Texas Sausage

[bbqhutch19]

I'm going to make me some smoked beef sausage. Salt pepper little cayenne, that's it. Now I'm going to be using TQ. I've heard 1 1/2 tsp per pound of meat. The TQ bag says 1tsp a pound of meat. Should I use TQ or get some pink salt. I'm going to be smoking at about 140/ 150 on a stick burner using oak. Any suggestions? How long should I let the meat sit with TQ. I want to ensure its done right and that I don't get sick from any bacteria because all you hear is how sick you can get now. Thanks for ge help.

[Papa Tom]

I certainly would not use more TQ than they recommend for my taste buds even the quantity Morton recommends tastes plenty salty, you'd think they owned a salt company.
I usually use pink salt @ 1 level teaspoon per 5 lb. meat (plus and additional salt the recipe calls for including the pink salt in the total amount) .
Stuff the links then let them sit at least an hour or so before smoke (you want the casings dry) overnight in the fridge is what is normally recommended.
Keep the temp below 160° so if you can keep the pit @ 140-150° you should be good.
When you pull them off the pit cool them quickly I use a 5 gal bucket of ice water but you can use the hose.

[bigbob73]

a box from a dishwasher makes a great smoker, or so I've heard.

[Papa Tom]

a box from a dishwasher makes a great smoker, or so I've heard.

[bbqhutch19]

Would the amount of cure in TQ be enough for the cure to work and if so how long should I let it sit in the fridge to let the cure work?

[sancho]

There's a whole lot of folks here much much more knowledgeable than I am, but I'd forgo the TQ altogether. I don't see the gain in it. Pink salt if you're smoking sausages is really all you ought to be concerned with. As Papa said, a level teaspoon per 5 pounds. You'll be good to go. Sounds like a good sausage though. I like your style: simple. Sausages are meant to be that'a way. Simple. Less is more, if you want my opinion. Post pics.

[jmcrig]

I only use Pink Salt. Most of the Pink Salts anymore allow you to stuff and cook right away. But I generally mix my meat and hold it overnight, and stuff it in the morning and hold uncovered in the refrigerator until the next morning for smoking. Good luck and let us know how it comes out.

[Papa Tom]

If you want to accelerate the cure you can add a bit of vitamin C to the liquid you add.
When I say a bit the recommended amount is 1oz/100 lb. of meat so for any small batch a pinch should do.
This works well so don't let a concentration of the ascorbic acid (vitamin C) touch the cure, that's why I said to add it to the liquid.
Also don't dally get it mixed and stuffed else the mix will bind and make it difficult to stuff.
This is what the commercial producers do except they use sodium erthobate (chemically very similar to vitamin C and used in the same amount).

Interesting side note: my spell checker wants to change erthobate to bathwater........I do not recommend.....