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Hi, Sausage Dudes! Chuckwagon here. I've been hiding behind the grinder, skulking around over by the slicer, and prowling around near the stuffer - sneaky for a couple of years�just reading your posts to see who the premier pepperoni maker is in the group. I�ve always been a bit to shy to check in but decided to say hello and give everyone my best wishes. I�m 162 years old and my daddy started me out making jerky at age 5. I grew up chewin� the stuff every day in school - driving my teachers nuts. My history teacher was three pounds of mean in a two-pound bag - and she rode a broom! I�d put a slug in my mouth between my gums and my cheek (just like a plug of Red Man). �Who�s eating in here?� she would scream at about 90 decibels! Then the ol� bag would check inside everyone�s mouth. I came up �clean� every time. Then I�d blow some more �jerky breath� on her as she turned around to get back on her broom! The ol� hag never did learn how to appreciate a good �chaw� of spicy jerky. She just rode away with her black pointed hat, straddlin� that ol� broom, cacklin� and cursin�. Hey� does anyone know the secrets to making great pepperoni? I grew up on a cattle ranch high in the Rocky Mountains where we made all of our own meat products - we had to� still do�but I never got the hang of really, really, good pepperoni. Mine always comes out too dark although it tastes great. We make a killer salami and great capicola and dried beef. Our hams are the best and we even do honey rubbed bacons. Have lots of recipes and experience if I am ever able to help anyone. Sure would appreciate any of your secrets. Best wishes to all of you. May your plate be filled with hot sourdough biscuits n� gravy and all the sage sausage you can hold!
Chuckwagon

Welcome aboard Chuckwagon !!

Welcome Chuckwagon - I love the signature!

Phil

If your pep is to dark cut it with a little pork

Hi Chuckwagon,

you should use pork, in order to have a lighter sausage cut. Also, the problem can be - to little nitrite is added.


Here's the receipe that I have for perferct pepperoni.

Lean pork SII(10 % fat, cooled 0-2�C/~32�F) 30 kg
BeefRIII(from flank, frozen -18�C/0�F) 52 kg
Back fat(frozen, -18�C/0�F) 18 kg
Glucose 0,3 kg
NitriteSalt(0.6%NaNO 2) 3 kg
Spices for pepperoni around 0,6 kg
Starter culture

1. Chopping: The beef is chopped coarsely in the cutter.
2. Culture: The dry ingredients, starter culture, glucose and spices are added
3. Chopping: After wards the beef is chopped to a particle size of approx. 2 mm.
4. Fat: The back fat is added and chopped to a particle size of 3 mm.
5. Pork: The pork is minced through an 3 mm plate and added to the chopped mixture.
6. Nitrite: N itrite salt is added, and the meat mix is chopped to the desired particle size (end temperature approx. �4�C/25�F).


If you have any questions, do not hesitate...

Hey Ingredientseller!
Thank you so much for responding to my message. It is most kind of you to take the trouble. I really appreciate it. I've read your advice over a few times and am convinced you are right. I'll try a batch of pepperoni with about 65% pork and see how it works out. After reading your advice, I'll also reconsider the amount of nitrite.
I have heard that not only does Vilnius have the most beautiful girls in the universe, but there is great fishing there as well. Is it true? Or was somebody just pulling my leg about the fish? I live at about 10,000 feet and have to shovel a lot of snow. I wouldn't recognize a salt water fish if it swam up behind me and bit me on the butt. However, our mountain streams are full of trout and other fresh water fish. If you ever come to Utah, please let me know. I'll take you fishing on the Green River and fix a Dutch oven gourmet meal for you! Thanks again for your kindness. Best wishes, Chuckwagon