Got questions? (For that matter, got answers?) This
is the place
to go. ...not that other place, or is it called a state of mind, where
you blunder about while trying things, then blame it on the recipe or
the equipment, or if you're lucky, figure something out despite...
Hey! We've all been there. ...no sense learning the hard way. There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.
Let's face it- - you can die from food poisoning if you don't handle food correctly, so why risk it? Instead, learn how to do it the right way, right here. Also have a look at the "Sausage Making" Department, and also take a look at "Project 'B' " which a number of us did a year or two or more back. Then fire away! All tasteful questions welcomed, usually with tasty answers.
Welcome to the Rusty Spur!
How to Do It:
---To post a new item, click in the white "New post" area and write your li'l heart out.
To reply to a post, click on the underlined "reply" thingie, then type your comment.
---Need to add an image to your comment or reply? Use code like the following in your post.
(If you copy the last of the four "tags" out of PhotoBucket and paste it in here, it should work.) Example: [URL=http://s1164.photobucket.com/user/erlwebmail/media/javelina_zps0214db7d.jpeg.html][xxx]http: //i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q563/erlwebmail/javelina_zps0214db7d.jpeg[/xxx][/URL]
where you substitute "IMG" for the "xxx" in both places. (Evidently the 2nd copy of the path to the image, surrounded by the "IMG" tags in square brackets, does the trick.)
---Don't forget to click on "Publish" to "make it happen."Hey! We've all been there. ...no sense learning the hard way. There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.
Let's face it- - you can die from food poisoning if you don't handle food correctly, so why risk it? Instead, learn how to do it the right way, right here. Also have a look at the "Sausage Making" Department, and also take a look at "Project 'B' " which a number of us did a year or two or more back. Then fire away! All tasteful questions welcomed, usually with tasty answers.
Welcome to the Rusty Spur!
How to Do It:
---To post a new item, click in the white "New post" area and write your li'l heart out.
To reply to a post, click on the underlined "reply" thingie, then type your comment.
---Need to add an image to your comment or reply? Use code like the following in your post.
(If you copy the last of the four "tags" out of PhotoBucket and paste it in here, it should work.) Example: [URL=http://s1164.photobucket.com/user/erlwebmail/media/javelina_zps0214db7d.jpeg.html][xxx]http: //i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q563/erlwebmail/javelina_zps0214db7d.jpeg[/xxx][/URL]
where you substitute "IMG" for the "xxx" in both places. (Evidently the 2nd copy of the path to the image, surrounded by the "IMG" tags in square brackets, does the trick.)
I'm reminded of the punch line from an old joke- - "Here it is, Judgement Day, and I'm the first one up." (...any of you old-timers remember that one, about the drunk that stumbles through a graveyard and falls into a newly-dug grave?)(sigh)
ReplyDeleteThis is the section that I probably belong in.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the website, guys!
Dee
Hi Dee,
DeleteTell me, do they really have blondes in the state of Texas?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs the SausagesWest official "Duckette," it's my job to be Site Tester as well as Sausage Taster and I challenge you to say that five times without stumbling. Which is what I will probably be doing as I venture into this male bastion (at least in my family). I will valiantly endeavor to review the Duck's sausage creations from the perspective of someone who would happily become a vegetarian (or at least chickatarian) if given her druthers. And, yes, I also practice yoga and eat homemade granola for breakfast so I'm sure there are other spouses out there who can relate to my situation.
ReplyDeleteHi Betty! Ah, my wife could most definitely relate to the terrible plight you've subjected yourself to. She's grown to eat sausage and burgers over the years after subsisting on a lifetime full of weeds, humus, and crackers. Never once in her entire life has a piece of prime rib or leg 'o lamb ever crossed her beautiful lips, tho she's grown to have a real sweet tooth for smoked chicken. Yep, she's a former vegan who would gladly go back to her miserable ways were it not for her poor choices in spousal selection. It'll be great seeing the Duckette keeping the Duk flying in a straight line, or maybe having him placed in a straight jacket. RAY
DeleteStraight jacket? H-m-m, sometimes it is tempting. He sure couldn't fit into a crooked jacket and fly in a straight line at the same time. This weekend we're cuttin' him loose at the Wurstfest in New Braunfels but will have the grandkids along to keep him out of trouble. Our five-year-old granddaughter will keep him in line, that's fer sure. She rules the roost, but at least she won't get in the way of his sausage-tasting binge. I'm mainly going for the oom-pah music.
