Although sausage is one of the easiest meats to smoke, you must ensure that you get it right to get a delicious meal. A slight mistake can ruin your effort, which is why you must approach the entire process cautiously.
To smoke a delicious sausage, you need to start by ensuring that you purchase high-quality sausages. Fire up your smoke to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and add your sausage. Smoke your sausages for approximately Three hours, depending on the type of sausages, until they attain an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
The type of wood chips/pellets that you are going to use for the entire process may have a direct influence on the flavor. Therefore, paying attention to the wood chips you want to use for the entire smoking period is essential.
Two Ways Of Smoking Sausages
You are likely to embrace one of the two main ways whenever you want to smoke your sausages. They include hot smoking and cold smoking.
Hot Smoking
Hot smoking is the classic style of cooking sausages for many people. You will see this method in the backyard of many homes and BBQ restaurants.
Hot smoking entails smoking the sausages at a moderate temperature of 225-275 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure that the meat is well-cooked.
Cold Smoking
Cold smoking involves smoking your sausages at a low temperature to add aroma and flavor to the sausage while keeping it reasonably raw. The process is tricky and challenging as it relies on fermentation and preservatives such as salt to control the growth of bacteria. Cold smoking can be dangerous and requires a high level of expertise.
How To Smoke Sausage
Hot smoking is the best way to cook your sausages as a simple task that should not give you any stress. You do not need to do much preparation other than ensuring you purchase the best sausages. Here are the simple steps you need to follow to perfectly smoke your sausages.
- Start by firing up your smoker, depending on the type of smoker you are using.
- Add your favorite wood pellets and set your smoker to a stable temperature of 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place a shallow pan with water or beer on the bottom rack. You can as well place it on the side.
- Insert your thermometer through the end of the sausage to allow you to monitor the temperatures. You do not want to overcook or undercook your sausages, so you need a digital meat thermometer.
- To ensure that the smoke comes into contact with the sausages effectively, you must place them on the rack and spread them evenly.
- Close the smoker and monitor its temperature to ensure it is about 250 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the process.
- Once the sausage attains a temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit, remove them from the smoker.
- Allow the sausages to rest in a loose foil for about 10 minutes before you can serve them.
Essential Tips For Smoking Sausages
You need to bear several tips in mind if you want to become an expert in smoking sausages. Some of these tips include;
Practice Without Meat
You probably know that practice makes perfect. Therefore, you must start practicing without the meat to be perfect at smoking sausages. Practice will allow you to learn how to adjust the smoker for consistent temperatures so you do not ruin your good storage.
Avoid Poking Holes In Your Sausages
Most people cut slits or poke holes in the sausages to test whether they have dried out. Instead of poking holes in every sausage, choose one to be your tester.
Use A Wireless Probe Thermometer
A thermometer is essential when smoking your sausages. Without a functional thermometer, you will have difficulty knowing when they are done. Using a wireless probe thermometer is the best option as it eliminates the need to poke multiple holes.
Keep The Lid
Patience is essential when smoking your sausages—opening the lids before the right time makes the temperatures drop, which can interfere with the smoking process. Hence, it is essential to be patient and avoid opening the lead.
How Long To Smoke Raw Sausage
One of the tricks to perfectly smoking your sausages is to familiarize yourself with some of the secrets, including the time and the wood pellets you need to smoke your sausages. With a clear understanding of how long it takes to complete smoking, the chances are that you will not make a mistake.
After setting your smoker at a cooking temperature of 200 -250 degrees Fahrenheit, you will need to smoke your sausages for 1 ½ – 2 hours until their internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Remember to turn the sausage regularly to guarantee even cooking.
Smoked Sausage In Smoker
When cooking your sausages, there are several ways that you can embrace, including grilling. However, smoked sausages for smokers are the best for various reasons.
First, smoking is known for preserving food starves. It has been used for centuries to conserve food, which means that by smoking your sausages, you are expanding their lifespan. The smoke used when cooking sausages on the smoker is acidic, and this trait plays an essential role in conserving the food.
Another benefit of smoked sausage in the smoker is that the smoke infuses specific flavors and textures into the sausage. This explains why smoked sausages have a better flavor than grilled ones.
Further, smoking the sausages gives you crispy skin as the slow process gives ample time to leave the meat. Therefore, if you love your sausages with crispy skin, smoking is the best method to adopt for your cooking.
How Long To Smoke Sausage
Sometimes it is easy to get obsessed with how long it should take to prepare your sausages. The duration should not be significant as long as you keep the temperature of the smoker between 180-250 degrees Fahrenheit. The target should be to ensure that the sausages attain an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. This can take about 2 – 3 hours.
How Long To Smoke Sausage At 225?
If you choose to smoke your sausages at 225 degrees Fahrenheit, you will need to smoke them for about 3 hours before they can achieve an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. After removing the sausages from the smoker, allow them to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
Smoked Sausage Recipes
The good thing about smoked sausages is that you have several ways that you can embrace to make a delicious meal. Whether you are after a comforting soup of filling past, smoked sausage recipes will leave every member of your family satisfied. Here are some of the best-smoked sausage recipes to try out.
Smoked Sausage-Potato Hash
The smoked sausage-potato hash is famous as it is filling while at the same time allowing the perfect flavor of smoked sausage to shine.
Smoked Sausage And Red Beans
To make this recipe, you need a lot of beans and lots of smoked sausages. The addition of garlic generously will make it even more delicious. It is a meal that anyone will love to eat now and then.
Barbeque Smoked Sausage Bites
The barbeque smoked sausage bites are the simplest option for well-cooked sausages rubbed with the best barbecue sauce.
Smoked Sausage And Zucchini Skillet
If you prefer health options, then the smoked sausage and Zucchini Skillet will be your favorite. The recipe features tons of vegetables with sausages for a lighter option.
Smoked Sausage And Cheese Grits
The smoked sausage and cheese grits are a perfect dish to prepare any time of the day. The sausages and the grits are pretty delicious. Moreover, this recipe is simple to make.
Conclusion
Smoked sausages are delicious and simple to prepare. All you need is to choose a suitable wood, keep the temperature low and consistent, have a meat thermometer, and store your sausages properly. In addition, it is vital to make sure that you purchase quality sausages.
Scot has loved smoking food in his free time for the last few years. Each major holiday or off-weekend, Scot spends days testing and prepping new recipes for perfection.