Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage (44 page)

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) mace

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) celery seed powder

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) ginger powder

1 egg, beaten

2 green onions, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) light corn syrup

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. Add the egg and chopped green onions. 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 for at least a few hours) to permit the seasoning to be absorbed by the meat.

Because bockwurst is a fresh sausage, there is a danger of botulism if they are smoked. Please see Chapter 6 for cooking suggestions.

Wieners

All European countries, and all countries in other areas of the world that have a culture based on European culture, eat hot dogs. The word they use is usually not
hot dog
,
frankfurter
, or
wiener
, but it is the same sausage, nevertheless. The world consumes more wieners than any other sausage.

The most common type of wiener in the United States and in many other countries is the emulsified, skinless type. After the sausage paste is emulsified, it is stuffed in an inedible cellulose casing and then precooked. When the cooking takes place, the sausage paste forms its own skin-like coating just under the cellulose casing. This skin-like coating on the sausage is composed of coagulated protein. The commercial sausage processor removes the cellulose casing mechanically before it is packaged for retail sale. (If you look closely at a skinless wiener, you will see a faint slit mark that goes from one end of the wiener to the other. This is where a razor blade has cut through the cellulose casing to prepare for its removal.)

CASINGS

Cellulose casings can be used, but natural casings are more convenient. If 24 to 26 mm (1 in. to 1
in.) sheep casing is to be used (recommended), 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 WIENERS

Prepare 1 lb. (450 g) of pork shoulder butt and 1½ lbs. (680 g) of beef chuck. Cut the pork butt and beef chuck 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

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Cure #1

2 tsp. (10 ml) paprika

1½ tsp. (7.5 ml) mustard, ground—packed in the spoon

1½ tsp. (7.5 ml) coriander—packed in the spoon

1 tsp. (5 ml) onion granules

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) garlic granules

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) white pepper, ground

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) marjoram

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) mace

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) light corn syrup

6 Tbsp. (90 ml) cold tap water

½ cup (120 ml) finely powdered skim milk

MIXING AND STUFFING

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

2. 
Measure the seasoning, water, and powdered milk 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 the links. Refrigerate the links overnight (or for at least a few hours) to permit the seasoning to be absorbed by the meat. Use an uncovered container with a paper towel placed over the sausage.

5. 
If the wieners will be smoked, please see Chapter 7. (Cold smoking is recommended.) If they will be cooked without smoking, please see Chapter 6.

Wienerwurst (Vienna Sausage)

The word
wiener
that is commonly used in American English to mean frankfurter, is a shortened version of the German
Wienerwurst
, which means Vienna sausage. (In the Austrian language,
Vienna
is spelled and pronounced
Wien.
) Many people believe that the frankfurter did not originate in Frankfurt, Germany; they claim that it originated in Vienna, Austria.

The formulation and instructions below are for making an emulsified version of Vienna sausage. In the United States, Vienna sausage is usually the canned, emulsified type. In Chapter 9, there is another Vienna sausage recipe (
Vienna Sausage
) for a version made with non-emulsified ground meat.

Beef, veal, and pork are the meats traditionally used to make this sausage. However, because veal is expensive and somewhat difficult to buy, I replaced the veal with boned turkey thighs or chicken thighs. The United States canned version of Vienna sausage also uses fowl instead of veal.

CASINGS

Sheep casing is 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 overnight in water. Rinse again, and soak in warm water a few minutes before using.

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

Prepare 1 lb. (450 g) of boned turkey thighs or chicken thighs (the skin and fat should be included), 1 lb. (450 g) of beef chuck, and ½ lb. (225 g) of pork shoulder butt. Cut the all of the meat into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes. Refrigerate these 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

2¼ tsp. (11.25 ml) salt

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Cure #1

1 tsp. (5 ml) paprika

1 tsp. (5 ml) onion granules

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) coriander—packed in the spoon

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) white pepper, ground

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) nutmeg

4 tsp. (20 ml) light corn syrup

cup (80 ml) cold tap water

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) all-purpose flour

½ cup (120 ml) finely powdered skim milk

MIXING AND STUFFING

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

2. 
Measure the seasoning, water, flour, and powdered milk 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 the links. Refrigerate the links overnight (or at least a few hours) to permit the seasoning to be absorbed by the meat.

5. 
Wienerwurst is not smoked. It is excellent grilled, or the links can be precooked by steaming or poaching and then grilled—or they can be reheated by simmering for about 10 minutes. Please see Chapter 6 for cooking details.

CHAPTER 11

Fermented-Style Sausage

N
owadays, it is dangerous to make authentic dry cured, fermented sausages at home because
E. coli
O157 is becoming resistant to being killed by the lactic acid produced in the fermentation process. (This is explained in Chapter 4,
Health Matters,
in the section on
E. coli
O157.) Furthermore, this type of sausage is extremely difficult to make because the fermenting and drying process requires special rooms or enclosures with round-the-clock temperature and humidity control. Failure must be expected because it occurs as often as success. Finally, fermented sausages must be made with the difficult-to-buy
certified pork
because the sausage is never cooked and the meat is still raw when it is eaten.