Posted: 11 April 2009 at 04:17 | IP Logged

I boned out four Boston Butts for grinding into German and Italian Lunch Loafs.

20 lbs boned out and ready for grinder

First grind

Spices mixed in, ready for regrind, 10 lbs

Two 5 lb loafs (4 total) ready to start smoking, smoke until loaf setup, couple hours, then take out of pan and finish smoking, 12 to 14 hours total.

started @ 2am

Smoke @140f after two hours remove loafs from pans, smoke six more hours @140f, then increase to 160f for 4 hours, then stop smoke and increase temp to 165F-170f until 152f in center of loaf. let cool for two hours then refrigerate before slicing.

Posted: 11 April 2009 at 04:44 | IP Logged

German sausage

This is a very heavily spiced sausage, but it is not overpowering.

10lbs ground meat (pork shoulder or half pork/ half deer)

two cups water

2 tsp cure

5 Tb salt

1/2 cup sugar

3 Tb black pepper

2 Tb Garlic powder (or fresh if you have it, crushed)

2 Tb ground nutmeg

2 Tb Mustard powder

2 Tb whole Mustard seeds

1 Tb ground allspice

1 Tb ground Marjoram 

1 tsp grd Caraway seed

1 tsp grd Celery seed

1 tsp grd Coriander seed

Mix spices with water until salt and sugar dissolved, it may take more than two cups of water for this.  Mix spices with coarsely ground meat and regrind through 1/4" plate.

Either stuff in cases and smoke or you can make fatties or loafs with it.  I like a very heavy hickory smoke on it.  I try to keep smoker temp below 140f on this one and treat it as a summer sausage, you can cook it to 152F, but not any higher, fat will melt and sausage will be dry.

Posted: 11 April 2009 at 05:22 | IP Logged

Italian sausage Mild-Hot

10 lbs pork shoulder

2 cups water (apple juice can be substituted)

4 Tb salt

1 Tb cracked Fennel seed

1 Tb sugar

1 Tb crushed Red pepper (you can add more if you want it hotter)

1 Tb cracked black pepper

1 Tb grd Coriander seeds

1 tsp Caraway seeds

2 tsp cure (if not smoking, cure can be eliminated)

Sweet Italian sausage (fresh, add 2 tsp cure if smoking)

10 lbs pork shoulder

2 cups water (apple juice can be substituted)

4 Tb salt

1 Tb cracked Fennel seeds

1 Tb sugar

2 tsp fine Black pepper

Grind meat, mix spices with water, mix spice mix with meat and regrind through 1/4" plate.  May be left as bulk or stuffed in casing, fatties or loafs.  If smoking be sure to add cure and only cook at low temp until 152f is reached.

Posted: 11 April 2009 at 09:20 | IP Logged

lookng good so far, and also great recipes. i take it with the butts there's no need to add any fat to a butt/deer mixture?

let us know how it goes!

Posted: 11 April 2009 at 10:08 | IP Logged

I judge fat content, most times, If using straight pork, I trim off large fat from outside, If using game mix, I leave it in.  I've also learned, if you fry up a pattie of meat mix, you can check seasoning, it will be less seasoned after smoking, but you can get an idea if flavors off.

I had to wait 4 hours, before turning out of pans, 5lb size didn't set up as fast.  These will be sized to fit on bread, after being cross cut.

I snuck a taste, German's good so far, Italian may get too smoky, I may have to finish that one in oven, I'll give them 6 more hours and test again.

Posted: 11 April 2009 at 10:11 | IP Logged

robert - these look similar to "homemade bacon that i've seen. you probably know what i am talking about - ground, pressed meat and fat, smoked and the pan-fried - is the homemade bacon another name for what you're doing here, or is that something different?

here's what i'm talking about:

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=738 70&highlight=venison+bacon

Posted: 11 April 2009 at 10:21 | IP Logged

Different spices, think smoked Italian pizza sausage topping, lunch meat loaf.  German loaf is a cross between spicy Brat and Cotto salami, lunch loaf.

I've done the bacon before, I use an 8x8x2 cake pan, let it set up and then turn it out of pan and finish smoking.  These are in 5x5x11 pan, cross cut should fit on slice of bread.

I'm thinking Italian slices on french bread, Mozz, parm and Pizza sauce, like a smoky meatball sandwich.   Or maybe as a topping for pizza.

German, last time I did it in 8x8x2 and it turned out great, I wanted to do a size, for sandwiches this time though.  I'm think rye, slice of loaf, and slice of Havarti, panini style, some sauerkraut may find it way on there also.

Posted: 11 April 2009 at 13:41 | IP Logged

Update 12:30 added some more chips, rotated loafs around, still holding at 140f.

Starting to get some color, loaf near vent getting more smoke so I'll rotate.  I'll give it three more hours, then rotate again and add more chips, should be ready to go to 160f, these large loafs are taking longer than 2" thick ones, I guess it takes longer for smoke to penetrate 5" than 2".  I could raise temp now, but I want heavy smoke.

Posted: 11 April 2009 at 17:18 | IP Logged

Smoke is about where I want it, I bumped it to 152f and reloaded chips, I'll let this be last of chips and bump temp to 160f if needed.

getting there

some snacking to go with, maybe a smoked pepper salsa.

Posted: 11 April 2009 at 23:24 | IP Logged

Pulled out of smoker, 20 lbs of meat, took 18hrs not 14hrs, results worth the wait.  Peppers in for last 6 hrs.

Color is all smoke, as no glaze was used and temp was keep below 155f.

Good smoke on loafs

I should let it rest before cutting, I had to have sample though, will let it cool before I eat much more.  Flavor is good, Italian came out better than I had hoped for, German is calling for a beer, I think I may have to answer.