NYBowhunter

Most all franks, kilbossa, deli cold cuts all contain nitrites. The cure i use in my soppresatta is prague powder # 1 along with using non iodized salt. I also use a dark red wine , protien powder (binding agent for the fat and meat) along with my many other spices. My mixture of meat is 55% ground pork and 45% ground venison. I dont use instacure 2 (which i assume is similar to the prague powder) and i dont use dextrose or bactoferm. Without the protien powder its difficult to get that marbling effect and you typically will see a seperation of the fat from the meat ( which i dont like).

Welcome to the forum....Live in Brooklyn, have my camp in Deleware county, hunt both Deleware and Otsego counties.

Screw you...lol

Getting hammered here in Brooklyn, thier talking 10-15" . TIme to start the snowblower. Seems like the city for last 2 years has been getting much more snow than upstate.

Wow, get well soon.

Thanks everyone. The Mrs. made me a very nice meal, rock crabs for starters, cavatelli with broccoli and beef tenderloin. My mother in law made me this wonderfull cake and the wife and kids got me this great pocket knife.

Thanks all. Gonna have a nice dinner at home with the family.

Real nice knife.

Just got done making italian sausauge, used 20 lbs venison and 25 lbs pork . So with this batch of fresh sausage and the soppresatta i made previously makes a total of 100lbs of sausauge. That's it for this year, im pooped...lol

Pigs in blanket, buffalo wings, mozzarella sticks , chips with salsa dip, beef stew ...

Prime rib, broccoli, baked potato..sorry forgot to take picture.

Oh the temps do fluctuate, they definitely do not remain at a constant. I dont get concerned so much if we have a couple of warmer days, i would only get concerned if temps were that warm for a few days. Keep in mind my patio is elevated (2nd floor), fully enclosed, all windows, no insulation and tiled, so it stays relatively cool even with a couple warm days. And i can open windows if i need it cooler or dryer. Fortunately have not had it where the temps. reached in 60's. I wouldn't even attempt to make soppresatta if i didnt have the luxury of this patio or even a cool basement or wine cellar would work if the conditions were right. Thats why i time all my sausage making and drying during the heart of our winter.

Im not quite sure how that would work out in a fridge as i dont measure humidity or temperature, but i would tend to believe they would not fully dry out in an fully enclosed unit like a fridge. Mine are placed in a fully enclosed patio that stays relatively cool during the winter months and its been working out really well.

Depending on how much you make. But my rule of thumb is that when they are all fully dry whatever you wont consume within a 2 week period will get frozen. Mind you it has a cure and salt in it so im sure it could last much longer in the fridge than 2 weeks, but i dont take any chances with having little ones eating it. I made 55 lbs. Of soppresatta , so once dryed the vast majority was vacumn sealed and put in freezer. I sent 2 packages, one to florida and other to Georgia and they arrived just fine even after a few days with no refrigeration (but then again its cool outside). I also take the extra step of smoking mine for 10-12 hours before they are hung to dry, so technically they are cooked before they are even hung. I could eat mine right out of the smoker, but the texture at that point is more like a bologna than a dried sausage..

I have set measurements for things like salt , cures and amount of wine but all the other spices i added are all eyeballed and set to our taste preference. Before i put my mixture into casings i will take a snall amount and fry up as a patty and will try it along with other family members to ensure its the taste we want. Gotta say the batch i did was killer. I dont have my book in front of me to give you the spices, will check when i get home.

I dont think that monster cat would have any problem taking down an adult deer. That thing is huge.

Looking good, enjoy.

That sicillan is looking real good. Just the way i like it, cooked well done.

Appetizers to start: venison soppresata, sweet peppers, olives, and parmesan reggiano cheese washed down with Tennessee honey on the rocks. Main course is in the oven, Chateaubriand, fried eggplant and twice baked potato.

Welcome

Im not one for those types of hunts, but i dont think these bears are tame and i doubt the hunts are staged. Just alot of editing before you actaully view the hunt on TV and the bears act this way because they are not pressured.

Yeah i agree, its a great grill. My wife loves the ease of propane, but i love my charcoal/wood grilling. Best of both worlds all in one unit and everyone's Happy,happy...also is great to have both grills going at same time when i do alot of entertaining in the summer.

Ribs look awesome. I have the same exact grill. Propane on one side and wood/charcoal grill on the other side.

Im assuming the picture above is upside down?