ronnie_suburban

Pink salt (aka DC curing salt, Insta Cure #1, Tinted Mix, etc.) is a salt mixture that is 93.75% salt and 6.25% Nitrite. The pink color is added to it as an identifier and safety precaution. It's used primarily to prevent botulism but in a hot-smoked sausage that's not really an issue. If you remember the pics of the andouille from my introduction thread, the flesh of the sausage is red (like bologna or a hotdog). It's the pink salt which gives the sausage that attribute. Pink salt can be ordered on-line and many butcher shops that make their own sausage will sell you some as well. I know that primeats has a lot of experience in sausage making and he may want to comment more on pink salt but I think I've pretty much covered it. It's safe in small quantities and dangerous in large quantities, so it's important to use the right amount when putting it in a recipe. Pink salt is the main difference between my recipe and the Folse recipe. The andouille I've enjoyed have always been cured and that's why I include the ingredient in my version. =R=

Done! =R=

My attempts at making Andouille started with the book Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. The book is excellent -- especially in its coverage of technique -- but some of the recipes in the book, while totally delicious, didn't quite scratch the itch for me. For that reason, I started varying some of the recipes, just to see if I could replicate my "ideal" versions of some of the items covered in the book. In most cases, I was trying to reproduce a version of something I remembered from childhood or one that I had at a specific restaurant, etc. I spent a couple of years in New Orleans back in the early 1980's and I became very addicted to Andouille Sausage while I was there. After attempting the recipe in Charcuterie, which was delicious in its own right but not an exact match for what I remembered, I decided to develop my own recipe. In my quest for more information, I eventually stumbled across chef John Folse's web site, where more great information was available. Finally, I developed my own recipe, which is close to chef Folse's but slightly tweaked to reflect my personal preference. In producing it, I followed the technique laid out in the Ruhlman/Polcyn. Below is the recipe and some of the basic technique: Andouille Sausage by ronnie_suburban Keep Everything Cold 5# fatty pork butt, cubed into 1" pieces 3 oz. chopped garlic 2 T black pepper, freshly ground 2.5 T cayenne pepper 2 T dried thyme 3 T kosher salt 1 t pink salt 1 C ice cold water 10' hog casings Cube the meat and set aside in refrigerator. Mix all seasonings together and coat the meat well with it. Cover and refrigerate for 24-48 hours. Grind seasoned meat through the coarse plate of a Kitchen-aid stand mixer. Ideally, you can place the collector bowl of the mixer in a larger bowl of ice to keep the ground meat cold. Once it's completely ground, mix the meat well with paddle attachment, until it binds into a paste, adding the cup of ice water slowly, while mixing it. Do not let mixture get above 40 F or it will break. Using a sausage stuffer, stuff mixture into pre-soaked hog casings and twist into 6" links. Hot smoke the links at about 200 F until they reach an internal temperature of 160 F. I'm told that genuine Andouille is smoked over a mixture of pecan wood and sugar cane. In lieu of that, you can use any wood of your choice. I find a mixture of hickory and apple to work quite well. Once the sausages reach 160 F, they are ready to eat or store. After storage, simply re-heat and enjoy. =R=

Thanks, Porkchop, for the information. What you say about the oil/drippings not getting hot enough to smoke makes perfect sense and I had wondered about that. On my next cook, I'll skip the water step and compare the results. The idea of having usable, smokey, pork drippings for adding to other items is compelling. =R=

I agree, there is no need...maybe a leftover habit from his pre-KK days As for brining, it's not about the moisture of the meat, it's about flavor. I almost never cook (large pieces of) pork without brining. I guess I've just come to prefer it that way. I used a gallon of water and 2/3 C of kosher salt and brined it for about 20 hours. The water in the drip pan is definitely a remnant from my pre-KK days. That said, I do think that keeping water in the pan helps further regulate the temperature inside the cooker (which may not be necessary with the KK). It also prevents what drips in the pan from scorching and imparting "off" flavors onto the meat. =R= I've never brined anything...not even chicken when using ceramics, but that's prolly cause I'm lazy. That taste thing is definately an individual thing and you gotta do it the way you like it. I'd tray it but I may like it and then have to add another step LOL! I completely understand. One of my local friends calls himself a "laziness determinist" and refuses to brine even though he admits that he's interested in trying it. But yeah, it comes down to personal preference. In a pinch, I'll go without brining but if I have time, I usually go for it. =R=

