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Homemade Smoked Cheddar Sausages

Kimberly Killebrew
Smoky, zesty and oozing with cheese, these homemade smoked cheddar sausages are absolutely perfect for your next grilling party! 
Print Recipe
5 from 22 votes
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 6 hours
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 24 sausages
Calories 338 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 32 - 35mm natural hog casings (about 10 feet)
  • 4 pound boneless pork shoulder , diced into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 1 pound pork back fat , cubed
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Prague powder #1
  • 1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder
  • 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons dry ground mustard
  • 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
  • 1/2 cup ice water
  • 1 pound cheddar cheese , diced into 1/8 inch cubes

Instructions
 

  • Place the diced pork in the freeze for about 45 minutes to get it to a temperature of 32 degrees F (0 celsius). 
    Grind the pork and fat through a 1/4 inch (6mm) die.  Grind the meat quickly into the bowl of a stand mixer (ideally have the bowl set atop an ice bath to keep the meat cold) and then grind it all a second time.  Chill the meat in the refrigerator while you assemble the spice mixture.
    In a small bowl combine all the spices.
  • Remove the ground meat from the fridge and place it on the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Add the spice mix, dry milk powder and the ice water.
    Mix the meat mixture with the paddle for 3-4 minutes until threads begin to appear in the meat: If you take a clump of meat and pull it apart with your fingers you will see tiny threads pulling apart.  When you see this your meat is ready.  If the meat mixture is too dry and stiff, add a little more ice water.  Stir the diced Cheddar into the meat mixture and chill it in the fridge while you prepare the sausage stuffer.
    *This is also the time to taste your sausage mixture so you can adjust the seasonings if needed.  To do this, take a bit of the meat mixture, fry it up in a pan, taste it and adjust the seasonings if needed.
  • Thread the sausage stuffer with the prepared hog casings, fill the sausage stuffer with the meat mixture, and stuff the casings being careful to avoid air gaps while also being careful to not over-stuff the casings.
    Twist the sausages into links (about 6 inches each according to personal preference).  Use a sausage pricker to prick any air bubbles out of the links.
    For best results chill the sausages overnight.
  • Smoke the Sausages:  Preheat your smoker to 175-185 degrees F.  Smoke the sausages until their internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F (try to avoid exceeding 160 F or you run the risk of the fat melting and ending up with shriveled sausages).  Add a handful of wood chips twice throughout the smoking process.  Hickory wood chips and apple wood chips are both great choices for pork.
  • Cool Down the Sausages:  Once the sausages reach the correct internal temperature they need to be cooled down very quickly to about 120 degrees F to keep the sausages from continuing to cook and to prevent the casings from shrinking and shriveling.  Submerging the sausages in an ice bath is often recommended but I don't like to take the chance of getting water inside the casings.  So I prefer the other commonly used method of spraying them with cold water for several minutes in the sink or you can even leave them on the smoker racks and spray them with a garden hose.  The important thing is to work quickly and immediately after the sausages reach the right internal temp. 
    Once you get the temp down to around 120 degrees F, let the sausages air dry for an hour or two.  Now they're ready to eat.  You can keep them stored in the fridge for 3-4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.  If you vacuum seal them you can freeze them a little longer.
  • To reheat the sausages, pan fry them for a few minutes or heat them on the grill.
    Makes about 24 sausages depending on the diameter of the casings and how tightly they're stuffed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sausage | Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 902mg | Potassium: 376mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 395IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 179mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword Smoked Sausages
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