elusive snack stick recipe....

[Jimr]

I am looking for a snack stick recipe for some of my venison trim. I have tried a number of different recipe, some from here and some I just made up. Most have one or more spices in them that I don't like and can't identify. One that I can identify is mace. Not good!! I am looking for a simple recipe with a decent "bite" and a good garlic taste, whether it be home grown or commercial. Thanks in advance.

[TasunkaWitko]

jim - i might get a flame or two for this, but my philosophy is pretty simple and i see no need to complicate it:

a) an appropriate amount of cure for the weight of the meat
b) equal amounts of salt and sweet flavour (experiment with this: use soy sauce as part of the salt, or apple juice as part of the sweet - worcestershire? why not? your imagination is the only limit!
c) spice (red and/or black pepper)to YOUR taste

that's about it, HOWEVER.....

d) from that point, experiment! it's the only way to learn.....

add some garlic to taste, or onion powder - or both! i like to add some paprika - smoked paprika is even better, if you have it. a pinch of thyme, maybe a little caraway, if you like that (i don't, but some do). some mustard seed....perhaps a little fennel or anise seed to give it a whiff of pepperoni...red wine? hell yeah, i've done it, and it was good ~ beer? even better!

your tastes and your preferences will guide the way ~ you know what you like. it really is up to you!

but, if you want an actual RECIPE, this one works very well for me, making them as snack sticks, rather than logs, as originally intended:

appropriate amount of cure for the weight of the meat
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (per pound)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed (per pound)
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, slightly crushed per pound)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (per pound)
1/4 teaspoon anise seed (per pound)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (per pound)

smoke 'em, of course ~ or, if you must....use liquid smoke (suggested amount: 1/2 tsp per pound).

[GimpyMagoo]

Hey Tasun...

I just tried your recipe. I substituted a few ingredients:
instead of meat I used fish
instead of 3/4 t pepper per pound I used 3tbl per pound.
Instead of Mustard Seed I used Pink pepper corns
I didn't use fennel (YUCK)
instead of Crushed red pepper I used Hungarian Paprika
Instead of Anise Seed I used Cardamom and doubled it
instead of 1/4 ts per pound of Garlic Powder I used 2 tbl onion salt per pound.

I Didn't smoke it I used liquid smoke powder instead then I used the dehydrator.

I gotta say Tasun, your recipe sucks! I hated it. it was dry, salty, way to hot and tasted terrible. Something about it just hit me wrong, I cant put my finger on it. Thanks though but I'll keep looking for that perfect recipe.

;)

[TasunkaWitko]

lol - well, gimpy ~ the hungarian paprika SHOULD have carried it (at least that's what rich has always told me)!

;)

[GimpyMagoo]

lol - well, gimply ~ the hungarian paprika SHOULD have carried it (at least that's what rich has always told me)!

;)

THATS what I was thinking!!! damn it all anyway. Must have been to old I guess.

[TasunkaWitko]

try DOUBLING the paprika next time - heck, just toss it all in, with the can!

seriously, though ~ i do love that red powder from hunky-land - if you find some good stuff, it is almost worth its weight in gold ~

come to think of it, i'll bet some MAD HUNKY general purpose rub would make excellent snack sticks. just do your cure, add some mad hunky and a little brown sugar...some beer or wine to hold it all together and toss it on the smoke....

and there you go.

i will definitely give that a try next time i make some.....

[GimpyMagoo]

I buy Paprika by the 5lb bag.... Might just work.

come to think of it, i'll bet some MAD HUNKY general purpose rub would make excellent snack sticks. just do your cure, add some mad hunky and a little brown sugar...some beer or wine to hold it all together and toss it on the smoke....

interesting idea,

I am looking forward to the meatless snack sticks. Sure would save on the protein bill.

[crusty ol salt]

I am looking forward to the meatless snack sticks. Sure would save on the protein bill.

so ya mix all the spices minus the cure into a beer and drink thru a straw???

[GimpyMagoo]

I'm glad you cleared that up Crusty.

I was thinking I'd stuff it in a straw to bloom but in a glass sounds much better and can hold more too.

[TasunkaWitko]

add jello to the beer, stuff into straws - then when it's "gelled," you can get them out fo the staws and have beer-stick gummy worms....

[curious aardvark]

for a more sensible answer try this

Actually it would be particularly good with venison.
I'd probably go 2:1 venison to pork shoulder (ie: 2lb deer to 1 lb piggy). That way you'd get sufficient fat from the pork shoulder and keep the venison flavour.

The simpler you keep the recipe the better it usually tastes.

I have tried a number of different recipe, some from here and some I just made up. Most have one or more spices in them that I don't like and can't identify.

Can I suggest that you stop putting spices you don't like into sausages - that should help quite a bit.
Though you've got to be the first person I've come across who doesn't like nutmeg/mace (pretty much identical flavour) in sausage. Kind of a staple for europaen sausage.

But the black pepper, salt, garlic and paprika is a classic.

[SmokinLee]

I use nutmeg in my smoked sticks....love it.

[GimpyMagoo]

add jello to the beer, stuff into straws - then when it's "gelled," you can get them out fo the staws and have beer-stick gummy worms....

by gosh I do believe you just invented "BEER CHEESE" - BRILLIANT!!! give that man a Guiness