I agree, there is no need...maybe a leftover habit from his pre-KK days As for brining, it's not about the moisture of the meat, it's about flavor. I almost never cook (large pieces of) pork without brining. I guess I've just come to prefer it that way. I used a gallon of water and 2/3 C of kosher salt and brined it for about 20 hours. The water in the drip pan is definitely a remnant from my pre-KK days. That said, I do think that keeping water in the pan helps further regulate the temperature inside the cooker (which may not be necessary with the KK). It also prevents what drips in the pan from scorching and imparting "off" flavors onto the meat. =R=

Hi all, I'm really thrilled with my KK cooker. The thing I love the most is how easy the longer cooks have become. It used to be that when I smoked pork butt or brisket, the amount of maintenance during the cook made it a ton of work. With the KK, I simply load up the basket with lump charcoal and a few wood chunks (usually apple) and drop a few live coals on top of the pile. Once the contents of the basket begin to smolder, I used the damper and the top vent to keep the temperature at around 250F. FWIW, I use the heat deflector and fill the drip pan about halfway full with water. Unlike with my Weber Smokey Mountain or my Chargriller Smokin' Pro, I do not have to tend the fire every hour or mop the meat. I simply close the lid and go to bed. I've done this a few times now and the cook times vary, depending on the size of the piece of meat, etc. But usually, when I wake up in the morning the meat is either done or nearly done. Cook times have varied from 10 - 16 hours, depending on how much meat I'm cooking but when the internal temperature of the butt gets to 190 F, the cook is over. It's just that easy. During none of my cooks have I had to add fuel or augment the fire in any way. On my first cook, in which I used briquettes instead of lump, the cooker actually maintained temperature for over 26 hours. The final results have been consistently impressive. Using this method, pork butt develops a tasty, pronounced bark yet maintains its internal moisture. It also picks up that lovely smoke ring that only comes with slow-cooking over natural fuel. Here are a few images from this weekend's cook . . . My baby; still without a name Maintaining temperature is key but it's so easy to do with the KK, it almost feels like cheating Brined and rubbed, bone-in pork butt nestled in the KK, after about 10 hours of cooking Once the pork butt reaches an internal temperature of 190 F it's ready for resting, then pulling Not only is the meat "smokeylicious" and tender but it looks beautiful, too When it comes off the bone this easily, you know you've nailed it =R=

I work on the industrial side of the food world; supplying ingredients (mostly fruit-related) to manufacturers. I work with my brother and a bunch of our friends, so it's a nice gig. As for Bourdain, I became an instant fan when I read his essay in the New Yorker back around 2000. That essay, as you may know, became the basis of the book Kitchen Confidential. A couple years later, in 2002, another Bourdain project came to the small screen. It was known at A Cook's Tour and was shown on Food Network (of all places). At the time, Food Network had message forums and a bunch of us fans began posting there and became friendly. Unfortunately, the message forums at FN were run by the station's owner, Scripps Howard, and they were moderated rather aggressively. After a frustrating period in which many of us saw our posts deleted or edited, we decided to start our own Yahoo group -- basically an on-line Bourdain fan club (FWIW, the message forums at FN were eventually shuttered). After not too long, Tony got wind of the Yahoo group and became a frequent visitor/contributor. During that time, many of us became friendly with him and when he did his first book tour back 2003, I attended a signing he did in the Chicago area. I'll never forget when I finally introduced myself to him. He immediately acknowledged me, and announced it to the whole room, going on about what a "class act" I was. I was stunned that he was so thrilled to meet me. Via continued occasional correspondence and various subsequent book tours, we've stayed in touch. For a long time, I was a forum host/manager at eGullet.org, where Tony was also a contributor. I also happen to be friendly with a couple other food writers and chefs who are also tight with Tony, which solidified our connection a bit. Now, nearly each time he comes to Chicago, we (and a few other long-time fans) get together for drinks, etc. after his official appearances are over. The first time we went out, he was still relatively unknown and more people recognized me than him (LOL!). The last time we went out, the moment we stepped into the bar, at least 15 people pointed at Tony and declared "I've got his next round." He's huge now and just about everyone -- even those not in the culinary world -- know who he is. But Tony is a class act; a stand-up guy who has done a lot of really nice, good things in ways that the public would never know. He's also a guy with whom what you see is exactly what you get. He shoots straight and has a heart of gold. I'm proud and lucky to call him a friend. =R=

