Old School Brisket (with Aaron Franklin’s BBQ Sauce)

Brisket…it’s what’s for dinner!

     I’ve found my new method of cooking brisket and its “Old School”!! If you’ve listened to bbqers talk brisket, or read any bbq forums, you’ve probably found out there are a ton of ways to tackle this troublesome hunk of cow. Low and slow or turbo? Wrap during the cook or leave alone? If you wrap, aluminum foil or butcher paper? Inject? Marinate? What kind of rub? What type of wood for smoke? Sauce or no sauce? (Personally, I prefer not to have sauce on my brisket, maybe some on the side. Make sure to check out the sauce recipe at the end of the post if you must have sauce).  So many ways to approach it, it could make your head spin. What’s a fella’ to do?

5.46 lb full packer brisket, 100% grass fed…I’m just following the Doc’s orders.

     My Doc recently told me that if I was to eat beef, it should be 100% grass fed. Seems that most beef is fattened up the last few weeks of their life on corn. Basically, they are turned into diabetic cows. It does something to the meat, something to do with changing the amino acids. Or something. I can’t quite remember. What I did get out of it is that it’s not good to feed diabetic meat to a diabetic…or anybody for that matter, but I’ll let you decide what’s right for you. So following the Doc’s orders, last weekend we went down to the Dallas Farmer’s Market in order to procure ourselves a 100% grass fed brisket from North Star Ranch. We’ve cooked a brisket from them, but it was years ago. Their briskets tend to run on the small size. This one was 5.46lbs. And yes it was a full packer. I know most full packers run in the 12-14lb range, some going down to 10lbs others going up as high as 18lbs. I believe it has something to do with being grass fed and that they slaughter them younger and smaller. Whatever the reason maybe, they are excellent briskets and 5.46lbs is more reasonable for two people anyway.

Brisket ready to be trimmed.

I “borrowed” one of my wife’s Diet Cokes to give you a size comparison of this brisket.

The brisket has been trimmed and rubbed down with salt and pepper.

     I’ve cooked brisket many a ways in the past. I was thinking about how I wanted to tackle this particular one and it came to me. Why not go back to the basics? Why not go old school? Nothing fancy, no special rubs, no mustard slather, no wrapping it during the cook. No, this was going to be plain Jane, good ole fashioned brisket. Nothing but a 50/50 mix of kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. The inspiration came from watching some videos of Aaron Franklin online last week. If you haven’t heard of Aaron Franklin, he’s a relatively new up and comer in the bbq world and the briskets he has been putting out at Franklin’s in Austin have been touted as the best in the world. Don’t believe me? Go check it out. Watching his videos, I learned that all he puts on his briskets is salt and pepper. If that is good enough for him and good enough to be called the best, well then is certainly is worth me giving it a shot.

The BGE coming up to temperature.

     Look at that smoke pouring out of the Egg. Think its time I replace the gasket on it? Part of that is due to the fact that I was using a pit controller and the fan was whirring away trying to bring the Egg up to temperature. Still…that’s more than a little leak. By the way, for smoke we used a combination of mesquite wood chips and pecan and hickory chunks. I wanted to use strictly mesquite but come the morning of the cook I realized I had no mesquite chunks and chips by themselves just wouldn’t cut it.

Brisket on the Egg at 11am.

     I took this picture for me. Sort of a reference of which way the grain was running. Sometimes it can be hard to tell after the cook and the bark has formed. When slicing a brisket, you want to cut it against the grain. On this particular one, you can tell the grain is running from the bottom left corner to the top right corner (///). So when you slice it, you would want to slice it like this: \\\. At least on the flat, the grain usually changes direction when you come to the point.

Sausage added near the end of the cook.

     Continuing on with the “Old School” theme, for this cook I went with 250F at grate level for my temperature. I wasn’t real sure how long it would take. Generally, the rule of thumb is between an hour and an hour and a half per pound. I wasn’t real sure if that applied to grass feed beef as well, but we didn’t have any plans for the day. Bbq, and especially brisket, is ready when its ready. You can’t rush it. It would either be done in 5.46 hours, or it would be done in 8.19. The nice thing about the BGE is that it really needs no monitoring once it has stabilized. I was able to mow the yard, do some yard work. I even went up to the Richardson Farmer’s Market and the pharmacy while this was cooking. Try doing that with an offset smoker.

Finished!

