making snack sticks- need advice

[Smart]

We do the 60/40 pork mix as well...very much like our sausage but with a slightly finer grind. We also always use a cure like Tender Quik/ sodium nitrate..... Smoke them for 5 or so hours and finish off in the oven...

Please expain "finish off in oven". Do you cook to a certain temp is reached or for a certain amount of time?

Thx Bigjohntex

We cold smoke all our sausage and the smokehouses we use are built for sausage...not hunters sticks. They don't hold heat which is what we want for deer sausage links...like below.



The oven allows them to be brought up to temperature so that they don't need to be recooked like deer sausage links before eating. The oven also helps finish off the drying process after the smoke has been instilled.

In the pic I provided in post #11 of the smokehouse and huntersticks, I think we actually covered the portable smokehouse with blankets and brought the house up to temperature but it was a PITA trying to keep it constant. The oven is much more consistent than a cold smokehouse.



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[Smart]

I think with snack sticks, just like jerky, you don't use any fat.
I think it can go rancid.

Tender quick solves that problem..

[Skinny]

Smart, when you are finished with the sticks, do you let them come to room temp gradually before packaging, or do you cool them quickly, like stick the pan of them in the fridge or freezer?

Skinny

[Smart]

Smart, when you are finished with the sticks, do you let them come to room temp gradually before packaging, or do you cool them quickly, like stick the pan of them in the fridge or freezer?

Skinny

Come down to temperature...although I would think the other would be good too. You can see them laying in the pans there airing out...

[tgil]

Smart is good on his sausage skilz! You can get some good info here too:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/116970/more-slimmy-jimmy-sticks

I've been doing a lot of reading today on snack sticks, and I guess I'll have to make some more. I was going to do a whole deer in Summer Sausage, but snacks are easy to grab on the go!