Bear pepperoni help Please.

[sfp]

Hello all,
Made 15 lbs of bear pepperoni today using High Caliber mix with a few spice additions. Stuffing went great. Girlfriend is a champ. Made 50mm and 20mm.
Questions are about the next step. Leave in the fridge overnight, then ? Boil or smoke ? Smoke then boil ? Cook in the smoker ?
Any tips would be great. 1st time with pepperoni. The mix tastes great. Want the best results.
Have apple wood on hand.
Thanks for your time.

[swamper]

I stuff mine in the casings and let hang for 48 hours in the cold room. Then I cook it in the oven at 200 F until the internal temp is 160 F. Use an external thermometer to keep track of the temp. I then take it out of the oven and submerse it in ice water for 1/2 hour and then hang in the cold room for another 24 hours. Then it's ready to eat.

[franKENloader]

i have done in the smoker and adds flavor to the skin but also in the oven which is more controlled , especially to get salamis up to the required 160 deg for curing . this is most important .

[sfp]

Thanks for the info. Is it best to leave it 2 days before cooking ? I have my smoker dialed, so will probably cook in it, with smoke or with out.

[wrenchhead]

Ya the key is to submerge it in ice water immediately when it reaches 160 to stop the cooking

[cdub]

Use smoker, start low 120f then after an hr or 2 bring up slowly and close dampers with smoke. I typically max the smoker at 165 then do a final cook in water at 170 until internal hits desired temp then submerg in ice water.

[sfp]

That sounds good cdub. Going to do a trial run today.
Thanks for the information.
Steve

[sfp]

Results from the trial run. Used smoker, 120 with smoke for 2 hrs. then gradually raised temp until internal 150 degree's. Taste is great but the texture is mussy, not firm. Texture is less than appealing.
Any suggestions? Have 12 more pounds to do.
Thanks
Steve

[wrenchhead]

Try hotter internal temp.. .150 isn't enough in My opinion.

[cdub]

150 is too low for bear as far as I know. Finish in water at 170 until desired internal temp. Mushy also can be the meat wasn't cold enough when ground, not enough fat, or from using a grinder to stuff and the meat mushers and over heats. All things I have done over the years of practicing.

[sfp]

Today's test went better. Start to finish is the smoker to 170 internal. I think I had a bit too much fat in combination with not being cooked long enough. Had 2 racks of bear jerky under the pepperoni. Oh my, that is good being dripped on all day.
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

[sfp]

Update. The 50mm fibrous casings still have liquid fat in them. Meat is tasty but texture is crumbly. No doubt to much fat in the trimmings. Or does bear fat stay rendered.? The freeze thaw never helped the 50mm sample.

The 22 mm lamb cased are best after being frozen. The texture is much better and the flavor seems enhanced. Fat was able to drip out as it cooked.
Anyways not a complete fail but wish I was more confident going in to the next batch.
What should the approx.fat to meat ratio be with bear?
Thanks everyone for the insight.

[cdub]

Using pork i usually use about 20-25%fat.
Always hang the sausage to start drying and warming up before putting in the smoker unless the smoker is at a minimal temp and wide open dampers. After a couple of hrs or when the casing feels dry then slowly increase heat. I usually raise about 10deg every hr to about 160 then hold till the meat is about 130 then i put in a pot of water at 170 to bring the internal temp to 160 then in the ice water. Are you grinding the meat as cold a temp as you can to prevent mushing? Do you use any binders? I use soy protein as a binder for smoke sausage.

[sfp]

Meat was cold thru the whole process. Only one pass thru the 1/4" plate. Would a finer mix help ?
Used a mix from CTR/Xcaliber. There is a binder. Not sure what it is. Will be going from scratch next round.
Thanks.

[Mishka]

Is it possible it was too hot and the fat liquified? I did that once and the fat juice ran out and the sausage was crumbly. ???

[sfp]

Cooked to 170 trying to firm it up after trying some at 150,then 160.