Bierwurst

BIERWURST

INGREDIENTS FOR 10 LBS.

7 lbs. lean pork butts
3 1/2 ozs. salt
2 lbs. lean beef
2 level tsp. prague powder #1
1 lb. fresh bacon
3/4 ozs. powdered dextrose
1 tbsp. ground black pepper
1 level tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cardamon
1 small garlic clove
1 tbsp. whole mustard seeds

Grind the lean pork butts and beef through a 1" grinder plate or cut into 1" cubes. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly until evenly distributed. Pack the meat into a container not more than 6" high, making sure there are no air pockets. Then place this mixture in a cooler overnight, along with the fresh bacon. The next day, regrind this mixture through a 1/8" grinder plate, and grind the bacon through a 1/4" grinder plate.

Combine the mixtures and stuff into a sewed beef casing or small beef bladder. Allow to dry at room temperature for at least one hour. Then place the sausage in a preheated smokehouse at 130 degrees F. with the dampers and drafts wide open. Allow to dry for 45 minutes or until the sausage starts to take on a brown color. At this point, move the draft to 1/4 open and increase the temperature to 160-165 degrees F. and begin smoking. Bierwurst is finished when an internal temperature of 152 degrees F. is reached. Place in cooler overnight before using.