Pepperoni recipe needed

[Islandgirl]

I am processing about 80 lbs of elk trim for my neighbor.
I have a couple of questions..

What size grinding plate for ground to make burgers?
Should I use the same size plate for pepperoni?
How much fat % should I add to the ground elk for say burgers?
Does anyone have a spicy pepp recipe they would like to share?

 

[IronNoggin]

MMMMMMM... Elk!! Nice!!

3/16th" plate for burgers

Can use the same size for pepps (We do)

If using straight fat (we use pork) 15% is a good mixture for burgers. If using ground pork meat & fat, run that up to 20%.
Keeps the meat from sticking to grills / pans, and adds that desirable "Juiciness" to your burgers.

Lots of recipes out there. Here's a Smoked version I tend to like:

Smoked Venison Pepperoni



Ingredients:
4 lbs very well trimmed venison
1.5 lb pork fat or fatty pork trimmings
3 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fine ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon crushed anise seed
1 teaspoon ground cumin seed
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup non-fat dry milk powder
1 teaspoon #1 cure (prague powder)

1/4 cup ice water

Cut the venison and pork into cubes, then grind it through the medium plate of your sausage grinder.


Make a paste of the milk powder and ice water and mix it with the cure and all the spices in a small container.


Add the cure/dried milk/spice combination to the ground meat and mix it thoroughly, kneading it by hand until it is very well distributed.


Stuff the sausage immediately into casings (either collagen or natural sheep or pork), and refrigerate the links for 12-24 hours to let the flavors combine well.


After the aging, prepare your deer sausage pepperoni for the smoker, and smoke it until the internal temperature reaches 152 degrees F.

Playing around with the various spices will increase the "Heat Factor".
Can also add red wine for an interesting flavor alternative. Start with just a little and vary to your own tastes.

And I am sure that Wolf will have an idea or two for pepps for you soon!


ENJOY!!
Nog

 

[Islandgirl]

Hey Matt

That recipe looks amazing. I will give it a go tomorrow.
Thanks for the detailed instructions, I was wondering if I should grind the meat with the spices already in.
Now I know!

I am just making wolfs jerky recipe right now

 

[SophiaB]

• 6 lbs very well trimmed venison


• 4 lb pork fat or fatty pork trimmings

• 4 tablespoons kosher salt

• 4tablespoons paprika

• 3 tablespoons of garlic power

• 4 tablespoons sugar

• 2 tablespoons red chili flake


• 2 tablespoon cayenne pepper


• 2 teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 teaspoons of anise seed
• 2 teaspoon dried oregano


• 2 teaspoon #1 cure (prague powder or Instacure)

• 1 cup ice water


Same process as iron noggin. I like a bit more fat. I find you don't need to use a binder like the milk (even though you cant taste it) with more fat. Who doesn't like more pork fat! Only thing I can add is take your time when smoking.

My process is

Put them in the smoker at 100 degrees for a few hours. NO smoke. once the drying/tempering process is done I add smoke for 3 hours. Slowly bumping it up 20 degrees every hour or 2, if you bump it up to fast you will get what is called melting out ( fat melting out into the meat making the texture not desirable)

Getting your peps to an internal temp of 152 make take up to 10 hours, and if its cold they may never get there. In that case I would suggest putting the links into a pot of HOT water ( boil then shut it off). you can drop them in there for 5-10 mins and they will get up to temp. Learned this trick last year. Wish I would have know about it 5 years ago!.

Good luck

 

[wolf]

Im actually making some more today and ill post my recipe ive been tinkering with mine has Cayenne in it as i want it a bit hot and its coming along really well......ALSO after working at my new place (galloping goose sausage) been learning a few things milk powder for one is ok but they use a soy powder (promine) from what ive seen and read it sticks better to game meat ensuring a better "bond" of the meat to fat particles... it binds way beter for game meat....as for heating you can use water or even easier and oven to get up to temp as the trick is to "dry" it out. my recipe also have omitted the cumin it it, ill post later as i said as its at work

good luck Wolf

 

[Hookin'up]

do you guys ever let it "bloom" for a few hours after reaching IT and removing it from your smokers?
I used to make a fair bit of pepperoni (not wild game tho) and learned the blooming trick from an old timer
all it is is letting it hang for a few hours after the process is complete, seems to develop a little richer coloring if you do
but that is ones own preferrence

 

[IronNoggin]

do you guys ever let it "bloom" for a few hours after reaching IT and removing it from your smokers?

All the time, with every sausage we smoke. After it reaches internal temperature, we Immediately dunk them into an ice-water bath. Drops the core temperature VERY Fast & prevents the casings from shrinking / shriveling and possibly cracking. Then they hang to Bloom, often overnight. This was recommended by several Pro's and we have stuck to that diligently. Blooming keeps the sausages nice and plump, and the longer this is allowed to occur, the deeper and darker their color will become.

Cheers,
Nog

 

[Hookin'up]

All the time, with every sausage we smoke. After it reaches internal temperature, we Immediately dunk them into an ice-water bath. Drops the core temperature VERY Fast & prevents the casings from shrinking / shriveling and possibly cracking. Then they hang to Bloom, often overnight. This was recommended by several Pro's and we have stuck to that diligently. Blooming keeps the sausages nice and plump, and the longer this is allowed to occur, the deeper and darker their color will become.

