I finished vacuum sealing two versions of my elk SS this morning. One version used the same recipe as the Oryx SS I made and reported on earlier. The second version has more garlic powder, with some added punch in the form of jalapeño powder and dried jalapeño pieces.
The first picture is when I first put them in my MAK. I was using my Amazen tube filled with Lumber Jack 100 % cherry pellets. After four hours of cold smoking, I turned on my MAK, only to discover that I really should have cleaned the fire pot out before I started. After a quick clean out of the fire pot, we are back in business. The lighter colored casings (from Rick B.) have the first version of the elk SS. The mahogany colored casing have the jalapeño version of the elk SS.
Here are the casings of the first version after coming off the MAK after a total of 10 ½ hours.
Here are the jalapeño elk SS after coming off the MAK.
Both batches were dumped into an ice bath to drop their temperature from 152 to less than 120. They were dried off and left to bloom over night on the counter. When I woke up this morning the house was filled with a really wonderful smell. I put all the SS into the refrigerator for several hours to make it easier to remove the casings and get ready to vacuum seal them. Here they are, ready to be cut and packaged.
The “regular” elk SS cut and ready to be packaged.
Here is a closer view of a sliced piece of the regular elk SS. It sure tasted good.
BURP!!!
Next up is a shot of the jalapeño elk SS, followed up with a close up. You can actually see a piece of the jalapeño in the last photo.
Both versions were really good. Actually, I believe they were both more tasty than the Oryx SS that I made earlier. The next time I make some elk SS, I will increase the amount of garlic powder in both versions, and add more jalapeño powder and dried (or maybe fresh) jalapeño to the second version. A nice cold FT, some crackers, a little spicy mustard, and maybe a slice or two of smoked cheese, and we have a meal. Good eats!!
Art
