Snappy Jalapeño & Cheese Beef Stick

cheddar cheese

🥗Healthier: low-fat cheese

💰Cheaper: processed cheese

Low-fat cheese reduces calories while maintaining flavor.

ground beef

🥗Healthier: ground turkey

💰Cheaper: ground pork

Ground turkey is leaner, while ground pork is often less expensive.

Start by preparing 7 lb of lean beef and 3 lb of beef fat scraps, ensuring the fat is trimmed well.

Grind the beef and fat together using a meat grinder with the parts kept in the freezer to ensure they are cold.

Mix the dry ingredients: 1 1/2 tsp salt per pound of meat (totaling 15 tsp or 5 tbsp), 2 tsp pink cure number one, 1 1/2 cups non-fat powdered milk, 1 tbsp garlic powder, and 1 tsp ground cloves.

Add 1 cup of freeze dried jalapeños to the mix, ensuring they are well distributed.

Incorporate 1 cup of hot pepper flavored high temperature cheese into the mixture, adding it last to keep the chunks intact.

Pour in 1 cup of hoppy beer to help with mixing, and mix until the mixture is sticky and well combined.

Refrigerate the mixture overnight to allow the cure to work.

The next day, hang the sausage to dry for about an hour before smoking.

Preheat the smoker to 110°F without humidity or smoke for about an hour to dry the casings.

After drying, add hickory wood chips and water to the smoker for humidity, then smoke at 140°F for 2 hours, followed by 150°F for 2 hours, and finish at 180°F until the internal temperature reaches between 152°F and 155°F.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Allergens