Kosher Hot Dogs

By á-25087

Kosher hot dogs, to be truly "Kosher", not only have to be made in strict compliance to ancient Jewish dietary laws, but have to be "certified" kosher under rabbinical supervision.

Any wiener you make at home probably won't fit under the strict definition of "kosher". Using this recipe though, will give you a very wholesome, all beef, delicious hot dog that you can be proud to serve to anyone.

Ingredients

• 5 lbs lean beef chuck (shoulder)
• 3 tablespoons ground mustard seed
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon fine ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons ground mace
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground celery seeds
• 1 teaspoon #1 cure (prague powder or Instacure)
• 1 cup ice water

Preparation

Step 1

1.Cut the beef chuck into 1-2 inch pieces, then grind it at least twice through the finest plate on your meat grinder.


2.Combine all your spices, then combine them with the ground meat and mix it all very well for 2 to 3 minutes to get a very even spice distribution.


3.Working in small batches and adding ice water as needed, emulsify the sausage mixture in your food processor. Click Here for Emulsifying Directions


4.Stuff the emulsified sausage mixture into 1 1/8 inch natural sheep casings or an equivalent sized collagen casing. If you use collagen casings, make sure they are the kind made especially for use in the smoker.


5.Take the wieners to the meat smoker and process until they reach 152-155 degrees internal temperature.

You can also finish this by cooking them in simmering (180-200 degree F) water until they reach 152 degrees internally. If you choose this method, add 2 teaspoons of liquid smoke to the meat mixture when you add the rest of the spices.


Emulsifying Meat


Almost all commercially produced hot dogs are made with emulsified meat.

You can produce a good frankfurter at home by grinding your meat multiple times through the finest plate on your meat grinder but...

...

If you want to go the extra step (and you own a food processor) you can emulsify your frankfurter meat and make something very close to a commercial product (only better).

By the way, this process works nicely for bratwurst, knockwurst, and bologna style sausages also.

1.Grind your meat twice through the smallest plate of your meat grinder.


2.Add all of the spices and cure to the meat and mix very well.


3.Refrigerate the meat mixture for about 30 minutes to make sure it is good and cold.


4.In small batches, process the chilled meat mixture in your food processor until it is the consistency of a fine mousse (almost like baby food). Continue until all the meat has been emulsified.

I find it is easier to get a good emulsification if I add small amounts of ice water to mixture while it is being processed.

You can add as much as 1 1/2 cups of water to 5 lbs of meat without it having any adverse effects on your finished sausage.