DeleteHi Betsy (Duckette),
DeleteI've just got to know something...
Does that doggone Duk just drive you batty and up a wall every now and then? And does he bring you flowers once in a while?
My Best Wishes Sweetie!
Chuckwagon
After 45 years together, it's more of a question of who is the battier. Let's just say that I put up with (and sometimes enjoy) his sausage- and beer-making and he tolerates my woo-woo alternative healing practice. Fortunately we benefit from each other's hobbies and we have our grandkids to keep up in line, so things work out just fine. As to the flowers, I prefer his culinary skills anytime.
DeleteHi Betsy ! Thanks for being a part of this.
ReplyDelete"Everything in moderation, including moderation"
Yup! That's my gal!
ReplyDeleteDuk
P.S. ...no escape!
"Sticks and stones may break my bones..."
Delete...but I will never eat them.
Hi all ,congratz on the new site
ReplyDeleteThanks. Welcome, ...nice to see familiar names/faces out here in cyber-sausage land.
DeleteCogboy, my man... It's great to see you! You are looking fine. Healthy too. Are you eating all your broccoli and doing your push-ups?
DeleteNice to find you
ReplyDelete...and nice to have you out here in the "brave new world." ...hope you'll keep us informed and entertained, as you always do. (...or on the straight-and-narrow, as you always do.) Uh... good ta have ya with us.
DeleteHey Graybeard,
DeleteWhat does that doggone Duk know about the "straight and narrow"? El Fluff-O would waddle and wobble down the "straight and narrow".
It's good to see you Graybeard!
Good to have found you!
ReplyDeleteGood Luck
...sure is good to see your friendly... um... handle. Yeah, that's it- - handle. You're definitely among friends, here, as Chuckwagon is fond of saying. Now, if I can just get the ol' coot to remember how to type. (...sez he's bashful.)
DeleteSambal Badjak, did you fix the front end of your boat after you crashed into all those trees? Nice to see you pal. Best Wishes.
Delete...although FurnitureMaker ain't bad!
ReplyDeleteWell, whatever you're called (except for, maybe, some of those choice things that Marilyn said)(Naah! Just kidding.), good to have you on here.
Hi Guys.
ReplyDeleteGood to see you didn't go too far. Good luck with the new site.
Steve you ol' salty dog! Are you minding your P's and Q's?
DeleteAre you addicted to biltong? I heard that a few ounces each day will make a person smart! Is it true?
Howdy CW'ya and Duk, all the best for your new venture from Aus.
ReplyDelete.Pete
Pete my good man! How's everything "down under"? Hey, my fifth-grade teacher told me that folks below the equator have tornadoes and toilet water that turn counter-clockwise - just opposite of the cowboys in the northern hemisphere. Will you flush your toilet and let me know? Enquiring minds want to know!
DeleteVery happy to find you two are deep in it, again. Missed the humor and banter. Thanks for doing this, and Good Luck with the site. You put the "FUN" back into sausage making!
ReplyDeleteJim & Jean,
DeleteI heard rumors that you are going duck hunting with a gattling gun and hand grenades! If it's true, may I go along with you. Shucks, I'll even wash the dishes.
Hi Wranglers! It is SOOOOoooo good to see everyone signing up on our new site! Thank you indeed for your support. You are the best!
ReplyDeleteHey, Halloween is coming, and the reason I know that is because I saw the Duk walking down the sidewalk on Main Street in his Halloween costume for this year. He was wearing his Fairy Princess uniform! You know... a tutu! That screwy duck is going trick or treatin' this year dressed in a white tutu with fluffy waist skirt, a jeweled crown on his head and he's carryin' a magic wand. That wayward quack should be in jail eh? Anyway, I yelled at him and he turned around so quickly he did a pirouette in his pointed slippers... and screwed himself right into the sidewalk!