Cheers,
Nog

Yes I forgot to mention the ice water bath as well,
man now I got a hankering for some homemade pepperoni's
and I thought I was over that addiction

 

[SophiaB]

I bloom everything but pepperonis.

I prefer a snack snick that snaps when you bite into it. And I find by not blooming you can reach this consistency easier then blooming. Sausages of all sorts I bloom though

 

[markfarley]

what size casings do you guys use for pepperoni?
I have a lot of 30mm+ size hog casings left from making fresh sausage, would they be to big?

 

[SophiaB]

I use 18-22mm for peps and breakfast sausages. 30's I do smokies and brats

 

[markfarley]

mmmmm smokies

 

[wolf]

So after I have tweaked the recipe and MY SMOKER as I wasn't getting enough heat for the drying of the sausages and they weren't shrinking up and drying properly . SO came up with and idea to do it hotter. Put a T into the pipe and now on side is smoke and the other side is for drying now with a propane turkey fryer stove it is TOTALLY functionable.

So here is a step by step on how I do the pepperoni and any other smokies salami etc. notice the Meat Garlic,Pork and Fat(put all thru the grinder) in the one picture there is 1.5 lbs of fat as the meat in the bin had NONE just ground after many attempts in doing this venture finding out if you put none its a waste....

Next pictures show how I mix notice the "bowl" in the meat thats what you put all the spice mixture into add water and stir and stir and stir you want all the promine and spices mixed in then really giver and mix and mix make sure you get all the meat in the corners and you want a nice moist mix!!!!!! too dry and its a ***** to put thru the stuffer to moist and it slides in the casing it has to be moist but no slippery if that makes sense. I used the 26 mm casings, after I left them over night then hung with a fan on for about 2 hours as you want to get it as close as you can to room temp before putting into smoker DONT RUSH this takes longer in the smoker to heat up...

so for the 20 lb batch I dried at 155(smoker temp) for almost 3 hours (meat was at 135 after 90 mins and maintaining) then I smoked for 2 hours afterwards finishing off with the smoker at over 200 and the meat up past the 152 min mark actually hauled it out at 160 here's how she came out.....

Any questions feel free to ask hopefully the pics are in order

 

[Hookin'up]

So after I have tweaked the recipe and MY SMOKER as I wasn't getting enough heat for the drying of the sausages and they weren't shrinking up and drying properly . SO came up with and idea to do it hotter. Put a T into the pipe and now on side is smoke and the other side is for drying now with a propane turkey fryer stove it is TOTALLY functionable.

So here is a step by step on how I do the pepperoni and any other smokies salami etc. notice the Meat Garlic,Pork and Fat(put all thru the grinder) in the one picture there is 1.5 lbs of fat as the meat in the bin had NONE just ground after many attempts in doing this venture finding out if you put none its a waste....

Next pictures show how I mix notice the "bowl" in the meat thats what you put all the spice mixture into add water and stir and stir and stir you want all the promine and spices mixed in then really giver and mix and mix make sure you get all the meat in the corners and you want a nice moist mix!!!!!! too dry and its a ***** to put thru the stuffer to moist and it slides in the casing it has to be moist but no slippery if that makes sense. I used the 26 mm casings, after I left them over night then hung with a fan on for about 2 hours as you want to get it as close as you can to room temp before putting into smoker DONT RUSH this takes longer in the smoker to heat up...

so for the 20 lb batch I dried at 155(smoker temp) for almost 3 hours (meat was at 135 after 90 mins and maintaining) then I smoked for 2 hours afterwards finishing off with the smoker at over 200 and the meat up past the 152 min mark actually hauled it out at 160 here's how she came out.....

Any questions feel free to ask hopefully the pics are in order

MMMMmmmmm
pm'd my shipping address
nicely done, love the little leftover roll on the rack, I usually toss it in the fry pan for a quick sample

 

[markfarley]

Wow Wolf nice job!!

 

[Kildonan]

Wow, Roy. That looks frikin' awesome, man! I wish I had more time to do this kinda stuff.

 

[IronNoggin]

Awesome Buddy!!

Is that a water stuffer in the picture with the casings? If so, how do you find that works?

Wondering...
Nog

 

[wolf]

No a hand granker from princess auto 15 lb and works very good

 

[SophiaB]

Awesome Buddy!!

Is that a water stuffer in the picture with the casings? If so, how do you find that works?

Wondering...
Nog

I have the dakotah water stuffer. 9lblbs at a time. It was BY FAR better then any other stuffer I have used. I can do 100 lbs in an hour by my self. Just wish it was bigger.
http://www.dakotahsausagestuffer.com/category-s/1873.htm

 

[wolf]

Looks neat i personally would have a hard time using it... have you seen the size of my hands??? LOL LOL also im doing batches of 20 lbs or more so the 15 lb capacity of that princess auto one was an easy choice as its close to the one I use at work, it was also on sale for 120 bucks and got shipped extra seals just incase.if anyone wants the recipe pm me

Wolf