First snow of the year. Not so bad, just 4-6" expected, but I was totally okay with NOT having snow so far!
What R you doing today?
- Thread starter Tom
- Start date
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It always amazes me how people rush to the grocery store whenever snow is predicted. Not sure how much food the average person has in their home, but we could survive quite a while with the full shelves and full freezer we have.
If I run out, I'll go over to my brother's place a mile away. He hoarded up enough food for this pandemic to last his family at least 6 months w/o going out, other than for milk and TP...I take back the TP, he has it stacked to the ceiling in one a corner of his garage. Wonder how that tastes when it is dissolved in water or beer?
Finally got around to remaking a batch of Hungarian paprika sausage, but with the Insta Cure #1 the recipe calls for, not tender quick. Test patty given to my son was well received. He reported back that the salt didn't interfere with tasting the paprika this time around!
Part II: cold smoked for four hours, now hanging in my basement (56*F @ 50% humidity) for three days. Still need to cook before eating, but the basement is starting to smell like cherry wood, yum!
Cold smoked and no refrigeration? How does that not go bad pretty fast?
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Insta Cure #1. Still makes me feel uneasy, but I'm following the directions to the "T".
You refrigerate for up to a week after the 3 day hang or freeze if you won't cook by then.
If I don't post for a month you know that it didn't work out too well, LOL. Maybe I should send some to the neighbor first...
That's a new process to me. I've never actually done any cold smoking nor have I used either of the Insta Cure products- just hot smoking where everything winds up fully cooked. If you drop out of sight, we'll know why! But I suspect you'll be just fine!
Looks good from here! Besides making wine i also make sausage. Just this wednesday made italian( that turned out exelent)
using mostly rabbit meat. Would you be willing to share your recipe for the hungarian sausage?
Hungarian Paprika Sausage (Charcuterie - Michael Ruhlman & Brian Polcyn - pgs 164-165, revised ed.)
1 lb diced lean beef (stew/chuck or round) fat and sinew removed
2 1/2 lbs pork shoulder butt, all fat intact, diced
1 lb pork back fat, diced
3 TBS kosher salt
1 tsp "pink salt" aka Insta Cure #1 (or any cure w/6.5% nitrite content)
1 tsp ground white pepper
5 TBS best quality paprika you can get, preferable Hungarian
1/4 C ice water
10 feet prepared hog casings
1 - Grind pork and beef through large die and keep chilled,
Grind fat through small die, add to pork and beef
2 - Combine all ingredients except water in mixing bowl,
Using paddle attachment, mix slowly while adding water,
Mix at medium speed for about 2 minutes until well mixed and sticky
3 - Test cook small patty and adjust seasoning if necessary (my favorite part)
4 - Stuff into hog casings and twist at about 10" each,
leave uncovered in fridge overnight to form a pellicle (tacky surface for smoke to attach)
5 - Hang and cold smoke (under 90*F) sausages for 2-4 hours or until rich golden brown (I used cherry pellets)
6 - Hang sausages in a cool place for 3 days, aim for 60*F and 50% humidity
7 - Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze until ready to cook, need fully cooked before eating
Makes approximately 12 ten inch links (4 lbs of sausage)
For this batch I used pork in place of the beef since my neighbor I share with will not eat red meat. Also used fatty uncured bacon in place of the fat back. Also also did not add the kosher salt, didn't need it since the bacon had salt (uncured bacon has salt, just not the nitrite).
I am planning on remaking this recipe and substituting venison for the beef, adding some garlic and substituting red wine for the water.