It's good to see he still has his same ol' touch eh? Have a great week everyone!
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Howdy pards! I want to make you a bet. I’m betting that you cannot watch this ballad called “Cows With Guns” without laughing out loud or splitting a gut like I did. This is a work of art! Click on this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IJBbtkBMMs
ReplyDeleteHave fun compliments of Sawhorseray!
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Ha Ha Ha ..I was determined not to laugh after I read CW's challenge. Well I only made it a short time and the " Cow Tse Tongue " did me in. Very funny stuff, thanks CW.
DeleteThat doggone Duk has ventured above and beyond the call of duty in putting this blog spot together. I don’t think he knows how much we all appreciate his Herculean efforts. Let’s just say we could park a pickup load of gratitude on your front lawn then ring your bell! Thanks Duck! From all of us… including me – the guy who keeps shooting at you!
ReplyDeleteBest Wishes,
Chuckwagon
YES YES YES!!!!. I'd like to express my gratitude to the Duckster for all his hard work, and a job well done! RAY
DeleteYeeee Hawwww Shuswap!
ReplyDeleteWas that a cup of Arbuckles? And goodness, gracious… are you wondering what all this noise about “Arbuckles” is about? Well, at the close of the Civil War, two brothers, John and Charles Arbuckle, were the first to uniformly roast a consistently fine quality coffee to be packaged in one pound bags. No longer did cowboys have to crush coffee beans with the butt of their .45 Colt hogleg and roast them in a skillet. Arbuckles’ “Ariosa Blend” Coffee caught on like wild fire and became so popular in the Old West that most cowboys didn't even know that there was any other. It is still known as the Original Cowboy Coffee. In the late 1930’s, the family broke up their production and the only family-brand that survived was Yuban. Then in 1974, Pat and Denney Willis - concerned with the inconsistent quality of coffee they were forced to serve in their restaurants – revived the hundred-year-old classic coffee “Ariosa Blend”. Yup, it’s still, “The Coffee That Won the West” and it is packaged “whole bean or ground” (your choice), in one pound increments with a Peppermint stick, just as the Arbuckle Brothers had done over a century before. Arbuckles Coffee today operates a 7,000 sq ft. facility deep in the heart of the Old West in historic Tucson, Arizona, where you may see John Arbuckle’s hand written notes, before his death in 1914, showing he was trying to create a roasting method that suspended the coffee bean in mid-air to lower the possibility of scorching from the hot metal roasting drum. So, as their company spokesman says, “Brew up a pot of Arbuckles’ partner… and enjoy the Sunrise!”
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Yeah, only instead of the butt of a .45 pistol he used his own... uh... well, we won't go there!
Delete...mortar and pestle. Yeah. That's it.
Yep. You just updated the time-honored "making sausage and making laws" saying. Now it can be "Wranglin' sausage into its casing is easier than wrestlin' with Google."
ReplyDeleteBeginners! Repeat after me.... "Yeeee Hawwww"! Make your own cured ham. It's so easy your Mother-In-Law could do it! Don't pay the high prices at your grocery-store's butcher's case! You can have BETTER ham at a much lower price! Click on Section 7 (The Recipe Input) page and scroll down until you find, "Hobble Creek Ham". It's so simple to make I don't know why everyone doesn't make their own.
ReplyDeleteBest Wishes,
Chuckwagon
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteExcellent comment, Phil. (...not to be judgmental, of course. We are trained (Whap!) not to be (Owww!) judgmental, here at (Yeow!) SausagesWest and the Rusty Spur Ranch.
ReplyDeleteThere's gotta be a way. I'll check it out.
