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Bryan,

The recipe I intended to follow is on page 161 of Charcuterie, The Craft of Salting, Smoking & Curing by Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn (Revised edition). If you search on the web you can find a site that has a .pdf of the book, just get the revised addition. Didn't want to post the link since it looks like they scanned it and it might not be on the up and up. I have the book which was decently expensive since it is hard bound, so I don't mind posting their recipe. I would buy the book if you have any interest in making fresh/cold smoked or hung sausages, it is a really excellent source to learn by, worth every penny spent.

1 1/4 lbs lean beef
1 lb pork back fat, diced
4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pink salt (aka curing salt)
3/4 TBS dextrose (or 1 1/2 tsp table sugar)
12 oz crushed ice
1 1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp garlic powder

If you made sausage before, you'll know what to do with the ingredients, if not, buy a book (too long to post the process here).

As usual, I substituted things...used beef fat in place of the pork fat. Added some ground boneless ribs on fire sale (I think it was about 1:1 beef to pork not including the beef fat, hit about 30% fat content overall, maybe more with the pork rib fat). Used 2 cloves of minced garlic per pound of meat/fat mixture. Added a small amount of dry milk for a binder. Also made up about 3 pounds of it using the beef/pork ratio mentioned above, not including the 30% fat. I'm sure some math lovers could figure out the weight of the fat. Might be a good problem to pose to my wife going through clinicals, she needs practice, a lot of practice.

After grinding, mixed and left in fridge overnight in a big ziplock bag. Stuffed into hog casings the next day and smoked with apple wood at about 130*F for three hours, dunked in ice water and let sit at room temp for 2 hours (curing salt allows this w/o killing the person who eats it later). Would be better if you have a cold smoker setup and could smoke for 1 to 2 days @ 85*F or lower.

FYI, had a small part of a link for breakfast at 5:30 am. Sliced and put on a hot dog bun, it was so juicy and good, I had problems not having it for lunch (had fish tacos to be good instead).

Hope this helps.
 
Future dinner in the works. We're spending Thanksgiving with the in-laws and bringing all meals for the three days. Two days of cooking and I've just about finished up, everything has been packaged and frozen in 8x8 disposable aluminum pans so each meal is just a matter of throwing 3 or 4 packages into the oven to warm up. Turkey and gravy are the last on the list and in the BBQ now. For some odd reason my MIL hates it when I spend hours in their kitchen, I'm guessing it's because she does not enjoy cooking and doesn't understand how anyone else could possible find enjoyment in it. Anyway, 20lb. Turkey is looking really good, bowing the rotisserie bar as it spins but working out really well.
Turkey.jpg
 
I was busy with tomorrow's dinner, so almost got caught flat-footed on today's!

Sauteed mushrooms, onions, ho-made bacon lardons, and yellow squash, served over spaghetti squash (summer squash meets winter squash!). And some leftover bok choy.

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Turkey quesadillas. Sweet from sliced apples, the turkey brine, cherry smoke and caramelized onions; salty from olives; tangy/spicy from pickled jalapeños and salsa, and of course creamy, melty goodness from the cheese. Food coma...
 
Taco Tuesday! But just the basics here: ground beef seasoned with Frontera's taco sauce. Still good, and a great meal for 20 minutes of effort (including prep and setting the table).


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We enjoyed lima beans (frozen), gussied up with EVOO, tarragon, and cilantro; leftover sauteed red cabbage with onions (described above); and a bull masturbating in the corner of the field.

Wait, sorry, I meant we also had beef stroganoff (not "stroking off"). Damn autocorrect!

BTW, there is a good reason that almost all red cabbage recipes have vinegar in them. The red pigment in cabbage is an anthocyanin that is related to the original pH indicator (i.e., litmus tests). Red cabbage cooked without vinegar turns blue (at best) or dark and murky (at worst).

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They carry those sauces here as well. I purchased the green chile enchilada sauce once....... It literally says makes "4" enchiladas on the back in small print!

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Back to Smiths to grab a big 28oz can of Las Palmas green chile sauce and mixed them both together.


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Who makes only 4 enchiladas for dinner! Thats like dinner for one! LOL

Taco Tuesday! But just the basics here: ground beef seasoned with Frontera's taco sauce. Still good, and a great meal for 20 minutes of effort (including prep and setting the table).


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