     This particular brisket went on at 11am. We finally pulled it once it had reached 196F and a toothpick slid in like butter with no resistance at 6:30pm. Seven and half hours later. Not too shabby. An easily managed cook. So first thing you want to do is cut into it, right? Wrong!! Just like a steak, if you cut into it now, all the juice is going to run out leaving you with a dry hunk of meat. You have two options instead. Either loosely tent it with foil for 30 minutes, or go with the “FTC” method. Foil, towels, cooler. What this means is wrap your brisket in heavy duty aluminum foil. Take a small cooler and line the bottom with towels. Make sure they aren’t the good guest towels, or you might find yourself sleeping on the couch. Place the wrapped brisket in the towel lined cooler and then add more towels to fill it up. If you do this method, you can hold your brisket for as little as 30 minutes up to 4 hours and it will still be steaming hot.

Sliced

Is your mouth watering now?

The flat.

This is a slice from the flat. It is the leaner portion of the brisket and does not contain as much fat.

The point

     This is a slice from the flat. Even after being in a cooler for 30 minutes, it was so hot that I couldn’t hold it and snap a picture without a paper towel. You’ll notice that it is juicier and has a different texture. To me, the point is the best part of a brisket. In fact, if I could get just the point, I don’t think I would ever cook a full packer.

Plated up with some sausage and creamed spinach

     Smoked brisket! In my mind the perfect meal. We served it up with some boracho beans (drunk beans), creamed spinach and the sausage. Heavenly. Even though we did not achieve the desired smoke ring (I’m still scratching my head trying to figure out that one), this brisket came out great. Not under cooked where it would be tough, not over cooked where it would fall apart, but perfectly fork tender. Great smoke flavor and to be quite honest…the plain 50/50% salt and pepper rub was outstanding. A great flavor that did not compete with the taste of the meat, but complimented it perfectly. I don’t think I will ever use another rub on a brisket again, just salt and pepper. As for the sauce, it wasn’t needed at all, but once I got done doctoring it up, it was wonderful. A velvety, buttery feel and taste to it, with a hint of smoke (I added in the liquid that accumulated in the foil while it was wrapped) and just a bit of heat. Try Aaron Franklin’s sauce how he explained it on a YouTube video, but feel free to adapt it to your taste palate.

Aaron Franklin’s BBQ Sauce

• 1/2 lb butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 1/2 cup s ketchup (not high fructose corn syrup)
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 oz light brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• a little less than 1 tsp garlic powder
• a little less than 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 lemon squeezed

1. Melt butter and saute onions until soft and translucent.
2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Serve warm with bbq.

We found his sauce to be on the sweet side, so we added in some drippings from the brisket, Frank’s Hot Sauce, more black pepper, some red pepper flakes, ancho and chipotle powder. Feel free to adjust to suit your tastes. Next time, I think I’ll cut back on the butter as well.

Grilled Blackened Trout w/ Horseradish and Tarragon Tartar Sauce

Blackened Trout with Horseradish and Tarragon Tartar Sauce

      Sticking with our current trend of trying to cook a bit healthier, I bring you our version of blackened trout. I say ”our version” because we didn’t quite cook it the way it is supposed to be cooked.

     For those unfamiliar with blackening, it is a cooking technique used in the preparation of fish and other foods. Often associated with Cajun cuisine, this technique was popularized by Chef Paul Prudhomme. For this technique, the seafood (or chicken) is dipped in melted butter, then liberally coated with a mixture of herbs and spices and then cooked in a very hot cast iron skillet. The seafood should have a brown-black crust that results from a combination of the browned milk solids of the butter and the charred spices.

     While we could have gone that way, we opted to try and be a bit healthier by skipping the dredge in butter and instead lightly coated it in olive oil. Since the fat from the butter was omitted, I was afraid it might stick to a hot cast iron pan. Instead, I grilled it directly over open flame on a grill basket. It might not be truly authentic blackening and it might not be that much healthier, but it still tasted amazing!    

     And don’t get me started on the tartar sauce! That stuff should be illegal! I could eat it straight. In fact, I might have had a spoonful or two of it after I whipped it up. You won’t tell, will you? Do me a favor…toss out that jarred crap you have floating around somewhere in the back of your fridge and make your own. You can thank me later. Ok, let’s get started with the tartar sauce, since the longer you let it sit, the better it gets.

The trout went “meat” side down at 500F to start.