1 lb diced lean beef (stew/chuck or round) fat and sinew removed
2 1/2 lbs pork shoulder butt, all fat intact, diced
1 lb pork back fat, diced
3 TBS kosher salt
1 tsp "pink salt" aka Insta Cure #1 (or any cure w/6.5% nitrite content)
1 tsp ground white pepper
5 TBS best quality paprika you can get, preferable Hungarian
1/4 C ice water
10 feet prepared hog casings
1 - Grind pork and beef through large die and keep chilled,
Grind fat through small die, add to pork and beef
2 - Combine all ingredients except water in mixing bowl,
Using paddle attachment, mix slowly while adding water,
Mix at medium speed for about 2 minutes until well mixed and sticky
3 - Test cook small patty and adjust seasoning if necessary (my favorite part)
4 - Stuff into hog casings and twist at about 10" each,
leave uncovered in fridge overnight to form a pellicle (tacky surface for smoke to attach)
5 - Hang and cold smoke (under 90*F) sausages for 2-4 hours or until rich golden brown (I used cherry pellets)
6 - Hang sausages in a cool place for 3 days, aim for 60*F and 50% humidity
7 - Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze until ready to cook, need fully cooked before eating
Makes approximately 12 ten inch links (4 lbs of sausage)
For this batch I used pork in place of the beef since my neighbor I share with will not eat red meat. Also used fatty uncured bacon in place of the fat back. Also also did not add the kosher salt, didn't need it since the bacon had salt (uncured bacon has salt, just not the nitrite).
I am planning on remaking this recipe and substituting venison for the beef, adding some garlic and substituting red wine for the water.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Watching hockey. Let's go, Caps!!
2020 MLF is done, probably has been done for some time now. PV is showing a trace of MLB but after 3+ months I'd like to get it sulfited. Racked to carboys and sulfited to 50 ppm the PS, OVZ and Norton. Later this week I'll do the Tannat, PV and Carignan. Put in carboys because I have some barrel management to do and just wasn't up to it. Plus I'll have additional free barrels once I finish the 2019 blending and the spring Shiraz and Cab have been in new 50 liter barrels for almost 8 months and should come out. Got to go home now and get ready for a tasting and dinner at Coopers Hawk and pick up my 40 bottles of wine. @Boatboy24 do you have a favorite I could grab for you?
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Enjoy your time at Cooper's Hawk, Fred. It's been a few years since I've been, but as I recall they have a pretty good Viognier.
Boatboy24
No longer a newbie, but still clueless.
Got the first of the 2020 vintage barreled up today - the Cab and the Zin. Both are tasting good to this point - a little on the lighter and fruity side, as I'd expect. Both had dropped a decent amount of diamonds since being transferred to the carboy. Also tasted the 2018 Cab blend (which I hope to bottle tomorrow) and the 2018 "Prisoner" style blend - both very tasty. The 2019 Zin (13 gallons) is also probably ready to bottle. It had 17% Petite Sirah and is tasting great as well. Looking around the winery, I may need to order some bottles. I have potentially 31 gallons I could bottle in the next month.
Riledup5
The Wiser You Get, The Less You Speak
Today is my wife's Bday! So far, took her to breakfast with mimosa's. Came home and let her pick a movie to watch. Taking her to Boulder, CO tonight to stay at the St. Julien, then dinner at Frasca. Then maybe an edible (when in Colorado...) and a li'l "adult" fun. 
Sorry, but you asked! 
Sorry, but you asked! 
Racking 6 gals of Skeeter Pee into a 7.5 brew bucket to be degased and back sweetened. It has been sitting in a 6 gal carboy for a month now in clarification/ stabilization stage. Once the wife and I complete the back sweeten bench trials with simple syrup, it will be racked back into the 6 gal carboy for 3 months.
It has a very pleasant lemon aroma coming off of it. Can't wait to back sweeten and taste.
It has a very pleasant lemon aroma coming off of it. Can't wait to back sweeten and taste.
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We had a fun day, drove down to Scottsdale and bought a used Honda. Our daughter's car is very old, not that reliable so the plan was to pick up a little better car and drive out to Wisconsin and hand it over to her, visit a few days and fly home. Lori's really uncomfortable with the idea of flying during Covid so the new plan is to tow the honda out and drive back home late in March. I'd already had the outward drive planned, Day 1 Cottonwood to Amarillo, Day 2 Amarillo to Kansas City, Day 3 Kansas City to Eau Claire. Now we need to come up with an interesting route coming back.
Scottsdale + 63 degrees
Eau Claire -7 degrees
Might want to wait. March may be too soon.
Arne
Senior Member
Same thing every day. Looks like another 5 inches of snow or so. Back on the 4 wheeler and push away. Starting to run out of room to push it. Oh well, spring will be here one of these days. LOL Arne.
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