Queen G’s Classic Deli Bologna

450 mins
Serves 1
tiktok.com

Directions

  1. 1Start with the wet ingredients: add white vinegar to some ice water.
  2. 2Start with the wet ingredients: add white vinegar to some ice water.
  3. 3Start with the wet ingredients: add white vinegar to some ice water.
  4. 4Mix in pink curing salt and then set it aside.
  5. 5Mix in pink curing salt and then set it aside.
  6. 6Mix in pink curing salt and then set it aside.
  7. 7Add all dry ingredients to a separate bowl: dry milk powder, granulated sugar, kosher salt, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, allspice, and paprika.
  8. 8Add all dry ingredients to a separate bowl: dry milk powder, granulated sugar, kosher salt, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, allspice, and paprika.
  9. 9Add all dry ingredients to a separate bowl: dry milk powder, granulated sugar, kosher salt, white pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, nutmeg, allspice, and paprika.
  10. 10Lastly, for moisture and texture, add rainmaker phosphates.
  11. 11Lastly, for moisture and texture, add rainmaker phosphates.
  12. 12Lastly, for moisture and texture, add rainmaker phosphates.
  13. 13Mix the dry ingredients together really well and then set them aside.
  14. 14Mix the dry ingredients together really well and then set them aside.
  15. 15Mix the dry ingredients together really well and then set them aside.
  16. 16Cube up 2 lbs of pork butt and add 1 lb of 73/27 ground beef to a bowl.
  17. 17Cube up 2 lbs of pork butt and add 1 lb of 73/27 ground beef to a bowl.
  18. 18Cube up 2 lbs of pork butt and add 1 lb of 73/27 ground beef to a bowl.
  19. 19With the pork cubes partially frozen, run them through a coarse grinder plate.
  20. 20With the pork cubes partially frozen, run them through a coarse grinder plate.
  21. 21With the pork cubes partially frozen, run them through a coarse grinder plate.
  22. 22Add just the dry mix to the ground pork and mix it well.
  23. 23Add just the dry mix to the ground pork and mix it well.
  24. 24Add just the dry mix to the ground pork and mix it well.
  25. 25Run the pork and dry mix through a fine grinder plate to ensure a nice smooth texture and well-incorporated seasonings.
  26. 26Run the pork and dry mix through a fine grinder plate to ensure a nice smooth texture and well-incorporated seasonings.
  27. 27Run the pork and dry mix through a fine grinder plate to ensure a nice smooth texture and well-incorporated seasonings.
  28. 28Combine the ground pork and ground beef.
  29. 29Combine the ground pork and ground beef.
  30. 30Combine the ground pork and ground beef.
  31. 31Mix in the wet mixture until all the water is absorbed into the meat and the meat becomes tacky and sticky.
  32. 32Mix in the wet mixture until all the water is absorbed into the meat and the meat becomes tacky and sticky.
  33. 33Mix in the wet mixture until all the water is absorbed into the meat and the meat becomes tacky and sticky.
  34. 34Transfer the mixture to a food processor and emulsify it in small batches, grinding for about a minute each time until it's a nice smooth paste. Keep everything cold.
  35. 35Transfer the mixture to a food processor and emulsify it in small batches, grinding for about a minute each time until it's a nice smooth paste. Keep everything cold.
  36. 36Transfer the mixture to a food processor and emulsify it in small batches, grinding for about a minute each time until it's a nice smooth paste. Keep everything cold.
  37. 37Transfer everything to a stuffing cylinder (kept in the freezer up until this point).
  38. 38Transfer everything to a stuffing cylinder (kept in the freezer up until this point).
  39. 39Transfer everything to a stuffing cylinder (kept in the freezer up until this point).
  40. 40Stuff the emulsification into a fibrous sausage casing, filling it firm but not rock hard.
  41. 41Stuff the emulsification into a fibrous sausage casing, filling it firm but not rock hard.
  42. 42Stuff the emulsification into a fibrous sausage casing, filling it firm but not rock hard.
  43. 43Tie off the casing and hang it in the fridge overnight to chill and help air bubbles work their way out.