Horseradish and Tarragon Tartar Sauce

(serves 4)

• 1/3 cup light mayonnaise
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 to 3 tbsp of prepared horseradish, I’ll let you decide how spicy you want it
• 2 tbsp finely chopped red onion
• 2 tbsp capers, drained and roughly chopped
• 3 dashes of hot sauce (I prefer Frank’s, but feel free to sub in your own brand and adjust if you want more)
• 2 tbsp finely chopped tarragon leaves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (2 hours would be better if you have the time)

After removing the trout, throw a few shrimp on for a few minutes.

Blackening Seasoning

• 1 tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp salt

Mix together ingredients in a small bowl. If not using immediately, store in an airtight container.

Mmmm…so tasty!

Ok, you’ve got your tartar sauce prepared and your blackening seasoning is mixed up and ready to go. Time to get started on the fish (and shrimp if you want to add some as well).

Directions

1. Pre-heat your grill to medium high. For our Big Green Egg, we stabilized it at 500F. I like to use a grill basket when doing fish as I find it easier to flip the fish. (If you don’t have one, it is not the end of the world. You can cook it on the original grates). Insert the grill basket onto your grill and let it come up to temperature with the grill.
2. Brush your trout lightly with olive oil and season liberally with blackening seasoning. I mean go heavy with the stuff. Don’t hold back. If you are going to do some shrimp as well, shell the shrimp and dust with the seasoning.
3. When you are ready to grill your fish, pour some oil on a paper towel and wipe down the grates on your grill. Trout is a fast cooking fish, so do not leave your grill while it is cooking. Place the trout meat side down on the oiled grates and grill for 2 to 3 minutes and then flip. If the fish is sticking to the grates, allow to cook 30 seconds to a minute more and then try to flip. The fish will cling to the grates until it is ready to flip. Once you flip the fish, grill for another minute or two. Remove from grill when fish reaches 135F.
4. Allow fish to rest covered loosely with foil for 5 minutes. The temperature of the trout should carry over to 140-145 while resting.
5. While the fish is resting, through a few shrimp on the grill if you like. They only take a few minutes per side.
6. Serve with plenty of your home-made horseradish and tarragon tartar sauce on the side.

How can you resist?

     Mrs. G told me later that evening that this had to be one of the best dinners we have cooked in weeks. The heat from the blackening seasoning was just right. The cool, creaminess of the tartar sauce offset it perfectly and the flavors were outstanding. She made me promise to never buy the jarred stuff again and to make it from scratch from now on. And the Brussel sprouts you see on the side there? Who knew I liked Brussel sprouts? I’ve been missing out all these years. Tune in later this week and we’ll show you how to make them. Mrs. G made them last night and I wasn’t paying attention, but she’s going to make them again tonight and I’ll make sure to take pictures and get a recipe. If only I knew before now…

 

 

Nutrional Facts Per Serving (minus the blackening seasoning and the shrimp)

Calories: 507   Protein: 47g   Carbs: 1g   Total Sugar: 0g   Total Fat: 33g   Saturated Fat: 4.8g

Cholesterol: 138mg   Sodium: 661mg   Fiber: 0g

Four-Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms (Diabetic Friendly)

Mmmm…stuffed mushrooms!

     I like mushrooms. Nowhere near as much as Mrs. G, though. She loves her some fungus. Sauteed mushrooms with a steak, The Pioneer Woman’s Burgundy Mushrooms, mushrooms on her pizza, mushrooms in her salad, fried mushrooms. Heck, she’d eat mushrooms with her mushrooms. That’s why I knew when I saw this recipe glancing through our new cookbook “Our Best Diabetic Living Recipes” that it would be one of the first we tried. And I’ll confess, I wanted to make them as well.

I love spring time. Perfect weather allows us to hang out on the patio and sip a few cold ones while the grill chugs away. Just wish it lasted longer in Texas.

     That picture really has nothing to do with the mushrooms. I thought it came out really good and I just wanted to share it. BTW, that Lone Star Bock is pretty good stuff. Ok, back on topic now. Don’t these stuffed mushrooms look mouth watering?

How could you not want to try one of these?

Ingredients

• 24 large fresh musrooms (the bigger the better)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 8 sun dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
• 1 cup light ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese (2 oz)
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp snipped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil (crushed)
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (we used low fat)

First remove the stems.

