chingador
is Blowin Smoke!
Thanks again for this awesome sight. Even though I have been Q'ing for a few years already, I have learned so much in such a little time on this site but the thing that has really caught my attention is the fatty. I am on the quest for the perfect fatty now. Please allow me to take you through my fatty travels up to this point.
Here is a list of what I have tried;
Fatty #1: Basic regular Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage, no stuffing, Grub rub on the outside. Smoked over hickory for about 3 hrs over hickory in the Dera to 165 deg. internal. Nice smoke ring, good smokey flavor. I liked it, but was a little underwhelmed with the finished product flavor and texture wise.
Fatty #2: Jimmy Dean maple flavored sausage. I tried this because so many people on this board seem to like it. I was not really happy with this one at all. I really did not like the combo of the smoke flavor and fake maple flavoring. Cross that one of of the list for the ole chingador.
Fatty #3: Jimmy Dean bold country flavor (or something like that) made relleno style (asadero cheese stuffed roasted poblano chile stuffed inside the fatty). Now were getting closer. 2 critiques. 1 is that I used the canned chiles and was not really pleased with the "canned" taste at all in communion with the sausage and cheese. Next time I will fire roast a poblano chile and stuff with cheese for a fresher flavor. Once again, I am not thrilled with the "breakfast sausage" flavor of the Jimmy Dean. I am looking for something a little more cleaner, which will be discussed below.
Conclusions from the 1st 3 fatties: I am really not crazy about the flavor of the Jimmy Dean, so the sausage used will change. Please do not flame me for this. I know that there are plenty who swear by JD, but it is not exactly what I am looking for here. Of course, if I am making a fatty with tomorrow's breakfast in mind, a bold country flavored JD fatty is good enough.
4th fatty: Fresh italian sausage (hot) removed from casings, formed into a fatty, stuffed with carmalized onions, bell peppers, garlic, sun dried tomatoes and mozzerella cheese. We are still getting closer. I like using the higher quality italian sausage and feel that it is much better than using JD. One problem, though. I really do not think that the heavy smoke flavor is the best match for the natural flavor profile of the Italian sausage. It made some awesome sammiches the next day but would have been better without the smoke flavor. What is the point of a fatty without smoke flavor so 86 the idea of Italian sausage fatties.
5th fatty: Johnsonville bratwurst (raw) sausage, removed from casings to form a fatty and stuffed with carmelized onions, garlic, saerkraut, and swiss cheese. NOW we are cooking with gas!!! The flavor profile and texture of raw brats in fatties is second to none in my opinion. The flavor is understated but has enough seasoning that you know it is there.
the quality of the meat really shines though (of course when talking sausage, the term quality is relative) and surpasses JD in my opinion. At this point brats will be the base sausage used for all of my fatties unless the next option works.
Which brings me to Fatty #6 which will be tried tomorrow.
Fatty #6: Czech pan suasage fatty which will be stuffed with fresh jalepenos and cheese. I grew up eating this stuff at my Czech grandmas house. It is commonly used in Kolaches around central as well as central-south Texas in czech communities. It has a very delicate flavor because the only spices used are salt, pepper and garlic. The quality of the ground pork is outstanding. This could be the perfect sausage for stuffed
fatties if all goes well. I will post up results tomorrow or Sunday.
In this case, the journey is the best part. Stay tuned.
Here is a list of what I have tried;
Fatty #1: Basic regular Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage, no stuffing, Grub rub on the outside. Smoked over hickory for about 3 hrs over hickory in the Dera to 165 deg. internal. Nice smoke ring, good smokey flavor. I liked it, but was a little underwhelmed with the finished product flavor and texture wise.
Fatty #2: Jimmy Dean maple flavored sausage. I tried this because so many people on this board seem to like it. I was not really happy with this one at all. I really did not like the combo of the smoke flavor and fake maple flavoring. Cross that one of of the list for the ole chingador.
Fatty #3: Jimmy Dean bold country flavor (or something like that) made relleno style (asadero cheese stuffed roasted poblano chile stuffed inside the fatty). Now were getting closer. 2 critiques. 1 is that I used the canned chiles and was not really pleased with the "canned" taste at all in communion with the sausage and cheese. Next time I will fire roast a poblano chile and stuff with cheese for a fresher flavor. Once again, I am not thrilled with the "breakfast sausage" flavor of the Jimmy Dean. I am looking for something a little more cleaner, which will be discussed below.
Conclusions from the 1st 3 fatties: I am really not crazy about the flavor of the Jimmy Dean, so the sausage used will change. Please do not flame me for this. I know that there are plenty who swear by JD, but it is not exactly what I am looking for here. Of course, if I am making a fatty with tomorrow's breakfast in mind, a bold country flavored JD fatty is good enough.
4th fatty: Fresh italian sausage (hot) removed from casings, formed into a fatty, stuffed with carmalized onions, bell peppers, garlic, sun dried tomatoes and mozzerella cheese. We are still getting closer. I like using the higher quality italian sausage and feel that it is much better than using JD. One problem, though. I really do not think that the heavy smoke flavor is the best match for the natural flavor profile of the Italian sausage. It made some awesome sammiches the next day but would have been better without the smoke flavor. What is the point of a fatty without smoke flavor so 86 the idea of Italian sausage fatties.
5th fatty: Johnsonville bratwurst (raw) sausage, removed from casings to form a fatty and stuffed with carmelized onions, garlic, saerkraut, and swiss cheese. NOW we are cooking with gas!!! The flavor profile and texture of raw brats in fatties is second to none in my opinion. The flavor is understated but has enough seasoning that you know it is there.
the quality of the meat really shines though (of course when talking sausage, the term quality is relative) and surpasses JD in my opinion. At this point brats will be the base sausage used for all of my fatties unless the next option works.
Which brings me to Fatty #6 which will be tried tomorrow.
Fatty #6: Czech pan suasage fatty which will be stuffed with fresh jalepenos and cheese. I grew up eating this stuff at my Czech grandmas house. It is commonly used in Kolaches around central as well as central-south Texas in czech communities. It has a very delicate flavor because the only spices used are salt, pepper and garlic. The quality of the ground pork is outstanding. This could be the perfect sausage for stuffed
fatties if all goes well. I will post up results tomorrow or Sunday.
In this case, the journey is the best part. Stay tuned.
