What Size Grinder Plate Is Needed For a Snack Stick?

The size of the grinder plate is important to a recipe.

You may be wondering what size grinder plate is best for making snack sticks because the plate used for making the meatballs is different from others.

If this sounds like what you are thinking about, then here is an answer for you.

The best way to get the best result for your snack stick is to use a grinding plate that has at least 1 inch in diameter holes. 

The size of the plate will help other ingredients to have the required input on the sticks, as well as ensure that your snack stick will come out looking like a snack stick.

How to Make Snack Sticks?

snack sticks are one of the best ways to enjoy eating meat, be it pork, deer, or the like.

The process of making snack sticks is complicated, but with the use of a portable home meat grinder, I guarantee you will make the best snack stick you have ever tasted as long as you follow the steps and seasoning below.

Experts suggest that adding a bit of pork butt to the recipe will give you a better texture at the end, even if you only use venison.

Equipment Needed

• Meat Grinder
• Sausage stuffer
• Pin
• Plastic hand gloves
• Grill

Ensure Your Grinder Is Clean

Don’t make the mistake of being too lazy to clean your grinder after every use, even if you intend to make the same recipe subsequently.

Ensure that your meat grinder is clean and efficient after every use, and keep the parts refrigerated when not in use.

It keeps it free from harmful elements that can be harmful to your health and the longevity of your meat grinder.

Ensure Your Meat Is Slightly Frozen

Make sure your meat is frozen before slicing it into bits. Cut your meat into pieces that fit into your grinder plate.

Trying to grind a large chunk of meat might look like a time saver, but in the long run, they are guaranteed to take your time when you find yourself losing up the entire mechanism to remove a chunk that has been stuck.

Grind at Least Twice

You need to grind your meat after setting up your meat grinder. If you want to mix your venison with pork butt, you should grind through the medium plates.

If you mix the meats well, then you can add in your seasoning packets after which you can continue with the grinding process.

Add Cups of Ice Water

Depending on the size of the snack stick, you will need to add cups of ice water to get the required texture.

For smaller batches, add a cup of cold water per pound of meat, for larger batches, add at least sixteen cups of cold water per twenty-pound batch of meat.

Gloves made with nitrile or plastic will help mix the meat and keep other ingredients in their proper proportion.

Run the Mix

After mixing up your meat and ingredients with your hands, run the mixture through your meat grinder, and make sure you use the grinder plate size specified earlier (3/8 to 12 inches in diameter holes).

If you want to make your snack stick stand out, you should use this blade size.

Fill up the Casing

You shouldn’t choke up your casings. If you can leave spaces in-between, you can make the necessary twists that will allow for link formation.

There are signs of air pockets after this process, but they should be eliminated by using a pin to let out the air.

Many online recipes suggest that you leave your ground meat and mixture to cure overnight or for an extended period, however, this procedure makes it difficult to stuff your ground meat into its shell.

The only way to avoid this is to allow your meat to cure overnight after you have filled your meat case with your ground meat.

Smoke the Sticks

To reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, you should heat the sticks at 200 degrees, according to research.

The problem with overheating is that it dries out the fat and leaves you with a dry snack stick at the end.

Hanging the sticks on the grill plate makes room for more rolls if you have a large number of them. It prevents any grill marks from appearing on your sticks.

If you want to hang your snack stick, you’ll need to replace the rack on your grill with a 12-inch wooden one. The upper shelves should be on the brackets holding the wooden dowels.

Hang the snack sticks from the dowels to continue the smoking process once this is achieved.

Once your snack sticks are properly heated and ready for consumption, you can dig in at your convenience, or better still, keep your leftovers refrigerated.

How to Identify If My Snack Stick Is Ready for Consumption?

All things being equal, your snack stick should take at least 1 hour and 20 minutes, but the sure bet should be when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

When your snack stick reaches this temperature, it is ready for consumption.

How to Clean the Equipment After Preparing My Snack Stick?

Preparing snack sticks can be messy, but don’t let that stop you from making sure your equipment is clean for use in the future.

The simple steps that are explained below will help in that regard.

Cleaning Your Meat Grinder

• If you get a piece of bread, grind it through the machine.
• This will help remove meat particles from the grinder and also help to remove meat oil from it.
• Dismantle your meat grinder to the smallest part possible after this is done.
• After soaking the dismantled mixed grinder for a while in warm water mixed with the dishwasher, you can use a wire brush to clean the areas your sponge won’t access.
• If you use an electric meat grinder, make sure you don’t soak the motor part of it in water, it will be enough.
• Allow the parts to dry after you rinse them out. You can keep these parts fresh by storing them in a refrigerator.

Cleaning Your Grill

• Get all the things you need to clean your grillz, such as a wire brush, dish soap, sponge, and everything else.
• If your grill is gas-operated, heat the drill and close it up for 30 minutes, then remove all the grits and allow it to cool before putting it in the dishwasher.
• The more items you can remove from the grill, the better.
• Grease trays and the warming rack are items that can be removed from the grill.
• You should use a wire brush after soaking for at least 30 minutes.
• Some of the stains might be difficult to remove, however, using a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar on those areas will get the job done with relative ease.
• If you look for chips that might stick to the porcelain gates, you could end up with rust.
• The area surrounding the fireplace.
• If you want to get rid of any leftover junk, use a putty knife.
• You can use a portable hand vacuum to clean up the rest of the debris.

FAQs

What Meat Can I Use for Snack Sticks?

It is possible to use 100% beef if you want, but mixing it up with at least 20% pork will give you a whole world of good texture.

What Is the Temperature Required for Snack Sticks?

The internal temperature at which snack sticks are done is 165 degrees. It will leave you with a dry piece of meat if it is higher.

Is It Possible to Use Jerky Seasoning for Snack Sticks?

Yes, you could. If you don’t want a stronger taste, many people who have used jerky seasoning in the past have had positive remarks.

How Long Will Snack Sticks Last?

If you keep your snack sticks refrigerated, they can last up to 2 months under normal room temperature, but if you open them up from their pack, the shelf life can be reduced to 1 to 2 months.

Conclusion

One of the favorite meat grilling recipes we have today is snack sticks, however, getting the right size grinder plate is essential for success.

Drop your comments in the section. I hope to hear from you. Cheers.