Directions

(make sure to read the follow-up at the bottom of the post for an alternate way to grill these mushrooms)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (and grill to 450F if desired).
2. Remove and discard mushroom stems (we saved them for our salad).
3. Brush caps with oil and place stem side down. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. While baking mushrooms, in a medium-sized bowl, pour boiling water over dried tomatoes. Let stand 10 minutes.
5. Drain mushroom caps and tomatoes. Set mushroom caps aside.
6. In the same bowl, coarsely snip tomatoes. Stir in the ricotta, spinach, Monterey Jack, Parmesan, snipped basil, garlic and salt and pepper.
7. Turn mushroom caps stem sides up. Stuff with filling and sprinkle with feta cheese.
8. Bake the mushroom caps in your oven or on the grill at 450F for 8 to 10 minutes or until filling is heated through and light brown. Serve immediately.

Per Mushroom: 42 cal, 3 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 8 mg chol, 105 mg sodium, 2 g carb, 0 g fiber, 3 g pro.

Exchanges: 0.5 medium-fat meat

Carb Choices: 0

‘Shrooms have been stuffed, ready for the grill

     Obviously, these mushrooms can be pre-baked, stuffed and then finished off in the oven at 450F. But what fun is that when you can throw them on the grill instead? Besides, it was one of those beautiful days that were perfect for sitting on the patio and I had already fired up the grill for steaks.

Onto the grill at 450

     I placed the mushrooms on the edge of the grill  because its it a little cooler, they are not over as much burning, hot lump and to give me room to grill our steaks at the same time.

Off the grill

Piping hot, right off of the grill. They may not have all made it inside from the grill. One or two might have disappeared into my mouth. You have to have quality control, you know?

Who wouldn’t want to get up close and personal with these mushrooms?

Sorry for all the pics. I might have gotten a little excited. Not to mention, I think the pictures came out really good that night.

How good does that look? Don’t you wish your monitor came with Smell-A-Vision?

     These mushrooms did not disappoint. Mrs. G loved them. So much, we had them again the following night. Packed with flavor from the cheeses and tomatoes and basil. Perfect blend of savory and salty and just a hint of smokiness from the charcoal. We couldn’t stop eating them. Truth be told, I thought they were better than the grass fed steaks we had (first time eating grass fed, not impressed). If you are looking for an appetizer or just a healthy side dish to go along with your meal, I highly recommend giving these ‘shrooms a try.

***Follow Up***

I know…how can you have a follow up if you are just now posting it for the first time? The first time we did these beautiful mushrooms, we followed the cooking directions directly from Better Homes and Gardens “Our Best Diabetic Living Recipes”. While they came out pretty good damn good, we didn’t really like the pre-baking idea. The mushrooms shrunk and we thought it might have dried them out a bit. The second night, we did not pre-bake the mushrooms. Instead we just stuffed them and placed them directly on the grill at 400F. I didn’t actually time them, just pulled them when they were heated through and turned a light golden brown (sorry about that). Let me tell you…they were much better!! They were so tender and juicy! Oh how juicy they were! Try them both ways if you want, but I’m going to skip the pre-baking step from now on.  I recommend you do as well.

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings

     Chicken Wings! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…they are my 5th food group. Mrs. G thinks I might be obsessed with them and she maybe right. Garlic Parmesan is one I’ve been staying away from. I’m never sure when I read recipes for them if the author means the grated parmesan in the green can or fresh parmesan. I’ve made them in the past using fresh and it wasn’t pretty. Thursday of last week, a guy by the name of LTAFlynEgg on the Egghead forum wrote a post about a bunch of different flavored wings he did, one of which was garlic parmesan. That inspired me to tackle them again and to get it right this time. Which I think know I did!

Wings going on the MINI Egg indirect at 400F. Often when I am cooking for myself, I go with the MINI. Quicker to light, quicker to get up to temperature and uses much less lump charcoal.

Ingredients

(For 16 whole wings or 32 flats and drummetes. )

     For the rub:

• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1/2 tsp baking powder (this won’t add flavor, but will help you achieve crispy skin on the wings)

     For the sauce:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1/4 cup grate Parmesan & Romano Cheese (in the green can)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• couple of turns of the pepper grinder
• salt to taste

Done after 30 minutes

Instructions

1. Set up your grill for an indirect cook and pre-heat to 400F.
2. Combine the ingredients for the rub. If you have a spice grinder, grind them up to a powder.
3. Dust the chicken wings liberally with the rub.
4. Place the chicken on the grill (making sure not to be directly over flame or charcoal) and cook for about 15 minutes. Flip and cook for another 15 minutes. Chicken is cooked safely when it reaches 165F, but wings can (and should) be cooked a bit higher in order for the fat to render off and to allow the skin to crisp up. 175 and even 180 would be good. Cook until crispy.
5. While the chicken is cooking, melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Add the remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
6. When the chicken is done, remove to a large heat proof bowl. Pour the sauce over the chicken and toss to coat.
7. Serve with celery and/or carrots and your favorite dipping sauce. (I actually thought there was no need for a sauce they were so good.)

