Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage (29 page)

⅛ tsp. (0.625 ml) allspice

⅛ tsp. (0.625 ml) cloves (powdered)

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) light corn syrup

½ cup (120 ml) finely powdered skim milk

¼ cup (60 ml) cold water

MIXING AND STUFFING

1. 
Grind the chilled meat with a
-inch (4.8 mm) or smaller plate. Refrigerate the ground meat for about 30 minutes.

2. 
While the meat is chilling, mix all of the remaining ingredients thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Refrigerate this mixture for about 15 minutes.

3. 
Add the chilled ground meat to the seasoning mixture, and knead until it is well mixed and uniform. This will require about three minutes. Chill this meat and seasoning mixture again while the sausage stuffer and casings are being prepared.

4. 
Stuff the sausage into the hog or sheep casing, and twist the sausage rope into 6-inch (15 cm) links. Refrigerate the links overnight to permit the seasoning to be absorbed by the meat. Use an uncovered container (or cover with paper towels) so the casings will dry.

Usually, this variety of andouille is hot smoked. If you wish to smoke the links, please see Chapter 7 for suggestions and directions. If you wish to omit smoking, please go directly to the cooking suggestions in Chapter 6.

Berliner Sausage

This German snack sausage is cured and seasoned very simply with salt, pepper, a little garlic, and minced raw onion. In this recipe, the traditional 20 percent veal has been replaced with chicken or turkey thighs.

CASING

Any size of fibrous casing may be used. A large casing such as a 4-inch (10.16 cm) one is most common, but a 2½-inch (6.35 cm) casing is easier and faster to process, so it is recommended. For 2½ lbs. (1,150 g) of sausage, two of these casings—12 inches (30 cm) long—will be required. Prepare the casings by soaking in lukewarm water for 30 minutes. Be sure to put warm water inside the casings.

MEAT

Prepare 1½ lbs. (680 g) of pork butt, ½ lb. (225 g) of beef chuck, and ½ lb. (225 g) of either boned chicken thighs or boned turkey thighs. Cut the meat into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes. The total fat content should be about 20 to 25 percent of the meat. (Beef heart or venison may be substituted for some of the beef chuck.) Refrigerate the meat for 30 minutes. While the meat is being prepared, chill the meat grinder and stuffer.

Grind the meat with a
-inch (4.8 mm) plate. Chill the meat again while the seasoning and other ingredients are being prepared.

THE SEASONING AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

2¼ tsp. (11.25 ml) salt

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Cure #1

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) white pepper, finely ground

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) garlic granules

¼ cup (60 ml) finely minced onion

½ cup (120 ml) powdered skim milk

¼ cup (60 ml) cold water

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) light corn syrup

MIXING AND STUFFING

1. 
While the ground meat is chilling, mix the seasoning and other ingredients in a large bowl until the slurry is uniform.

2. 
Add the meat to the seasoning mixture. Blend by kneading until it is uniform. This will require about three minutes.

3. 
Stuff the sausage into fibrous casings. Insert the cable probe of an electronic thermometer in the open end of one of the chubs, and close the casing around the probe with butcher’s twine.

4. 
Refrigerate the sausage chubs overnight to blend the seasoning and curing powder with the meat.

5. 
The next morning, the chubs may be smoked. (Cold smoking followed by hot smoking is traditional.) Please see Chapter 7 for smoking details and suggestions. If the sausage will not be smoked, steaming or poaching is recommended. Cooking by steaming or poaching is explained in Chapter 6.

Bierwurst

In spite of the name, bierwurst does not have beer as an ingredient. It got its name because it goes well with beer. It is sliced and eaten cold as a snack sausage or luncheon meat. Bierwurst is a hot smoked sausage, but smoking is not essential.

A few hours before this sausage is made, it is best to soak the minced garlic in the rum and water. This will help to distribute the garlic flavor better.

CASING

Bierwurst is traditionally stuffed in large beef bungs or small beef bladders, but 2½-inch (6.35 cm) fibrous casings, or large hog casings, are easier and faster to process, so they are recommended. For 2½ lbs. (1,150 g) of sausage, two fibrous casings—each 12 inches (30 cm) long—will be required. Prepare the fibrous casings by soaking in lukewarm water for about 30 minutes. Be sure to put warm water inside the casings. If large hog casing will be used, it should be prepared a day in advance.

