got my christmas present a bit early this year since shipping a smoker to georgia from ohio would be a hassle and not cheap. since its around i def started having fun with it and am trying to get summer sausage and snack sticks down. i know a lot of people kill hogs and leave them (not gonna shame people for it i 100% agree with what saltydog said theyre satans critters and horribly destructive) but one could buy a $100 meat grinder and have a very happy freezer if they kept sows and small to medium boars.
once pork is obtained, with a quart bag full of ground meat i mixed up about a quarter cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons each of curing salt, fennel seed, ground mustard, sage, minced garlic, and a few dashes of chili powder and a good splash of cider vinegar. mix it well and let it sit overnight. i found the 12" mahogany casings at gander mountain for a few dollars so figured id try those. soak the tubes a while, stuff em full, then secure em with crab twine. i smoked the rolls with chicken legs for about 2 hours at 225F with mesquite chips and a few splashes more of cider vinegar in the water pan and they came out GREAT! even if one doesnt have a smoker, there was leftover meat that made 1 burger patty and it too was delicious after being pan seared.