Making snack sticks without smoking?

[Vurtle]

I recently killed an axis and a buddy of mine helped me make snack sticks out of it mixed with pork butt. He makes snack sticks every year. We did not use a smoker. We stuffed the casings and hung the casings up. We let them dry for three days and then cut them up into 6" sticks. I have a few questions in relation to the process. Is there any concern to hanging them for three days vs smoking them? We used a cure, but is a cure necessary? They taste great. Any info is appreciated.

[Ryanm]

You hung them with no heat?

[Vurtle]

Yes. They turned out pretty good. Just curious because I can't find any information on anyone else doing it that way. I can't tell a difference between that way and smoking.

[critter69]

I believe you need some heat , like 150 degrees or there a-bouts. Your eating uncooked meat now. The pink cure is to help against botchilisum but I don’t know if you want to trust it on un cooked meat or not.

[D-BULL]

I cut mine in 6" pieces and put in dehydrator.

[LoneStarCarnivo]

You do not need heat, it is just like putting it in a dehydrator, only slower. I make hundreds of pounds of jerky, snack sticks, and thousands of pounds of sausage a year in a commercial kitchen to sell. Have for 15 years. As long as you use "pink cure" you are fine. The Native Americans dried their meat in the sun with no cure and it did not make them sick. I could go into the science behind it all but I have not had my first cup of coffee yet and my brain is not ready for that. Haha.

[BlackHogDown]

^Yup... My uncle says he hangs meat on a fence post for jerky. He's full of it but the theory holds true. Just like a dehydrator.

[tkusak]

Heat would be your friend, but the main thing to worry about is how much "water activity" you have in the snack stick. If it starts to wrinkle then you should be alright, just a rule of thumb. Cure is necessary to prevent spoilage in the future.

[Vurtle]

You do not need heat, it is just like putting it in a dehydrator, only slower. I make hundreds of pounds of jerky, snack sticks, and thousands of pounds of sausage a year in a commercial kitchen to sell. Have for 15 years. As long as you use "pink cure" you are fine. The Native Americans dried their meat in the sun with no cure and it did not make them sick. I could go into the science behind it all but I have not had my first cup of coffee yet and my brain is not ready for that. Haha.

That's what I needed to hear. Thanks.

[critter69]

You do not need heat, it is just like putting it in a dehydrator, only slower. I make hundreds of pounds of jerky, snack sticks, and thousands of pounds of sausage a year in a commercial kitchen to sell. Have for 15 years. As long as you use "pink cure" you are fine. The Native Americans dried their meat in the sun with no cure and it did not make them sick. I could go into the science behind it all but I have not had my first cup of coffee yet and my brain is not ready for that. Haha.

I dehydrator still gets to a set temp. Usually 140* or mote. And yea I know you can do I with out a heat source, Africans hang meat for biltong ,( buddy got sick as **** from it) but why risk it ?