat binder
50 teaspoons of Morton’s Tender Quick
3 Tablespoons of freshly ground black pepper
Sea salt to taste



Add ingredients first and allow to set in for a least a day, fine tune it if needed.




Add the Morton’s Tender Quick and the binder with the last two glassed of very cold white wine (Carlo Rossi Chablis works fine).



Allow to warm to room temperature and smoke with hickory saw dust for 2 hours at 70*, smoke for 2 hours at 100*, smoke for 2 hours at 150*, smoke at 200* until internal temp reaches 155* to 160*.

I burned one 8 lbs bag of lump and added some hickory and apple wood arm size splits.



Steady hickory/apple wood smoke



Six hours after



Done at 155* internal temp.



The goodness, very moist and amazingly tasty



I couldn't be any happier with the end result, I've made this sausage once before minus the smoking part, the difference is like night and day.


Hey, wait a minute...I almost forgot my Dobie's share, while I smoked the sausage in the reverse flow part of the cooker, the skins and bones were in the front getting some low temp smoke too, once I removed the sausages, the skins and bones went in to cook untill morning using the remaining heat. Some lucky Doberman...


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Updates

two smokers in one

Life's too short to drink bad wine!

[bluesman250]

Looks Mighty fine!!

[salmonclubber]

joe d

thats some good looking sausage glad it turned out for ya
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Happyness is a full smoker

[Tom C]

Joe,

That really looks fantastic! Your smoker is really doing you justice and is a testament to your building skill. Really impressive.
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Homemade offset smoker 24"x48"
Charbroil CB900 grill

[JoeD]

Thanks

I can't keep the kids away from them things

I forgot to mention that I installed wood stove gaskets on the fire box and cooking doors. Now I have near 100% control of the intake air flow.
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Updates

two smokers in one

Life's too short to drink bad wine!

[BBQonICE]

nice color for the rings......how was the taste?

I smoked some butcher bones for my two Goldens 2 days ago...they sure like them
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Come on in for a Cool one!

[JoeD]

[The PPP]

This is really great! How long will the sausage last after they are cooked.
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1 Lang 84 Deluxe smoker trailer
1 Big Green Egg XL
2 Weber kettles 18, 22.5
2 Weber Smokey mountains 18, 22.5
1 Weber smokey Joe

[JoeD]

[nes_matt]

Oh man! I was in a hispanic butcher shop last weekend and they had the best looking and smelling sausages in the display case. Now I'll have to go back and get some!

I'm new to this smoking thing, but possibilities like this make me want to learn/do more. I love Chouriço. I'll have to see if I can get some in the raw from the market.

Is that temperature sequence pretty standard for sausages?

[kgough]

Wow, I like the big chunks of meat.
I think I see a grinder in the picture.
What size grinder holes?

Ken

[rjmontana]

Are you referring to Chorizo? A mild-med spicy Spanish/Basque or Mexican sausage. Spanish/Basque version is a link smoked sausage and the Mexican version is a fresh bulk version that is often sold in clear synthetic casings but used in bulk form. I've been eating Chorizo since I was a young kid as my dad grew up eating it in San Diego. Only at the Mexican style for the first half of my life. Usually fried up a skillet of potatoes til 3/4 done then added 1/2 a chub of Chorizo and cooked the sausage down and let the potatoes swim around in all that seasoned pig fat and soak up all those good flavors. Serve with a couple flour tortilla's and you have a breakfast fit for a king. In my early 20's while living in a Western Idaho/Eastern Oregon community that has a strong Basque/Spanish contingency I was introduced to the other Chorizo version, the smoked link. It was served locally at most outdoor community events and sporting/fair venues much like Brats are served in other parts of our fine country. These sausages are usually grilled like any other sausage and served on a bun with the condiments of your choice. I was recently down there visiting family and brought home 20 pounds of the link type Chorizo to package and freeze. I love having them in the freezer for grill nights. Some good ones are made by a company in Boise, ID just down the road from where my inlaws live. I don't know if I prefer the bulk Mexican style or the Basque link style better. Thats why I probably keep plenty of both in the freezer to serve either mood. Lots of recipe's out there for the sausage. You can by the bulk Mexican Chorizo in either Beef or Pork base. I strongly prefer the Pork, my palate is quite partial. Give it a try if you like mild/med spicy sausage with a vinegary background, you my find a new favorite. See ya, RJ in Montana.

[broncosmoker]

So what's the name of the company in Boise? I live here and eat lots of chorizos and like to try diferent ones. I buy mine from a small place in Nampa. I would really like to find a good recipe to do myself. Have found some recipes but no really knock your socks off ones. I used to live in Mtn. Home and the Basco's over there made the best ones for the different fairs.

[JoeD]

[rjmontana]

Gem State Meats is the packager name if I remember correctly. I can look tonight when I get home and check as I haven't broke down the bulk packs yet so the label is still intact. I buy them at the Red Apple in Ontario. I lived in Caldwell from 88-90 and went to college in the area (Ontario) in 83-84 so I probably ate some of those same sausages you speak of!! The Gem State are not as good as some of the sausages we used to get 20 years ago when the small private shops could do their own thing but they aren't bad. Just like a lot of the good things in life, I think the ever impossing legal issues and liabilities have forced a lot of those older small private meat handlers out of business as the large packers were the only ones that could afford to comply with the health issues. I have sure seen several small butcher shops/ sausage makers go under here in Montana. Strict meat handling regulations have made it tough to make it in these "do it all" type meat stores. Still a few good ones around but they're shrinking annually. Let me know if you have some recommendations for Chorizo source in your area. My wife's family is spread between Ontario and Meridian and we get down there to visit once or twice a year. Was in Ontario over Memorial weekend for a graduation. See ya Broncosmoker, let me know if you have a favorite sausage grinder in mind, I'm always looking for new stuff and need a reason to drive to Nampa/Caldwell to look around. Its been a while.

Thannks, RJ in Montana

[rjmontana]

Sorry to offend you with my question JoeD, looks like we're talking about 2 versions of a similar thing. Just different twist on it from different cultures. Thanks for the education. New foods are fun..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chorizo

[JoeD]

No at all RJ,

Why would I get offended anyways ?
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two smokers in one

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[cruzado_xxi]

Excelent pics!!!!! you can almost taste them!!!!
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[kgough]

Thanks JoeD,

Recipe is fantastic.
I made a small batch (2.5 lb) to test.
I used a "loin end loin". I had to trim out a big bone. This cut was very lean. I made up the fat content with 1/2 lb bacon scraps.
For chiles I used one Jalepeno and half a Scotch Bonnet, seeds removed.
Smoked over cherry and oak.
Best sausage I've ever made. Maybe best I've tasted...

Ken

[salmonclubber]

thats some great looking sausage joe d good job in making another fine looking sausage gonna have to try that some day
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