Actually, while I haven't used my KK to make a pastrami yet, I cannot wait to do so because the KK should make the task very easy. Pastrami, the way I learned to make it, is essentially hot-smoked at about 250 F until it reaches an internal temperature of about 150 F. Because temperature is so easy to control and maintain in the KK, it should be a relatively hassle-free process. The only other step, besides the cooking, is a 7-10-day soak in a wet cure. After that, the meat's basically ready for the cooker. I really think you should try it. Maybe we could coordinate and a few of us could all start the project at the same time and report our results together. =R=

Re: Howdy Right back at you, Saucier. Nice to "meet" you. =R=

Thanks, everyone, for the nice welcome. Primeats, you are too kind. Whenever I make a meat item that people like, I always tell them the same thing: "Thank you. I have a great butcher." And seriously, you make me look really good . . . often. I hope everyone here has access to the quality of products you have at your shop. That quality and your expert guidance make all the difference in the world. Since I found your shop, I've 'become' a much better cook. =R=

Re: Vivid imagination... LOL! I promise that going forward, I will document as much of my cooking as I can. In the interim, here are some links to/pics of some of my previous cooking projects: Cold-smoked salmon from start to finish (with pics) (Click) Baby back ribs Stuffed cabbage rolls Duck and cured ham pate Braised beef shank Pastrami Andouille sausage Andouille sausage, interior Yes, that's me. =R=

If you're into the behind-the-scenes world of restaurants, you'll likely find it quite compelling. =R=

Absolutely loved this book and have read everything by Bourdain. This one, in particular though, really changed my life. I've actually had the pleasure to have met and hung out with Tony several times in person and have even gone drinking with him on a few occasions here in Chicago...an activity where it is very difficult to keep up with him. =R=

Hi there, My friend and butcher-extraordinaire, who goes by the name of Primeats here, told me about this forum, which I joined the other day. I just wanted to say a quick hello to everyone. I've had my KK for about 3 weeks now and I'm enjoying it very much. All told, I've got 7 cookers but none are quite like the KK, which has allowed me to easily do some types of cooking that were particularly difficult on my other cookers. So far, I've successfully turned out a whole brisket, some NC-style pork butts and even a large, boneless pot roast. The results have been outstanding. Needless to say, the heat retention that the KK provides makes it a unique and indispensible part of any outdoor cooking array. I'm already wondering how I got along so long without it. And let's face it, even when idle, they are simply beautiful to look at. I mainly enjoy "craftsman-style" cooking like bbq-ing, smoking (cold and hot), charcuterie, pickling, canning and bread-baking. I also enjoy food photography quite a bit. FWIW, I also work in the food industry -- but in an area that doesn't really relate to what is normally discussed here. But the bottom line is that I am all about food and cooking -- both professionally and avocationally. In any case, I just wanted to pop in and say hello. I look forward to tapping into the experience and expertise that this forum has to offer and -- hopefully -- making a few contributions, as well. =R=