I have some store-bought sausage links – to be honest, I would have had some homemade sausage made, but I was not expecting to build the smoker in the 30 minutes or so it took – so I ran to the store and bought some stuff to smoke.
This was the first time I had ever smoked sausage so I was not really sure about the times. I had always read about smoking for preservation, and those times are MUCH longer than it is just for smoking.
I ended up smoking the meat for about 2 ½ hours and got a very nice color and flavor.
I also threw on some pickles, peppers, and some olives, and really enjoyed eating them also.
I would suggest as you start smoking to keep notes and not to go overboard in the beginning. I used Applewood for a mild flavor,
Applewood (and other fruit trees) is really good with pork or poultry – I think it gives a mild, slightly sweet flavor.
Walnut is better for game and red meat – but you have to watch it or it can make the meat bitter.
Hickory is a strong flavor, well suited to beef or lamb – it gives the meat a red tint.
Maple is like using fruit wood as it give a sweet flavor
Oak is a good all around wood – its strong and good for sausage – imparts a light brown color
Mequite is too hot for cold smoking, but ok for hot smoking – better for grilling
I also like pecan – it is a mild smoke but tastes similar to hickory – it makes a cool smoke.
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