Plated up and ready to dig in.

Can you honestly look at that and tell me it doesn’t look good? 

Just looking at that picture is making me crave these wings again.

     They say variety is the spice of life and who am I to argue? While I love a basket of messy, spicy Buffalo Wings, sometimes I don’t want spicy. These will definitely fit the bill in that case. Perfect crispy skin with the flavors of garlic and parmesan cheese bursting forth. I ate more wings this night than I normally do. So if you are wanting wings but not the spice, maybe you are hosting a party with a bunch of kids who won’t like spicy foods or you are just looking for something different to try, give these wings a shot. You can thank me later.

 

Venison Jalapeno Cheese Sausage

Venison Jalapeno Cheese Sausage

     Even though sausage is probably one of my favorite smoked meats, its been awhile since we’ve made any. It’s just such a long process, but the results are well worth it. This past Christmas, I got a 5lb LEM Sausage Stuffer. Prior to that I was just using my grinder as a stuffer. While that works, it’s not really ideal. I had no idea how well my new sausage stuffer would work till we put it into action this past weekend. This thing is awesome!! If you are making sausage and don’t have a dedicated stuffer, I highly recommend picking one up.

LEM Sausage Stuffer. Sorry, I didn’t get any pictures grinding or stuffing the sausage, but I’ve covered that before.

     After the last batch of sausage, Mrs. G informed me that she wanted to try a jalapeno cheese sausage. I like jalapeno cheese sausage, so I was not opposed.

Pork Shoulder and Back Fat

     Friday, I was in need of some sausage casings and some pork shoulder. I’ve been wanting to try out Hirsch’s Meat Market in Plano for a while, so I gave them a call and they had everything I needed. If you are looking for a good butcher in Plano, I highly recommend them. Not only do they carry all kinds of meat, the carry a wide variety of wood from the basic mesquite and hickory, to pecan, peach, plum, citrus and grape, just to name a few. Super friendly staff and very helpful.

Look at the marbling in that pork shoulder!

     They set me up with 2.5 lbs of pork shoulder (that had a ton of marbling) and .62lbs of pork back fat to make up for the lack of fat in my venison (in sausage, fat is your friend).

Can you tell which side is the pork and which side is the venison? I figured you could. 

          Sr_Egor from the Texas BBQ Forum was kind enough to send me an Excel sheet for various types of sausages. You type in how many pounds of sasage you want to make, and it will calculate all the rest of the ingredients for you. Pretty cool, huh? If you ask nicely, I can even forward it on to you. I wanted to make 5 lbs, just to try it out, so this is what the spreadsheet told me. BTW, if you don’t have a scale, you are going to need to get one. (Did you know different salts weigh different amounts? That’s why using a volumetric amount for salt doesn’t make sense and weight does)

Ingredients

• 2.25 lbs (36 oz) pork butt
• 2.25 lbs (36 oz) venison
• 0.01 lbs (.12 oz or 1/8 oz) granulated garlic
• 0.02 lbs (0.38 oz or 3/8 oz) black pepper
• 0.09 lbs (1.44 oz or 1 and 4/8 oz) salt
• 0.03 lbs (0.40 oz or 3/8 oz) sugar
• 0.03 lbs (0.40 oz or 3/8 oz) dried jalapenos or 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and deveined
• 0.43 lbs (6.80 oz or 6 3/4 oz) cheddar cheese, cubed small
• 3 to 5 oz of water
• 0.01 lbs (0.12 oz or 1/8 oz) of Cure #1

Very important to test fry a patty before stuffing. You know…quality assurance? Gives you a chance to adjust your seasonings.

