Two Food Questions!

[caddisfly7]

I have two food questions!

1) Making summer sausage (or any type of sausage using a large casing) without a sausage stuffer. Debating between breakfast sausage (have a jerky gun, small casings, have done it before) and summer sausage (have made before using a sausage stuffer at parents place in SK). I already have some breakfast patties in the freezer, so I figured I would do some summer sausage. In terms of the final product, does anyone have any tips on filling the large casing, packing everything in tightly with no air? I can see this going badly for myself and ending up with a crap product (I.e. air holes, crumbling sausage). And where do you guys get your high-temp cheese (I'm in Grande Prairie)? Just butcher shops?

2) Meateater's Goose Pastrami recipe calls for Morton's Tender quick, which I can't seem to find anywhere (online says not much in Canada, possibly at the COOP). If I come up empty at the COOP, is there any alternative that you use? and if you use any alternative, do you use the same amount in the recipe?

Thanks AO!

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by caddisfly7

I have two food questions!

1) Making summer sausage (or any type of sausage using a large casing) without a sausage stuffer. Debating between breakfast sausage (have a jerky gun, small casings, have done it before) and summer sausage (have made before using a sausage stuffer at parents place in SK). I already have some breakfast patties in the freezer, so I figured I would do some summer sausage. In terms of the final product, does anyone have any tips on filling the large casing, packing everything in tightly with no air? I can see this going badly for myself and ending up with a crap product (I.e. air holes, crumbling sausage). And where do you guys get your high-temp cheese (I'm in Grande Prairie)? Just butcher shops?

2) Meateater's Goose Pastrami recipe calls for Morton's Tender quick, which I can't seem to find anywhere (online says not much in Canada, possibly at the COOP). If I come up empty at the COOP, is there any alternative that you use? and if you use any alternative, do you use the same amount in the recipe?

Thanks AO!

Mortons tender quick is your prague powder #1 (cure). I order mine from Halfords

[wildrose]

CTR in Edmonton has it and I believe they have a store in Calgary also.

[ghostguy6]

I would invest in a stuffer. If you leave air pockets in your sausages this makes the perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Air acts as an insulator so the meat around the pockets might not reach full temperature. Even with cure#1 you could be risking botulism.

Extra old sharp cheddar with a low moisture content can be substituted depending on your final temperature. If I remember correctly it should be good to around 155-165*F so you will have to bring it to temp very slowly or you will risk a " fat out" just like your meats.

Safeway sells Mortons Tender Quick. Prague powder or cure #1 are not the same thing. Morton's has a high salt content as well as cure #1. There are conversion charts online that will tell you how much salt to add to cure #1 to reach the taste of Mortons Tender Quick.

To calculate how much cure you need follow this link.
http://www.diggingdogfarm.com/page2.html

The cure # 1( prague powder) from Halfords is 6.25% if you end up using that.

[calgarychef]

Tender quick, co-op usually has it.

A stuffer is the way to go ...borrow one. If I was close by you could use mine but it’s a long drive . YouTube has some DIY stuffers made out of pop bottles. Still better to get a real one somehow, but in a pinch.....

[calgarychef]

Come to think of it, “kubie burgers” are an option. Make your kubesaw, summer sausage etc. Into patties, smoke them to 155F. and you’re good to go.

[PartTimeHunter]

As some have already said - TenderQuick is not the same product as Cure #1. CTR in Calgary and Edmonton has and I'm sure will ship.

Get a stuffer, for all the reasons stated and it's way less of a headache. Cabela's, Halfords are two places to look. Look for ones with metal gears. I've read stories of the cheaper ones with plastic gears that just don't stand up. Cry once, buy once. I don't recall how much it was but I bought mine at Halfords six years ago and never an issue with it.

[birdman86]

Bumping this, does anyone know where to find Tender Quick? Gonna be in Calgary tomorrow so figure that's my best chance to find it.

Looking at CTR's website it doesn't look like they have it (but who knows what's actually on shelves I guess)

[JBE]

You can try DNR

[Red Bullets]

Safeway's had Mortons last time I bought it. Might still have it.

[PartTimeHunter]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

Mortons tender quick is your prague powder #1 (cure). I order mine from Halfords

No it is not. Do not interchange the two. As someone else said CTR in Edmonton stocks TenderQuick. I go to Halfords for most of my supplies for sausage making/curing

[MountainTi]

Originally Posted by PartTimeHunter

No it is not. Do not interchange the two. As someone else said CTR in Edmonton stocks TenderQuick. I go to Halfords for most of my supplies for sausage making/curing

Never said interchange them. Always follow directions on the label as to how much cure per pound/kg. If you've purchased at Halfords before you will know they have different "strengths" of cures there as well.

[PartTimeHunter]

Originally Posted by MountainTi

Never said interchange them. Always follow directions on the label as to how much cure per pound/kg. If you've purchased at Halfords before you will know they have different "strengths" of cures there as well.

Sorry. The way you said it sounded like interchangeable to me. My apologies if I got it wrong, Prague #1 is way different from TenderQuick so thought I would correct before someone used the wrong stuff

[Ormachek]

Originally Posted by birdman86

Bumping this, does anyone know where to find Tender Quick? Gonna be in Calgary tomorrow so figure that's my best chance to find it.

Looking at CTR's website it doesn't look like they have it (but who knows what's actually on shelves I guess)

I bought some at the co-op on MacLeod south of Heritage last year, I assume they still stock it.

[brewster29]

High Caliber products sells hi melting point cheddar. They are in Edmonton and Calgary.