Can You Smoke Uncured Sausage?

Do you prefer not to use a cure in your sausage meat? If you know that cured sausage is smoked, do you think it’s okay to smoke uncured sausage?

Smoking uncured sausage is not recommended. 

If a smoker is used to cure the meat, it may contain traces of nitrates and other chemicals that cause cancer and other diseases. 

When it comes to meat, we all love a good smokey flavor. What it comes down to is how you are smoking it: cold or hot.

The answer is that if you want to smoke uncured sausage you should hot smoke it.

Is Curing Sausages Before Smoking Needed?

smoking-uncured-sausages

Whether or not you need to cure sausages before smoking depends on the type of sausage being made, as well as the kind of meat that was used in the first place.

The curing process has a few benefits, one of which is that it can add some good flavor to the mix.

If the right curing agents are used, they can help keep the sausage moist, so it doesn’t dry out.

The main point of curing is to keep you safe and prevent the sausage from becoming contaminated with many different types of bacteria, such as those that cause botulism, among others.

The kind of environment that slow smoking produces can cause botulism when meat is exposed to a low-oxygen environment that is slightly acidic, warm, and moist.

If you plan on cold-smoking your sausages, it is best to cure them before you start because it will help prevent these dangerous bacteria from taking hold during the smoking process.

Sausages that are fast smoked do not need to be cured, as the smoking process also cooks them at the same time, unlike cold or slow smoking which adds smoky flavor, but does not cook the meat.

Sausages that are first fully cooked and then smoked don’t need to be cured.

In terms of long-term preservation, curing definitely won’t hurt, although the cooking process should take care of the bacteria.

Sausages will probably not need to be cured if you cook them before smoking. If you fast smoke your sausages, they don’t need to be cured even if the meat is not cooked first.

You want to cure the sausages if you plan on slow smoking them. It might be a good idea to cure cooked sausage that is to be slow smoked.

Here are different types of sausages whether they need to be cured or not before smoking:

  • It’s a good idea to cure fresh smoked sausages that are cold smoked.
  • Sausage that is hot or fast smoked doesn’t need to be cured.
  • Sausage that has been fully cooked doesn’t need to be cured.
  • It’s necessary to cure dry sausage that is not cooked.

How Do You Smoke Fresh Sausage?

It is up to you if you want to add a cure to the meat or if you want to do a cold smoke or a cloud of hot smoke.

If you want to get a better taste, you may want to experiment with curing salts to see if it adds to the flavor.

You should get your smoker to a temperature of between 200F to 250F (95C to 120C) if you are going to smoke sausages.

If you want to avoid any issues with food poisoning, you should not cook your sausages until your smoker reaches 250F.

It takes between 90 minutes and 2 hours to smoke fresh sausages. As they smoke, you should make sure your sausages are evenly cooked throughout.

The ideal temperature for fresh sausage is 165F (74C) internally, and this is best checked using a meat temperature probe.

Due to the absence of curing preservatives in fresh sausages, they will likely be grayish rather than pink color as they cook.

Tips For Smoking Fresh Sausages

Here are a few simple tips that should help you safely smoke your fresh sausage.

  • To make sure you don’t get food poisoning, make sure your smoker has reached the minimum temperature for cooking sausages.
  • If you want to produce more red/brown color in the meat when it cooks, you might want to air dry your sausages before smoking them.
  • The sausages should be placed at least 2 inches apart to allow the air to circulate them and for consistent smoke penetration.
  • Instead of piercing every sausage to check temperatures, use 1 or 2 of them as ester sausages.
  • Sausages should not be left sitting for too long as their skins can start to crease, making them look less appetizing after cooking.
  • You can keep smoked sausages in the fridge for up to 4 days, or they can be frozen for up to 3 months.
  • Sausages made from natural ingredients are popular for smoking. It can take longer to smoke Fibrous casings can be used as well.

Conclusion

If you want to add a smoky flavor to your sausage, Smoking uncured sausage can be done. You can use the sausage you bought at the store or you can make it yourself.

You have to make sure that you are hot smoking and not cold smoking.

Since your sausage won’t have a cure to prevent bacterial Contamination, hot smoking ensures you’re cooking it fully to kill off the bacteria.

If you follow my tips, your next batch will be better.

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