Directions

1. Cube up your pork, venison and back fat into pieces small enough to fit through your grinder. Place meat and all metal parts of your grinder into the freezer for 30 minutes. (Heat is your enemy when making sausage. It causes the fat to melt and smear. You don’t want that). After 30 minutes, assemble grinder and using a medium grind attachment, grind all your meat.
2. Mix up the spices in a small bowl. Work the spices, jalapenos and cheese into the meat with your hands, adding the water in small amounts as you go.
3. Take a small portion and test fry a patty. Adjust the seasonings as needed.
4. At this point, the meat can be stuffed into hogs casings. I prefer to let it sit covered overnight in the fridge to allow the flavors to meld and marry and stuffing the next day, however.
5. Stuff the hogs casings with the meat mixture following your stuffer’s instructions. I chose to do my sausage in 1lb links this time (or as close as I could get them, LOL), but you can make them whatever length or size you want.
6. Allow sausage to sit out at room temperature for one hour to allow them to dry out. If you have a small fan, you can use it to blow across them. Meanwhile, set up your smoker as low as you can get it. 100F to 130 F would be ideal. Do NOT add wood for smoke at this point.
7. Add your sausages to the smoker and allow to further dry for one hour.
8. After one hour, bump the temperature to 140F and add wood chunks for smoke. We used pecan and some hickory chips. Every hour after, bump the temperature 10 more degrees until your sausage hits 155F.
9. When your sausage hits 155F, remove from smoker and plunge into and ice bath to stop the cooking. Allow to cool.
10. Once cooled, remove from ice bath and let bloom for one hour (Sit out at room temperature either on a drying rack or hanging up).
11. Refrigerate or vacuum seal and freeze for a later date.

Onto the Egg at 12:00 pm!

     I’d like to say that with my Big Green Egg and pit controller, I was able to follow my smoking instructions perfectly. Unfortunately, it was not to be. I was having a problem getting that small of a fire started. It went out once on me while I was trying to get it stable. I ended up putting the sausage on at 145-150F and about 25 minutes later, I had to pull everything out and restart the fire.

One hour in (1 o’clock).

     At one hour in, my fire was now at 170 (way to hot, way to early). I added two pecan chunks and some hickory chips for smoke. I also wiped away any moisture from the outside of the sausage casings and flipped the ones on top with the ones on bottom. Being open for so long allowed the temp to drop. By 1:30pm, the temp was sitting at 150F which was not so bad.

Two hours in, developing a nice shade of red (2 o’clock)

At two hours in, my temp was around 165. A little high, but still acceptable.

3 hours in, getting close (3 o’clock).

 At 3, we were holding steady at 175 but now we were getting short on time. We had people coming over later and I still had to get to the store. So at 3:40, I opened the Egg up a bit to speed things along. By 4:10, we were up to 230F.

Finished at 4:30pm!

Once finished, the sausage was pulled and immediately plunged into an ice bath to stop the cooking.

Sausage taking a dip in an Ice bath.

     After cooling, the sausage was allowed to dry on some of those cookie cooling racks for an hour before most of it was sealed with a vacuum sealer and frozen for later. One link did go into the fridge to be sampled on Sunday. It was killing me to wait, but I had to get to the store and get some groceries and get cleaned up for company.

Sunday rolled around and I lit up the Egg to 400F and grilled up the sausage. Look at how juicy that is!!

     Mrs. G paid me high compliments on this sausage saying “This is the best sausage you’ve made so far!” and “This reminds me of the sausage my dad used to make when I was kid!” Can’t get better compliments than that, especially considering he used to have a BBQ business and made his own sausage.

     Me? I enjoyed it, but sometimes I’m my worst critic. It was plenty juicy and had great flavor. Good snap on the casing. But it just wasn’t perfect.

     For one, there wasn’t enough heat. I’d like to maybe had some cayenne or red pepper flakes or chipotle powder. Not sure, what do you think? I also didn’t really care for the jalapeno, it still had some crunch to it. Maybe sautee it down a bit or use dried jalapenos next time.

     Next comes the cheese. It didn’t melt away, but it did melt. I’m thinking I’m going to use high temp cheese (cheese specifically made not to melt, often used in sausage). Hirsch’s Meat Market has it, so I do have a local source.

     The final thing is the texture. I mean it was fine (not a pun, it was really coarse), but I’d like to see what a double grind would do. Once through the medium grind plate, and then a second time through the fine grind plate. But then again, I’m afraid it would end up with the texture of a hot dog, and I really don’t want that.

     Not sure, but I do know that I have enough deer in the freezer to make 15 more pounds. It was fun making sausage again, don’t know why we don’t do it more often. Oh yeah…’cause its messy (dish wise) and time consuming. But with the new stuffer, it was a breeze. Mrs. G said it was the fastest stuffing session yet. So expect to see more sausage soon.

And if you would like a copy of the spreadsheets, just let me know. There are plenty of other sausage recipes, I just haven’t tried any of them, yet.