Okay, so I’ve been wanting to make my own beef sticks for a while now. I mean, who doesn’t love a good beef stick? But the store-bought ones can be kinda pricey, and you never really know what’s actually in them. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands. Let me tell you, it was a bit of an adventure, but totally worth it!
First, I needed to find a recipe. I did some digging around, checked out a few different websites, and finally settled on one that seemed pretty straightforward. It called for ground beef, of course, some seasonings, and these things called “curing salt” – which I had to order online, couldn’t find it at my local grocery store.
Gathering My Supplies
- Ground beef: I went with a leaner mix, something like 90/10, because I didn’t want them to be too greasy.
- Seasonings: The recipe I used had a mix of stuff – garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, black pepper, and some other things I can’t remember off the top of my head.
- Curing salt:Pink salt! this stuff to help preserve the meat and give it that classic “cured” flavor.
- Casings: I used collagen casings.
Once I had all my ingredients, it was time to get mixing. I dumped the ground beef into a big bowl, added all the seasonings and the curing salt, and then… well, I got my hands dirty. I mixed everything together until it was all nice and combined. Make sure it is well mixed!
Stuffing the Casings
This was the trickiest part, at least for me. I have the stuffer attachment. I soaked the collagen casings in warm water for a bit to make them pliable, then carefully loaded them onto the stuffer tube.
Slowly but surely, I started cranking the meat mixture into the casings. It took some practice to get the hang of it – you don’t want to overfill them, or they’ll burst, but you also don’t want them too loose. I definitely had a few mishaps along the way, but I eventually got into a rhythm.
The Waiting Game (aka Smoking/Dehydrating)
After all the casings were stuffed, it was time to smoke or dehydrate them. Because I don’t have a smoker, I use the dehydrator. I put the beef sticks, and set the temperature to 160°F .Then, it was just a matter of waiting… and waiting… and waiting. It took a good few hours, maybe even longer than the recipe.
After few hours, they were finally done! I let them cool down completely, and then… the taste test. Honestly, they were pretty good! Maybe not exactly like the store-bought ones, but definitely tasty. And the best part? I knew exactly what went into them.
So, that’s my beef stick making adventure. It was a bit of a process, but I’m definitely going to try it again. Maybe next time I’ll experiment with different seasonings, or even try making different kinds of sausage. Stay tuned!