Duk
Oh my goodness... there goes that goofy Duk! He's going trick-or-treatin'. He's in his "fairy Godmother outfit" and cute enough to swat on the butt! That Tu Tu is a little tight on his frame and those ballet slippers.... oh my gosh! Well, the ol' sun is goin' down in the west and he's got a pillowcase for all his goodies. Good luck Duk! I've got a great idea. Jump in front of speeding cars tonight to see if they stop for you in that white Tu Tu. And if you see any bare wires anywhere tonight, throw a bucket of water on them and then stand on them until morning. Trick or treat... you... you.... you.... bonkers buzzard!
ReplyDelete...whatever gets the most chocolate!
ReplyDeletePhil, did you say 32F? Yikes. Put on your long undies pal!
ReplyDeleteHey Beginners! Welcome to our site. This recipe is just for you and just in time for Thanksgiving.
ReplyDelete“Tidal Wave” Turkey And Gravy (P. 1)
(The Best Turkey And Gravy In The West!)
Thanksgiving Turkey
It never fails to astound me how many housewives serve up a dry, over-cooked bird for Thanksgiving dinner. If you'd like a bird that your family or guests will never forget, try the brining method below, and then cook the turkey ONLY to 170°F. Watch the temperature and stop cooking when the meat reaches that point. This is the biggest little secret of bird success, but there's two more below also.
Oh, and what about those "pop-up" thermometer gimmicks that come with some birds? Truth is, they have a spring contained inside a plastic tube that is secured by epoxy glue designed to fail at 175°F and above. So, when the plastic thermometer finally pops up, it is already cooked at a too high a temperature. The "carryover" effect will take it beyond 180°F providing you remove the turkey right then! However, most people don't notice it for a while, and by the time they spot the "pop up", the turkey has been overcooked.
The trick is to use your own probe thermometer and monitor it. Stop cooking the turkey when it indicates 170°F. The carryover effect will take it up a couple of more degrees, but it should be just fine. After a short rest period, start carving and serve the danged thing!
Are you going to brine your turkey this year? This is the next best kept little secret. Shucks, just overnight in a salt brine will add so much moisture to the bird you won't believe it. Place 3/4 cup of salt and 3 tablespoons of sugar per gallon of water and make enough brine to cover the turkey. This will give you a 21°SAL solution. I just make it in a clean Coleman cooler and add half a bag of cubed ice to the solution. After six hours, I add another 1/4 cup of salt to the water and a little more ice while I agitate the turkey just a little.
(Continued in next post)
“Tidal Wave” Turkey And Gravy (P. 2)
ReplyDeleteKickin’ It Up!
If you really want to kick it up a notch, add an entire litre of 7-Up or Sprite to the brine. This is the third little secret and believe me, your guests will rant and rave about the flavor! Fourteen to sixteen hours in a brine really makes a difference in the turkey. If your wife is doing the cooking, ask her to bake it to only 170°F, being sure not exceed that temperature. Shucks pards, when your local newspaper reporters hear of your success, they may turn you into some kind of culinary genius once the word gets out! Heck, they'll probably erect a monument and sculpture of you in the town square. Perhaps the governor will.... awww... you get the idea! There just isn't any reason for dried out turkey on this great holiday.
Just one more thing wranglers! If your wife insists on cooking this year’s Thanksgiving bird herself - without your newfound tips and information - and she insists on cooking that danged old bird past 180°F because it is “traditional”… then… then… allow her to do it – just to keep the peace! However, never, never… and I mean never ever… tell her, mention, or even hint that her turkey was overcooked! You must endure the dry turkey and keep quiet, as mentioning “overcooked bird” will only bring on the wrath, vehement ire, and indignation of your woman! You won’t have another hot meal for a month! And you’ll get “the treatment” for thirty days… you know, silence and stares! Sheeeyuks, it would be better to be locked in a room with a wounded hypochondriac for thirty days!
Goodness! I almost forgot the gravy!
“Chuckwagon’s Tidal Wave Turkey Gravy”
(The Best Turkey Gravy In The West!)
