Summer Sausage

An easy-to-make beef sausage that is cooked right in your oven! It is nice to give away in gift baskets, and you can add or omit spices to suit your taste.

• Preparation Time: 10 mins
• Cooking Time: 8 hr
• Total Time: 8 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 111 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• 5 pounds ground beef
• 5 teaspoons sugar-based curing mixture (such as Morton® Tender Quick®)
• ¼ cup mustard seed
• ½ teaspoon hickory-flavored liquid smoke

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

In a large bowl, mix beef, curing mixture, mustard seed, garlic powder, cayenne, red pepper flakes, salt, and liquid smoke. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate for three days, mixing well once a day.

Step 2

On the fourth day, preheat oven to 200 degrees F (100 degrees C).

Step 3

Shape the mixture into five logs, and place on a wire rack over a large drip pan. Bake for eight hours, then remove to cool on paper towels. Let cool, then wrap logs individually in plastic wrap. Chill completely before slicing. They also freeze well.