  44. 44Tie off the casing and hang it in the fridge overnight to chill and help air bubbles work their way out.
  45. 45Tie off the casing and hang it in the fridge overnight to chill and help air bubbles work their way out.
  46. 46The next day, probe the bologna with an internal thermometer.
  47. 47The next day, probe the bologna with an internal thermometer.
  48. 48The next day, probe the bologna with an internal thermometer.
  49. 49Smoke it for about 5 hours on 180°F, or do this in the oven, rotating it about a quarter turn every half hour for the first 2 hours to ensure it stays nice and round.
  50. 50Smoke it for about 5 hours on 180°F, or do this in the oven, rotating it about a quarter turn every half hour for the first 2 hours to ensure it stays nice and round.
  51. 51Smoke it for about 5 hours on 180°F, or do this in the oven, rotating it about a quarter turn every half hour for the first 2 hours to ensure it stays nice and round.
  52. 52Remove it from the oven or smoker when it hits an internal temperature of 152-154°F.
  53. 53Remove it from the oven or smoker when it hits an internal temperature of 152-154°F.
  54. 54Remove it from the oven or smoker when it hits an internal temperature of 152-154°F.
  55. 55Immediately place it in an ice water bath for 15-30 minutes, then dry it off.
  56. 56Immediately place it in an ice water bath for 15-30 minutes, then dry it off.
  57. 57Immediately place it in an ice water bath for 15-30 minutes, then dry it off.
  58. 58Refrigerate overnight to fully set.
  59. 59Refrigerate overnight to fully set.
  60. 60Refrigerate overnight to fully set.
  61. 61It needs to be fully chilled before you cut it, like jello.
  62. 62It needs to be fully chilled before you cut it, like jello.
  63. 63It needs to be fully chilled before you cut it, like jello.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb pork shoulder, cubed very cold
  • 2 lb pork shoulder, cubed very cold
  • 2 lb pork shoulder, cubed very cold
  • 1 lb 73/27 ground beef, very cold
  • 1 lb 73/27 ground beef, very cold
  • 1 lb 73/27 ground beef, very cold
  • 1.5 Tbsp Morton’s kosher salt
  • 1.5 Tbsp Morton’s kosher salt
  • 1.5 Tbsp Morton’s kosher salt
  • 1.5 tsp sugar
  • 1.5 tsp sugar
  • 1.5 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp white pepper
  • 2 tsp white pepper
  • 2 tsp white pepper
  • 0.75 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.75 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.75 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.75 tsp onion powder
  • 0.75 tsp onion powder
  • 0.75 tsp onion powder
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 0.5 cup nonfat dry milk
  • 0.5 cup nonfat dry milk
  • 0.5 cup nonfat dry milk
  • 1 tsp Rainmaker phosphate
  • 1 tsp Rainmaker phosphate
  • 1 tsp Rainmaker phosphate
  • 0.875 cup ice water
  • 0.875 cup ice water
  • 0.875 cup ice water
  • 2 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
  • 3.4 g Cure #1
  • 3.4 g Cure #1
  • 3.4 g Cure #1

Equipment

coarse grinder platefine grinder platefood processorstuffing cylinderfibrous sausage casinginternal thermometersmokeroven

Tips

  • This bologna keeps 2 weeks in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer.
  • It’s amazing fried thick in a skillet, sliced cold for sandwiches, or turned into bologna burnt ends.
  • This is a great base recipe if you want to build extra flavor into it with more garlic, spice, heat, smoke, or other seasonings.
  • To ensure the texture is nice and smooth and all seasonings are well incorporated, run the meat through a fine grinder plate after the coarse grind.
  • Keep all ingredients very cold throughout the process.
  • When emulsifying in a food processor, work in small batches, grinding for about a minute each time until it's a nice smooth paste.
  • To help air bubbles work their way out, hang the stuffed casing in the fridge overnight.
  • To make sure it stays nice and round during smoking/baking, rotate it about a quarter turn every half hour for the first 2 hours.
  • It needs to be fully chilled before you cut it, like jello.
  • For an all-beef option, use 3 pounds of beef around 80/20, or 2 pounds of 80/20 plus 1 pound of 73/27 for a softer deli-style texture.