This recipe has so much flavor in it, you may wish to just drink it! Best of all, it may be made ahead and used a little at a time.
turkey neck & giblets (without the liver)
1 onion (chopped)
1 tblspn. vegetable oil
4 cups turkey broth* (see below)
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
4 tblspns. butter
6 tblspns. flour
salt and pepper
*If you are unable to make your own turkey broth, please use Swanson’s chicken broth as it is made using onions, carrots, and celery. Hey, my reputation is on the line here!
(Continued in next post)
“Tidal Wave” Turkey And Gravy (P. 3)
ReplyDeleteTo make the Tidal Wave Broth, heat the oil in a large black skillet, and brown the giblets (without the liver) and the neck until they are nicely seared. Add the onions, cook them until they are softened, and then remove the skillet from the heat for fifteen minutes. Re-heat the skillet, adding the broth and herbs, and scrape the fond from the bottom of the skillet as the mixture begins to boil before turning it down to simmer half an hour. Pour the broth through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth and discard the solids. Store the flavored broth in the refrigerator two days or freeze it until you are ready to cook Chuckwagon’s Tidal Wave Turkey Sausage and sourdough biscuits.
To make the Tidal Wave Gravy, heat the refrigerated broth in a pan, and then melt the butter in a shallow Dutch oven over medium heat, whisking in the flour to make a roux. Cook the flour and butter roux, whisking it until it becomes the color of dark honey. Add the broth to the roux, a little at a time, as you continue to stir it with a wisk. Simmer the gravy until it thickens, stirring it constantly.
Note: If you wish to use this Tidal Wave Gravy with a freshly cooked turkey, add even more flavor by scraping up the browned bits of fond left in the roasting pan as you reheat the pan on the stove. Deglaze the roasting pan with a bit of white wine or water and then pour the drippings into a fat separator. When it has cooled, stir the fond-flavored defatted drippings into the gravy for even more richness. Simmer the gravy two minutes, finally seasoning it with salt and pepper. Good luck, Let me know how your turkey turn out.
Best wishes,
Chuckwagon
If you copy the last of the four "tags" out of PhotoBucket and paste it in here, it should work.
ReplyDeleteUse
[URL=http://s1164.photobucket.com/user/erlwebmail/media/javelina_zps0214db7d.jpeg.html][xxx]http://i1164.photobucket.com/albums/q563/erlwebmail/javelina_zps0214db7d.jpeg[/xxx][/URL]
where you substitute "IMG" for the "xxx" in both places. Evidently the 2nd copy of the path to the image, surrounded by the "ING" tags in square brackets, does the trick.
Thanks for finding this, albeit the hard way. (...extra points! WooHoo!) I'll fix the headers to let people know.
Duk
...as reads ING should read IMG . Sorry about that. The moderator will be sought out, cornered, and trampled for letting such a grievous error slip through his greasy, pork-fat-slick hands.
Delete(...hears rustling I the bushes.) UhOh! Uh... All-knowing, beneficent moderator. Now, put that shotgun down, Excellency, before someone, namely me, gets... YEOW!
That's nice work Shuswap! I might have to commission you to produce a "fish-billy" to whack the forty pound salmon I plan on hooking into in the Sacramento River this year. RAY
ReplyDeleteFeels like home..... good to be here fellow stuffers.
ReplyDeletecheers from Oz
Spud! Spud! You ol' sausage-makin' airplane man! How is everything in Perth? Good to see you here with us... You are lookin' terrific if I may say so. What have you got in the grinder this week?
DeleteNice to have you with us Graham!
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Hey Phil, those things are gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteHowdy, Cant wait to get restarted. Kroger had pork loins for 1.99 lb. bought a couple. Going to make the CB and then try Hobble Creek Hog Leg with the other. Kroger this week also has Boston Butt for 1.99 lb.
ReplyDeleteHowdy SalP. Have you been eatin' all yer' broccoli and carrots? Hey I've been doin' a little CB myself. That stuff is habit forming. Wow, we need a Kroger in our neighborhood. My butcher (Sasquatch) is putting 3 kids through school and vacationing in Hawaii on what I've been paying him for beef and pork! Nice to have you with us SalP!
DeleteBest Wishes,
Chuckwagon