How to make sausage? Sausage is made by grinding raw meats along with salt & spices, then is stuffed into natural or synthetic casings. What is this now called? Original containers were formed from intestines, stomachs, & other animal parts

Sausage Ingredients Main Ingredient Fat Seasonings & Cure Mixes Spices Herbs Aromatics

Main Ingredient Traditionally, sausages were made from tougher cuts of meat from leg or shoulder. The more exercised the muscle, the more highly developed the flavor. Then, any toughness would be eliminated by grinding the meat. Reminder: Meats for sausages should be trimmed & cut into dice or strips, then the seasonings or cure mix are tossed together with the meat BEFORE grinding.

Main Ingredient – “Certified Pork” Pork which has been treated in such a way that destroys pathogens responsible for trichinosis. You may buy it, or prepare yourself by observing appropriate freezing times & temperatures…

Fat Fat is integral in making a good sausage In earlier formulas, the fat percentage in a forcemeat may have been as high as 50% Today, we use an average of 25% to 30% Many different types of fat may be used, but most contemporary recipes use pork fat (either jowl fat or fat back) or heavy cream

Seasonings & Cure Mixes Sausage may be prepared with ordinary table salt, but you may sub in other salts such as kosher or sea salts. Be sure to weigh salts as they each have a different volume to weight relationship Sausages which are to be dried or cold smoked must include either nitrate or nitrite-nitrate combination in order to cure safely. (Prague Powder II) Hot smoked & fresh sausages do not require nitrites Sugar, dextrose, or other sweeteners are added to the curing mixture to mellow the flavor & make a more moist product.

Spices Spices are added as whole toasted seeds, ground or in special blends (i.e. quatre epices) Making your own spice blends from whole spices will ensure best flavor This is done be toasting whole spices & grinding right before using You may also make larger batches & store them in airtight containers in a cool dry place.

Herbs Often dried herbs are used for sausage making If substituting fresh for dry, you will need about 2-3 times more fresh to equal the amount of dried in the recipe The taste will be different…test & taste

Aromatics Vegetables (onion family, mushroom, celery) Wines/Vinegars (be careful – grainy) Citrus Zests Prepared Sauces (worcestershire, tabasco) Powdered Onion or Garlic Stock *Vegetables are most often cooked before use

Use & Care of Equipment Follow these guidelines: Make sure equipment is in excellent condition Equipment must be scrupulously clean before using Any part coming in contact with the sausage should be chilled Choose the right tool for the job Assemble the grinder correctly

Basic Grind Sausages Sausages made using this method have a medium to coarse texture When left without casing, known as bulk Basic Grind Sausages include: Fresh Sausages Cooked Sausages Smoked & Dried Sausages

Basic Grind Sausages - Method Grind Chilled & Diced Meats with additional ingredients until desired texture Mix the ground ingredients until homogenous Now ready to test, garnish, & shape

Emulsion Sausages Made from a basic mixture referred to as the 5-4-3 method: 5 parts trimmed raw meat 4 parts fat 3 parts H2O in the form of ice Often, these sausages are poached before smoking

Emulsion Sausages - Method Cure meat, then grind through fine die Grind the chilled fatback through fine die Chop together the ground meat and crushed ice & process until temp drops below 30˚F

Sausage Shaping The sausage meat may be used either as Bulk form, made into patties, or stuffed into Casings Once in casings, it is then formed into links, loops, spirals, or other shapes

Sausage Casings – Where do they come from?

Sausage Casings – Where do they come from?

Sausage Casings – Where do they come from?

Preparing Casings Before using, the casings must be rinsed thoroughly with tepid water, forcing water through them as well Cut the casings into lengths & tie bubble knot in one end Casings are then fitted onto the proper stuffing tube

Stuffing the Casings Assemble & fill sausage stuffer properly Keep nozzle & work surface lubricated with water Press sausage into prepared casing Be sure to support the casing while filling with forcemeat Twist or tie sausage into appropriate shape Twist in opposite directions or tie off with twine After the sausage has been formed, pierce the casing to allow air to escape