Bologna
Smokehouse Classic Bologna
Classic Smoked Style Bologna
Smokehouse Classic Bologna is a bologna built on a 50% lean meat / 35% pork / 15% pork fat blend, using lean wild game or lean beef. Smoke at 130-175°F (54-79°C) and finish at an internal 152°F (67°C), stuff into 4.5" Fibrous casing, grind at 3/8" then 1/8". Exact amounts scale to any batch weight in the DeepWoodz Smokehouse app for iPhone and Android.
Real bologna has nothing in common with what comes in a plastic sleeve at the store. Mace and coriander are the traditional backbone, and a fine grind with a proper emulsion is what gives it that smooth slice. Fried thick in a pan on white bread is the correct application.
- Internal temp
- 152°F (67°C)
- Smoker temp
- 130-175°F (54-79°C)
- Casing size
- 4.5" Fibrous
- Casing
- Fibrous
- Bloom
- 1-2 hours
What goes in it
- Kosher Salt
- Cure #1
- Coarse Black Pepper
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Paprika
- Mace
- White Pepper
- Coriander
- Sugar
- Mustard Powder
- Ice Cold Water
- Ground Nutmeg
Amounts are calculated for your batch weight in the app — including the cure, which is held at a fixed, food-safe rate.
The meat
Lean Wild Game · Lean Beef · Pork Butt · Pork Shoulder · Pork Fat
Bear or wild hog: take it to 160°F and hold 3 minutes. Freezing, smoking and curing do not kill trichinella — only heat does.
How it's made
- With the meat ice cold (28-32°F, partially frozen is ideal), grind through a 3/8" plate, then regrind through a 1/8" plate for a fine texture.
- Add seasoning and ice water to ground meat. Mix until very smooth and paste-like with good protein extraction.
- For an ultra-smooth texture, process in a food processor for 2-3 minutes until completely uniform.
- Stuff firmly into soaked 4.5" fibrous casings. Prick any air bubbles with a pin.
- Rest in the refrigerator for 4-12 hours to let cure distribute and color develop.
- Smoke at 130°F with dampers open for 1 hour to dry the casing.
- Apply smoke and increase to 140-150°F for 2-3 hours.
- Raise to 170-175°F until internal temperature reaches 152°F. Important: Do not let your smoker exceed 175°F. Even if your smoker is set at or below 175°F, the actual temperature can spike higher — monitor closely.
- Immediately plunge into ice water bath until internal temp drops below 100°F. (Optional — an ice bath is not required. It is personal preference; many just let them cool at room temp, or outside in cold weather. Just cool them down promptly.)
- Hang at room temp for 1-2 hours to bloom, then refrigerate overnight before slicing.
Wood
Hickory · Cherry · Maple
Safety
- Keep meat below 40°F during grinding and mixing
- Ice water is critical — keeps emulsion stable
- Cook to 152°F internal temperature
- Ice bath immediately after smoking to prevent wrinkling and keep casing from sticking to the meat. (Optional — an ice bath is not required. It is personal preference; many just let them cool at room temp, or outside in cold weather. Just cool them down promptly.)
Before you start
New recipes as they land.
Venison, wild game, snack sticks, summer sausage. Leave your email and we'll send the new ones over.
Only when there's a new recipe. Nothing else.
You're on the list. We'll be in touch.
Something went wrong. Please try again.