Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage (43 page)

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) nutmeg

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) garlic granules

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) onion granules

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) ginger powder

⅛ tsp. (0.625 ml) celery seed, ground

⅛ tsp. (0.625 ml) mace

cup (80 ml) copped sweet pickle (see instruction No. 2, below)

cup (80 ml) copped canned pimento (see instruction No. 2, below)

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) good tasting white wine

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) light corn syrup

cup (80 ml) cold tap water

½ cup (120 ml) finely powdered skim milk

MIXING AND STUFFING

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

2. 
Chop the sweet pickles and the canned pimento into pieces about ⅛ to ¼ inch (3 to 6 mm). Place the chopped pickles and pimento on a paper towel with several layers of newspaper underneath. Refrigerate. (The paper towel and newspaper will absorb the excess moisture.) Measure the seasoning and other ingredients (except for the meat, chopped sweet pickles, and pimento) into a large stainless steel mixing bowl. Stir until the mixture is uniform; it will be a thin paste. Refrigerate until well chilled. (The pickles and pimento will be added to the emulsified sausage paste just before it is stuffed into the casings or put into the loaf pan.)

3. 
Follow the instructions in
HOW TO EMULSIFY SAUSAGE
near the beginning of this chapter.

4. 
Sprinkle the chopped sweet pickle and pimento mixture on the sausage paste, and knead until they are mixed uniformly. Stuff the emulsified sausage into the prepared fibrous casings. If an electronic thermometer will be used when the sausage is cooked, insert the cable probe into one of the chubs. Close the ends of the chubs with twine. Refrigerate overnight (or at least a few hours) to permit the seasoning to be absorbed by the emulsified meat. Use an uncovered container with a paper towel placed over the chubs.

If the sausage has been stuffed in fibrous casings, poaching or steaming is recommended. Please see Chapter 6.

Weisswurst

In German,
weisswurst
is written
weißwurst
and the translated meaning is
white sausage
. Unfortunately, the Americans have assigned the nicknames
white sausage
or
white wieners
to
bockwurst
, so it would be very confusing to use the translation of weisswurst.

Lemon zest does not appear in all versions of this sausage, so this can be considered optional, but it does lend an interesting touch to the formula.

CASINGS

Sheep casings, or small hog casings, are recommended. If 24 to 26 mm (1 in. to 1
in.) sheep casings are to be used, prepare about 16 feet (480 cm). If small diameter hog casings will be used, prepare 8½ feet (255 cm). Rinse the casing, and refrigerate it in water overnight. Rinse again, and soak in warm water a few minutes before using.

THE MEAT FOR 2½ LBS. (1,150 G) OF WEISSWURST

Traditionally, weisswurst is made of 50 percent veal and 50 percent pork. However, because veal is so expensive and sometimes difficult to purchase, boned chicken or turkey thighs have been substituted, and pork has been made the predominant meat.

Prepare 1½ lbs. (680 g) of fatty pork shoulder butt and 1 lb. (450 g) of boned chicken or turkey thighs (retain and use the skin and the fat). Cut the pork butt and fowl into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes. Refrigerate these two meats until they are well chilled. While this meat is being prepared, chill the grinder and sausage stuffer in the refrigerator.

SEASONINGS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

2½ tsp. (12.5 ml) salt

¾ tsp. (3.75 ml) white pepper, ground

½ tsp. (2.5) parsley, dried

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) onion granules

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) mace

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) celery seed powder

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) ginger powder

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) light corn syrup

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) lemon zest (optional)

¼ cup (60 ml) fresh milk

½ cup (120 ml) finely powdered skim milk

MIXING AND STUFFING

1. 
Grind the pork butt and the poultry thighs with a
-inch (4.8 mm) or smaller plate—the smaller the better. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

2. 
Except for the meat, measure the seasoning and other ingredients into a large stainless steel mixing bowl. Stir until the mixture is uniform; it will be a thin paste. Refrigerate.

3. 
Follow the instructions in
HOW TO EMULSIFY SAUSAGE
near the beginning of this chapter.

4.
Stuff the emulsified sausage into the prepared casings, and twist into 6-inch (15 cm) links. Refrigerate the links overnight (or at least a few hours) to permit the seasoning to be absorbed by the meat.

Please see Chapter 6 for cooking suggestions.

White Wieners

White wiener
is a nickname that Americans have given to a sausage that the Germans call bockwurst. Depending on the area of the United States, they are also called white sausages, white hot dogs, and white hots.

In German,
bock
means
buck
—the male of various species of herbivorous animals such as deer or antelope. There is also a German beer called bock beer, and this beer is commonly drunk while eating bockwurst.

This is a mild and pleasant-tasting sausage, and the pale, almost white, color is the reason for the nicknames given to it by Americans. In recent times, some processors emulsify bockwurst, and this is the emulsified version. However, it is an uncured, fresh sausage, so it is never smoked. Botulism is a possibility if these sausages are smoked, or if they are cooked at low temperatures for a log time.

Instructions for making a non-emulsified version of this sausage are in Chapter 8 (
Bockwurst
).

CASINGS

Sheep casings or small hog casings are recommended. If 24 to 26 mm (1 in. to 1
in.) sheep casing is to be used, prepare about 16 feet (480 cm). If small-diameter hog casing will be used, prepare 8½ feet (255 cm). Rinse the casing, and refrigerate it in water overnight. Rinse again, and soak in warm water a few minutes before using.

THE MEAT FOR 2½ LBS. (1,150 G) OF WHITE WIENERS

Traditionally, bockwurst is made of about 60 percent veal and 40 percent pork. However, because veal is so expensive and sometimes difficult to purchase, boned chicken or turkey thighs have been substituted, and pork has been made the predominant meat.

Prepare 1½ lbs. (680 g) of fatty pork shoulder butt, and 1 lb. (450 g) of boned chicken or turkey thighs (retain and use the skin and the fat). Cut the pork butt and fowl into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes. Refrigerate these two meats until they are well chilled. While this meat is being prepared, chill the grinder and sausage stuffer in the refrigerator.

SEASONINGS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

2½ tsp. (12.5 ml) salt

2 tsp. (10 ml) onion granules

1 tsp. (5 ml) parsley, dehydrated

¾ tsp. (3.75 ml) white pepper, ground