MEAT

Prepare the meats listed below. Cut the meat into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes. The total fat content should be about 25 percent of the meat. While the meat is being prepared, chill the meat grinder and stuffer.

• 1½ lbs. (680 g) pork shoulder butt

•
₂
lb. (225 g) beef chuck

•
¹
⁄ lb. (115 g) bacon

•
¹
⁄ lb. (115 g) beef heart

Refrigerate the meat for at least 30 minutes, and then grind the meat with a
-inch (4.8 mm) plate—or use a plate with smaller holes, if available. Chill the meat again while the seasoning and other ingredients are being prepared.

THE SEASONING

2 tsp. (10 ml) salt

2 tsp. (10 ml) garlic, minced and packed in the spoon (about 4 cloves)

1½ tsp. (7.5 ml) sugar

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Cure #1

¾ tsp. (3.75 ml) black pepper, ground

¾ tsp. (3.75 ml) MSG (optional)

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) cardamom seed, ground

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) nutmeg

¼ cup (60 ml) powdered skim milk

¼ cup (60 ml) cold water

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) white rum

MIXING AND STUFFING

1. 
While the ground meat is chilling, mix all the seasoning ingredients, powdered milk, water, and rum in a large bowl until the slurry is uniform.

2. 
Add the meat to the seasoning mixture. Blend by kneading until it is uniform. This will require about three minutes.

3. 
Stuff the sausage into casings. Insert the cable probe of an electronic thermometer in the open end of one of the sausages, and close the casing around the probe with butcher’s twine.

4.  
Refrigerate the stuffed sausage overnight so the seasoning and curing powder will blend with the meat.

The next morning, the sausage may be smoked. Please see Chapter 7 for smoking instructions and suggestions. If it will be smoked, hot smoking is recommended, but cold smoking and steam cooking will also yield good results. If the sausage will not be smoked, steaming or poaching is recommended. Cooking by steaming or poaching is explained in Chapter 6.

Chinese Cha Shu Sausage

This exotically seasoned, piquant Chinese sausage is very good for seasoning stir-fried dishes. The seasoning of this sausage is similar to some varieties of Chinese style barbecued pork served as an appetizer in Chinese restaurants. This sausage, too, can be sliced thinly and served with hot mustard and toasted sesame seeds. The special character of this variety results from the use of
five-spice powder
—a special Chinese spice blend with a unique aroma. In Chapter 8, there is a similar recipe for a Chinese
cha shu
sausage, but it is not cured and does not use five-spice powder (see
Chinese-Style BBQ Pork Sausage
).

Nowadays, many Chinese culinary ingredients are available in the ethnic sections of well-stocked grocery stores. But, if you can’t find what you need, try an Asian grocer or use the Internet. The Chinese light soy sauce is milder than the common soy sauce, but regular soy sauce can be used for this sausage. The five-spice powder must be Chinese style; there is a European five-spice powder, but that is not the same. A certain American company manufactures many Chinese culinary ingredients, including five-spice powder, under the brand name of
Sun Luck
. This brand is sometimes available in common grocery stores. For additional information on five-spice powder, please see Appendix 1.

Some people love the unique and distinctive aroma of five-spice powder, and others cannot tolerate it. Consequently, you might wish to reduce the amount from ½ tsp. (2.5 ml) to ¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) for the first batch of this sausage.

CASINGS

Sheep casings are definitely preferable, but small-diameter hog casings may be used. However, please keep in mind that the required drying time increases as the diameter of the casing increases. If you wish to use the small hog casing, rinse 7 feet (210 cm) of casing, and refrigerate it overnight in a cup of water. If 24 to 26 mm (1 in. to 1
in.) sheep casing is to be used, prepare about 14 feet (420 cm). Rinse the casing again, and soak it in warm water for a few minutes before using.

THE MEAT FOR 2
¹
⁄2 LBS. (1,150 G) OF CHA SHU SAUSAGE

Prepare 2½ lbs. (1,150 g) of pork butt. Cut the meat into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes and refrigerate.

SEASONINGS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS FOR MARINADE

cup (80 ml) honey