homemade frankfurters (hot dogs) - pic

[Kim_NC]

I posted ths over on BYC, but thought it might interest some here.

We made a first attempt at homemade franks. DH had to finish with a footlong (on left)...LOL, but it's really closer to 10"'cause he ran out of meat. The total batch was 22 weiners.

We made them from our own grass fed beef and pastured pork. We had some for supper last night. Yum!

We're going to try all beef and all turkey versions next.

EDIT: gass has an r...grass....LOL

 

[TanksHill]

Looking good!!! You meant grass fed beef right?
g

 

[Kim_NC]

Looking good!!! You meant grass fed beef right?
g

LOL...ooppssss....yep, I'm missing an 'r'. Fixed now.

 

[freemotion]

Howzabout a recipe? Details on the process? We're here to learn, girl! Dish!

 

[Kim_NC]

Howzabout a recipe? Details on the process? We're here to learn, girl! Dish!

I wondered if anyone would ask!

Homemade Frankfurters (hot dogs, weiners)

3 feet sheep or small (1-1/2-inch diameter) hog casings
1 lb ground lean pork
1 lb ground lean beef
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp ground mace (I didn't have mace and used 1/8 tsp nutmeg intead)
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp white pepper
1 egg white
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste (next time I'm doubling the salt)
1/4 cup milk

Prepare the casings by rinsing off salt and flushing with water. Leave soaking in water until ready to use.

Mix onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, marjoram, mace, mustard, and paprika. Add the pepper, egg white, salt, and milk and mix thoroughly.

Mix ground beef and ground pork together and grind again. Mix the seasonings into the meat mixture with your hands. This tends to be a sticky procedure, so wet your hands with cold water first.

Chill the mixture for a half hour then put the mixture thorough the fine blade of the grinder once more. Stuff the casings and twist them off into six-inch links. Parboil the links (without separating them) in gently simmering water for 10 minutes. Place the franks in a bowl of ice water and chill thoroughly. Remove, pat dry, and refrigerate. Because they are precooked, they can be refrigerated for up to a week or they can be frozen.

Edit: Ooopppsss...was missing recipe title

 

[freemotion]

Thanks! Now you need to cross-post in the recipes section! ETA: or get a mod to move it....

Do you think the white pepper is used instead of black pepper just for the color, so there are no black specks?

Do you have an opinion on how these taste, compared to common brands?

I think I'd like to try making them before pig processing time comes around. Did you use a sausage stuffer attachment on a stand mixer, or something else?

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Thanks for posting this! Yum

 

[Kim_NC]

Thanks! Now you need to cross-post in the recipes section! ETA: or get a mod to move it....

Do you think the white pepper is used instead of black pepper just for the color, so there are no black specks?

Do you have an opinion on how these taste, compared to common brands?

I think I'd like to try making them before pig processing time comes around. Did you use a sausage stuffer attachment on a stand mixer, or something else?

I'll cross post it over there

I don't think the pepper would matter too much - except yes, using black pepper would make black specks. Not biggie to me...and I almost used black and then stumbled on a small box of leftover white in the cupboard.

Compared to common brands, I think they definitely needed more salt. I'm going to quote ingredients below from 2 major hot dog brands - but suffice to say they use nitrates and therefore have more salt flavor.

The homemade are also a little more sausage-like. I think less pork would be a good idea. I've done some reading and found commercial hot dogs are limited to 20% (or less) "mechanically separated" pork. Or no pork at all in the case of all beef franks.

I noted the commercial franks have corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, etc. Perhaps these sweetners make a difference in flavor. Some of the original recipes I had called for a bit of sugar. I didn't think that was necesssary and left it out.

Another thing I noted was after being parboiled they were no longer pinkish....more of a whitish cooked meat color (but not browned). That tells me something is making those commercial franks continue to look "pinkish"...but what? I don't know.

Grinding the meat a total 3 times made a very fine mixture. However, it was still firmer than typical frank texture. After seeing the definition of mecahnically separated, I understand why.

Oscar Mayer - original

MECHANICALLY SEPARATED TURKEY AND MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN, PORK, WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, GROUND MUSTARD SEED, SODIUM LACTATE, CORN SYRUP, DEXTROSE, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ASCORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE, FLAVOR.

http://brands.kraftfoods.com/oscarm...uct/product_display&Site=1&Product=4470000063

Oscar Mayer - beef

BEEF, WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, CORN SYRUP, SODIUM LACTATE, DEXTROSE, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, SODIUM DIACETATE, FLAVOR, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA, SODIUM NITRITE.

http://brands.kraftfoods.com/oscarm...uct/product_display&Site=1&Product=4470000281

Ball Park Franks - original

MECHANICALLY SEPARATED TURKEY, PORK, WATER, CORN SYRUP, BEEF, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, POTASSIUM LACTATE, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, FLAVORINGS, BEEF STOCK, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, MALTODEXTRIN, SODIUM NITRITE, EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA.

http://www.ballparkfranks.com/franks-meat-original

Ball Park Franks - beef

BEEF, WATER, CORN SYRUP, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS: SALT, POTASSIUM LACTATE, BEEF STOCK, SODIUM PHOSPHATES, FLAVORINGS, SODIUM DIACETATE, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), SODIUM NITRITE, EXTRACTIVES OF PAPRIKA.

http://www.ballparkfranks.com/franks-beef-original

For definitions of "mechanically separated" meats, see this USDA page:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/hot_dogs/index.asp - scroll abouthalfway down the page

 

[freemotion]

I don't know if I want to read the label on the Nathan's kosher dogs we get. DH buys them....I just now realized that I hadn't read the label, and I am an OCD label reader!

I WILL be making our own! Sausage-like is a good thing in my book....I love sausage. I think I could handle that.

Sugar in hot dogs?????? Sheesh!

NATHAN'S, BEEF FRANKS SKINLESS
INGREDIENTS: Beef, Water, Contains Less than 2% of Salt, Sorbitol, Sodium Lactate, Hydrolyzed Soy, Corn Gluten Protein and Wheat Gluten Protein, Paprika, Natural Flavorings, Sodium Diacetate, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Erythorbate, Sodium Nitrite.

 

[Henrietta23]

These are the ingredients for Applegate Farms "The Great American Organic Uncured Hotdog" which is what I buy at Whole Foods for a zillion dollars a package:
Organic Grass-Fed Beef, Water, Contains Less Than 2% Of The Following: Sea Salt, Organic Spices, Organic Garlic Powder, Organic Paprika, Celery Powder, Organic Onion, Lactic Acid Starter Culture (Not From Milk). I stopped buying hotdogs until I found these.
I seriously want to try yours! Thanks for sharing!