Homemade Sausage Making

We got home from the Giants game about 1am and I immediately got the two 12&1/2 pounds hams from last weeks wild boar out of the brining buckets, rinsed off in the sink, patted dry, and placed under a strong fan for four hours

The two hams had formed a perfect pellicle before going into the Pro 100 right around 5am. I put on a pan full of moistened applewood at 115° and went to bed knowing I was good for the next eight hours. When I got up to change the chip pan at 1pm it was 106° in my backyard, jacked the smoker temp up to 140° and scurried back indoors. At 6pm I removed the chip pan, closed the vents, turned the smoker temp up to 180° and knew I was in for a wait. The hams finally hit a internal temperature of 152° at 11am the next morning after 30 hours in the Pro 100, on the counter to cool for a few hours.

When I removed my hams I tossed my partners hams into my smoker, they each weigh 7&1/2 pounds. After 20 hours they are at 148°, should come out in about 90 minutes. If you're in a rush to smoke meat, do something else, some things just can't be hurried. Time to start thinking about a nice batch of Wild Hog Italian sausage with wine and garlic. RAY

Looks beautiful. You need to got back for more hogs now I think.

Very nice, I sure would like to taste a few slices! But I wonder if smoking and baking them for such a long time did not dry them out? To me they look very well done, at least on the outside. I probably would have finished them by poaching after they reached an 120 and picked up a nice golden colour.

I agree Chris. If I had it to do over again I'd have split my hams in half. It took so long to reach the proper internal temp that the outer shell is pretty darned dry and hard. The hams I smoked for my partner were smaller and came out a nice golden brown with that wonderful layer of fat that comes on a sow.

Bigger isn't always better, sows are always better tableware than boars. My partners sow weighed in dressed at 52 pounds, my boar right at 81. I've taken sows that have weighed in dressed at over 120 pounds, and never one as small as 52 lbs. In hindsight I could have passed on the boar I whacked and kept looking for a better sow, had another whole day. Now I've got backfat to add to the sausage I'm going to make, never had to do that before. If the hams are too dry for my taste there's always split pea soup to be made. I truly do loves me some split pea soup! I've learned a little something from all this. RAY

Seems like it might have a crust on the outside but should still be nice and juicy inside ??? Looks fabulous to me for breakfast, lunch or pea soup !

They look like pretty good eatin' to me Ray. Nice goin' pal!

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Ray I make split pea soup in a big stock pot that I borrow from our church and then pressure can several jars. I counted the other day and I still have 6-24 ounce jars on the shelf.

What I make is more akin to ham soup with a split pea backround, been known to put six pounds of ham into a double batch. I'm in with cogboy, take breakfast into account and some sandwiches and this boar will eat up just fine. The fact that I saw so many small hogs bodes well for the future, tho I truly believe half of them will die due to starvation and thirst this summer. My partner has offered to split the hams 50/50 but I just can't do that, he deserves to have what he had the smarts to take. I didn't exercise patience and paid the price, it won't happen again, no more boars, only sows. The sausage should be fine, and that's what I really like to hang my hat on. More to come soon. RAY