Rudy's Country Sausage

[RedT]

While traveling through Texas we discovered Rudy's Country Store and sampled their sausage and brisket. Loved the sausage, but have been unable to clone their recipe. Have been close, but no cigar. Here is the recipe I have that comes closest to the original:
Ingredients for 5 lbs.
1.50 lbs. pork ( 15% - 12 oz. - 348g)
3.50 lbs. beef ( 85% - 68 oz. - 1972g)
5 tsp salt 33.5g
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1.05g
3 tsp coarse black pepper 6.9g
1/2 tsp marjoram 0.6g
1 cup ice water
2 oz non-fat dry milk 56.7g (most use 1 cup)
2.4 oz bread crumbs 69g
1 tsp Instacure No. 1

It's acceptable, but does not taste like the original.
Does anyone have a better recipe?

[HawgHeaven]

While traveling through Texas we discovered Rudy's Country Store and sampled their sausage and brisket. Loved the sausage, but have been unable to clone their recipe. Have been close, but no cigar. Here is the recipe I have that comes closest to the original:
Ingredients for 5 lbs.
1.50 lbs. pork ( 15% - 12 oz. - 348g)
3.50 lbs. beef ( 85% - 68 oz. - 1972g)
5 tsp salt 33.5g
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1.05g
3 tsp coarse black pepper 6.9g
1/2 tsp marjoram 0.6g
1 cup ice water
2 oz non-fat dry milk 56.7g (most use 1 cup)
2.4 oz bread crumbs 69g
1 tsp Instacure No. 1

It's acceptable, but does not taste like the original.
Does anyone have a better recipe?

Yes, I believe Rudy does...
Your recipe sounds good!

[Doug S.]

Yes, I believe Rudy does...
Your recipe sounds good!

LOL from Utah

[SmokinOutBack]

Very difficult to clone a sausage recipe, there's always that secret ingredient.

But, once you get it dialed in we're all ears!

from New Jersey.

[RedT]

Very helpful responses - thanks a lot! Everyone likes a smart ..........

[Uncle Sauce]

Well, sorry I can't help on the secret recipe redT - Never tried Rudys sausage!

[HawgHeaven]

Very helpful responses - thanks a lot! Everyone likes a smart ..........

Never had Rudy's sausage, and yup. There are a few smart arses around here... myself being one of them. No harm meant. Maybe you can approach the staff with your recipe and ask what's missing...? Worst that can happen is they won't tell you. Worth a shot.

[gmotoman]

I did a google search and found nothing about that particular recipe. I did find your name in another forum asking the same question. You must really like their sausage. I am afraid there are reasons pit-masters keep their recipes secret. All that said nothing wrong with experimenting. Trial and error is still one of the best ways to discover new things especially recipes. If you come up with something let us know.

[Texas-Hunter]

Welcome Red.. I am not a big fan of Rudy's, they smoke their meats with a heavy smudge of post oak... So I would be no help in making a clone of their links.. From the looks of yours are you looking for a mild link nothing hot/spicy??

[dward51]

While traveling through Texas we discovered Rudy's Country Store and sampled their sausage and brisket. Loved the sausage, but have been unable to clone their recipe. Have been close, but no cigar. Here is the recipe I have that comes closest to the original:
Ingredients for 5 lbs.
1.50 lbs. pork ( 15% - 12 oz. - 348g)
3.50 lbs. beef ( 85% - 68 oz. - 1972g)
5 tsp salt 33.5g
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1.05g
3 tsp coarse black pepper 6.9g
1/2 tsp marjoram 0.6g
1 cup ice water
2 oz non-fat dry milk 56.7g (most use 1 cup)
2.4 oz bread crumbs 69g
1 tsp Instacure No. 1

It's acceptable, but does not taste like the original.
Does anyone have a better recipe?

In all fairness, I've never had Rudy's Country Store sausage, but from what I can find using my ninja Google skills, I think I have the flavor profile you are looking for in mind. So I'll venture a comment on the above recipe. It appears to be another variation on the Texas-Czech sausage styles. Garlic is an important ingredient in all of those I've seen.

Looking at the nutritional info on Rudy's website, I see a 8oz link has nearly 2 ounces of fat so you may need to increase the pork ratio in your meat mix (original Tex-Czech style sausage was either 100% pork or in the 80% pork range).

For a 5 pound batch, I think you are missing at least 1 minced clove of garlic, a 1/2 tsp of sugar, need to up the marjoram to a heaping 1/2 tsp, and kick in some crushed red pepper (may want to cut back on the cayenne depending on the target heat level, CRP has flavor in addition to heat). I would also loose the bread crumbs as it's just unneeded filler IMO.

If you are not happy with the mouth texture using NFDM or soy protein, leave it out and try a commercial sausage phosphate like AmesPhos or Butcher & Packer Special Binder #414. However in some recipes you may want to cut back on the NDFM/Soy and add it in a lower quantity along with the phosphate binder (also at a reduced rate). However looking at the nutritional info from their website, I do see fiber listed, so there is likely some soy protein in the recipe as NFDM should add no fiber. I would also go at least a medium and possibly course grind on the meat (single grind).

Powdered/granular dextrose and corn syrup solids have a slightly different flavor profile than regular table sugar and there are some sausage recipes that use one of those, but table sugar (white or even cane/raw sugar for a more complex flavor profile) will work for a starting point in tinkering with a recipe blend.

Another common spice in the Texas-Czech style sausage is allspice. If a small test batch is still missing something, try adding that and see how it blends. Also white pepper adds another a different flavor to the mix and would be worth trying in concert with the black pepper.

Also for what it's worth, I did find what was reported to be a pretty dang accurate recipe for Rudy's Country Store's original sause recipe (apparently the recipe was changed slightly when the was sold and the sause marketed in grocery stores). This is reported to be the original.

1 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 TB spoons of vinegar (white)
2 TB spoons worchestershire sauce
1/4 cup Lemon juice (2 lemons)
1 ts garlic powder
1 ts course black pepper
1/4 ts comino (ground cumin)
1/8 ts cayenne pepper

Mix all and brink to a low simmer for a few minutes. Cool and serve

[RedT]

Thanks, Dave! Good info. Will use your suggestions in my next batch. Will also try the sauce recipe.

[BBQ Engineer]

Hey Red,

I can't help you with the sausage, but I did an experiment on the sauce. LOVE IT. You can find my experiment here... http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23685

[SMOKE FREAK]

Hey Red...
Welcome to Smoked-Meat...
I know nothing about sausage...

[barleypop]

I've never had it but I say play around with paprika, mustard seed or powder and garlic powder or the real thing. Also a little bit of cumin goes a long ways. Just my 2 cents.

[dward51]

Hey Red,

I can't help you with the sausage, but I did an experiment on the sauce. LOVE IT. You can find my experiment here... http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23685

Dang Dana.... How did I miss your original post on S-M Forum? The one I have is from another site where I archived the recipe several years ago, but it is the same recipe. Guess I need to work on those ninja Google skills a little more.

Oh, and Barleypop is right, when adding cumin go sparingly at first as a little can go a long way.