Snack Sticks

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
A few weeks ago, I made meat snack sticks for the first time. I used LEM hot sticks seasoning. I'll try to develop my own seasoning in the future. First thing I did was grind up some pork butt.




Next, I mixed venison and pork butt together (25% pork).


Then ground the meat mixture a second time.


I mix the LEM seasoning in the meat, put the meat in my vertical stuffer, fill 21mm collagen casing and then cut into 14 inch sections.


Next I put the sticks into my smoker and smoke them for about 5 hours at 180F.


The final product.
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
After making the above snack sticks, I repeat the process with the same LEM seasoning but add some jalapeno peppers from the garden and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Here is the final product.

 

Cainsable

Guest
After making the above snack sticks, I repeat the process with the same LEM seasoning but add some jalapeno peppers from the garden and shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Here is the final product.



That looks good
 

mbh78

Ten Pointer
Contributor
How do you keep them? Do you have to freeze or refrigerate them? This is something I have thought about trying, but I am clueless to the process. Thanks for the info.
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
How do you keep them? Do you have to freeze or refrigerate them? This is something I have thought about trying, but I am clueless to the process. Thanks for the info.

In theory, the meat sticks should last several weeks in the refrigerator since they are a cured product. The fresh breakfast sausage needs to be put in the freezer if not eaten in a few days since they do not contain curing salt.

I said in theory since neither product makes it more than a few days without all of it being eaten.
 

mbh78

Ten Pointer
Contributor
Thanks. Have you ever tried vacuum sealing the meat sticks or do you just put them in a zip lock bag. I am just curious if they would last like a store bought meat stick.
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
The two kinds of meat sticks posted above were the first ones I ever made. If they are vacuum sealed, they should last a long time. I have a vacuum sealer. The first meat sticks were made from deer that I vacuum sealed back in 2012. It didn't affect the quality of the final product. Anything I vacuum seal doesn't get freezer burned unless I something put a hole in the bag while rearranging the freezer.
 

tarheelshooter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Looks good........How is the taste?
I need to get a new vacuum sealer. Let a buddy borrow it and he left it in his garage over the summer and now the vacuum pump won't work right. Took it apart and the piston is all jacked up and I can't find parts for it.
What kind of smoker were you using?
 

Stick&String

Old Mossy Horns


I have my pepperoni snack sticks in the oven now.

Great minds think alike... Apparently hungry people think alike too. :)
 
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Doc

Twelve Pointer
Anyone got tips on casings to use for snack sticks? I have used the Lem collagen casings. And they stuff great. And cook great. But when I let the sticks cool down, there is always some condensation that makes the casings soggy. I then have to strip casings off every stick. Stick still taste great. But doesn't have the "snap" when you bite into it, since the casing is missing.
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
The sticks tasted great, especially the jalapeno and sharp cheddar cheese ones. Friends and neighbors told me they loved them. The biggest decision was deciding on the cheese. A lot of people use high temperature cheese. I decided to use your standard cheddar cheese. I figured the cheese wouldn't melt too much since I smoked at 180F and the casing would contain any melting.

I'm using a Masterbuilt 30" electric smoker.
 
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buzzcut29

Guest
Im with Grantcs on the casings... What did you use for casing Homebrew? That last batch looks great!
 

Homebrewale

Old Mossy Horns
Im with Grantcs on the casings... What did you use for casing Homebrew? That last batch looks great!

I used the same LEM collagen casing as grantcs. What I did was remove the snack sticks from my smoker after about 5 hours and then put them in my dehydrator for about 1-2 hours. I think this may help because the air in the smoker doesn't move much. It depends on hot air rising through the vent in the top and cold air entering at the bottom. In the dehydrator, a fan moves the hot air. More drying is going on in the dehydrator than in the smoker.

I'm just a rookie at this. I just experiment to see what works. I only started processing my own meat four years ago. I bought a grinder and dehydrator that year. Three years ago, I bought a vacuum sealer. This year, I bought the smoker, vertical sausage stuffer and Work Sharp knife sharpener. I made sausage for the first time three years ago. I made snack sticks for the first time this year. Tonight I'm making trail bologna.

I think I developed some meat processing sickness.
 
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Doc

Twelve Pointer
No doubt. I have a deer processing addiction too.

I have a grinder and vertical stuffer along with a dehydrator. I make killer jerky sticks. Just wish I could figure out how to perfect the snack stick casing, so it doesn't get soggy. Everyone likes to "snap into a slim Jim" every now and then.
 

alt1001

Old Mossy Horns
No doubt. I have a deer processing addiction too.

I have a grinder and vertical stuffer along with a dehydrator. I make killer jerky sticks. Just wish I could figure out how to perfect the snack stick casing, so it doesn't get soggy. Everyone likes to "snap into a slim Jim" every now and then.

I've always wanted to get into it, but I am afraid of getting addicted and not being any good at it. Lol
 
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Doc

Twelve Pointer
I've always wanted to get into it, but I am afraid of getting addicted and not being any good at it. Lol

It's really hard to mess it up flavor wise. Took me a couple runs on my jerky to figure out the right texture. Still trying on the snack sticks.

Summer sausage isn't hard either.
 

dearl

Four Pointer
No doubt. I have a deer processing addiction too.

I have a grinder and vertical stuffer along with a dehydrator. I make killer jerky sticks. Just wish I could figure out how to perfect the snack stick casing, so it doesn't get soggy. Everyone likes to "snap into a slim Jim" every now and then.

Great looking snack sticks. Thats next on my to do list. I got the deer processing bug myself. My wife bought me a grinder, cuber, slicer, dehygrator and Masterbuilt smoker 2 years ago for christmas, been putting it to good use. I got sausage down pat, Make some pretty mean Jerky, and my wife loves cube steak so we keep plenty of that. Matter of fact, going to start a double load of jerky tomorrow night.
 
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