Homemade Bologna

[Granny Smith]

Homemade Bologna

Ingredients:

3 pounds ground beef
3 tablespoons curing salt (I have substituted regular salt)
1 cup water
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons liquid smoke flavoring

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, curing salt, water, garlic powder, onion powder and liquid smoke using your hands. Divide in half, and form each half into a roll. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Unwrap the beef rolls, and place them on a greased baking sheet or roasting pan.

Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, turning the meat over after 30 minutes. Internal temperature should be 160 - 165 degs. F. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled. Slice, and eat on sandwiches.

[Granny Smith]

I made this on Monday, using half ground beef and half ground pork. I was supposed to bake it Tuesday afternoon, but forgot about it until this morning. I don't know if it's from the longer cure or from using half pork, but it is the best bologna I've ever made! I'm glad I doubled the recipe!

[Valerie]

So, looking at the recipe, I'm thinking this probably tastes NOTHING like bologna from the store?
What's the texture like, Gayle? I have this mental picture of meatloaf, but is that anywhere close?

[Granny Smith]

You're right, it tastes nothing like bologna from the store. It's not mushy like meatloaf, nor does it taste like it. The flavor reminds me of summer sausage. It's firm like that, too. The texture is about halfway between cold meatloaf and summer sausage (or like a loosely packed summer sausage) If you wanted a tighter texture, you could have the meat ground finer. Mine was fairly coarsely ground.

It holds together when you slice it. In fact, it makes nice, thin slices. I made sandwiches for Dan and sliced it paper thin. Of course, I put a pile of those thin slices on the sandwich, like they do deli meat.

[Valerie]

I saw your fb post of the hm salami, and I like that texture! I could make this for Dave and just tell him it's homemade beef sandwich meat. We get really lean hamburger, so it wouldn't have much fat in it, which is what he likes. I bet it would make a really tasty sandwich, with mustard or barbecue sauce especially!

I think this would taste good. I do not like the taste of store bologna. There's some spice they put in it that I don't like, but I don't know what it is.

Thanks for posting this!

[Cyngbaeld]

Probably mace, Val. If you put it in meat it tastes like the potted meat from the grocery.

I am trying something similar except I started with a qt of canned pork and threw it into the food processor with the seasonings, 3 eggs and some powdered milk. Have it in a small crock in a slow oven now. See how it tastes or if it is dog food.

Gotta do something with all this canned meat I have because I have a real problem with the texture issue. Flavor is good, but a lot of it is dry and/or stringy from the processing.

[Cyngbaeld]

I got a little too much salt, but it is still good on home made bread with a little grey poupon!

[Valerie]

OK, I'm starting this today. I'm trying it with just 1 lb of meat, though, to make sure we like it before I use 3 lb!

[Granny Smith]

Don't blame you a bit. I started with a small batch, too. I started a full batch the very next day because we liked it so much.

[Valerie]

I hope they like it! I'm having a time keeping enough sandwich fixings in the house! Brent has his appetite back now.