Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage (7 page)

These nitrites or nitrates in the curing powders are largely responsible for the pink color of some types of sausages. Nitrites or nitrates also cause the pink color of ham, bacon, and luncheon meats. The red color of corned beef, and the reddish color of most commercially produced jerky, are more examples of the effect of nitrites and nitrates. Without these chemicals, all the fully cooked meats mentioned above would be brownish or grayish, like ordinary cooked meat. The lean part of bacon, for example, would turn brown while cooking, and luncheon meats and frankfurters would not be pink—they would be brownish.

Meats cured with nitrites or nitrates (including sausage) also have a distinctive flavor that many people like; the flavor difference can be readily understood by comparing the taste of cured ham with the taste of roasted pork. Furthermore, rancidity is inhibited, shelf life is extended, and positive protection against botulism is provided with the proper use of these additives.

In spite of all the benefits provided by these curing chemicals, they are harmful if used in
large
quantities. Fortunately, it takes only a very small amount to obtain the desired result, and the amount of these chemicals specified in this book is considered safe. Nevertheless, if you never eat commercially processed meats because of the additives they contain, you may not want to use a curing powder in your sausage. However, if you make that decision, then you should forgo making
smoked
sausage because
smoked
sausage without the addition of nitrites or nitrates presents a considerable risk of botulism poisoning. It could prove fatal.

It was mentioned above that nitrites and nitrates are used in very small amounts. In fact, the amount required to cure 2½ pounds (1.135 kg) of ground meat is so small (approximately
2 teaspoon), it can only be weighed accurately with scales found in a scientific laboratory or in a pharmacy. This is obviously impractical for both the amateur smoker and a small commercial processor, and it is not possible to measure such a small amount accurately with a measuring spoon.

To overcome this obstacle, several companies have mixed salt with sodium nitrite (NaNO
₂
) to make a product containing 6.25 percent sodium nitrite. Such a blend that uses salt as a carrier can be measured with reasonable accuracy by using measuring spoons commonly found in the household kitchen. Only ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) of this curing powder blend will cure 2½ pounds (1.135 kg) of ground meat.
Prague Powder #1
,
Modern Cure
, and
Insta Cure #1
are three brands of curing powder that contain 6.25 percent sodium nitrite. These curing powders have pink food coloring added so that they will not be confused with salt. Consequently, curing powder is sometimes called
pink salt
or
pink powder
.

When curing powders are commercially produced, a special process is used to bond the proper ratio of salt and sodium nitrite into each crystal so that the blend will always remain uniform. Homemade curing powders can be blended, but homemade curing powders will not be uniform, and the salt can separate from the sodium nitrite. This is why the commercially prepared curing powders are recommended. A uniform curing powder helps to insure that the correct amount of nitrite is added to the product.

Whenever
Cure #1
is specified in this book, you may use any brand of curing powder that contains 6.25 percent sodium nitrite. These commercial curing powders are readily available by mail order from establishments that offer sausage-making or smoking equipment (see Appendix 5). Butcher supply firms often sell curing powder; check out
butcher supplies
in the yellow pages. You may also be able to obtain it from sausage-making establishments. You will not find these products in a common grocery store.

There are some curing products available in grocery stores that contain a very low percentage of sodium nitrite (about 0.5 percent) in the salt carrier. However, such products are not recommended because (if used as directed by the manufacturer) they allow very little control of the salt content in your products. Your products will probably be too salty.

Prague Powder #2
and
Insta Cure #2
contain sodium nitrate in addition to sodium nitrite. These special curing powders are mainly used for fermented sausages. Fermented sausages are not covered in this book, so these curing powders will not be used. However, a class of sausages called
fermented-style
sausages
is covered in this book, but these fermented-style sausages require the common
Cure #1
, which does not contain sodium nitrate. (For additional information, please see
Nitrites and nitrates
in Chapter 6.)

Fermento

Fermento
is a manufactured seasoning made entirely from dairy products. It contains lactic acid—the same acid produced by bacteria when fermented, dry-cured sausage is made. It is the lactic acid in the dry-cured sausage that gives it its fermented flavor and characteristic tang. Fermento imparts this fermented flavor without fermentation of the sausage. The use of Fermento allows us to make products like pepperoni, summer sausage, and Thuringer without the lengthy and difficult dry-curing process. Please see Appendix 5 for sources of this product if you wish to make the fermented style sausages described in Chapter 11.

Liquid Smoke

Liquid smoke is something you may want to add to your list of supplies. The use of liquid smoke will enable you to make smoke-flavored sausages, even if you do not own a smoker.

If your smoker is a water smoker, you may want to try liquid smoke. Water smokers do not impart as much smoke flavor as a regular smoker, so you may want to use a little of the liquid smoke to boost the smoky aroma of water-smoked sausage. This is especially true if the smoking time is short.

Most large grocery stores offer Wright’s Liquid Smoke, but liquid smoke other than this hickory aroma (mesquite, for example) can be obtained from some companies that offer sausage-making supplies.

Use liquid smoke sparingly. If it is used in excess, the sausage will have an unpleasant taste. Tr y ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) for a 2½ pound (1,150 g) batch. Reduce or increase the amount of liquid smoke in the next batch of sausage.

Meat

No matter what kind of meat is being used for sausage, it should be fresh. If the meat was frozen while it was still fresh and is then properly thawed, it is equivalent to fresh meat. Ground meat will spoil faster than solid meat, so it is best to start with fresh solid meat in order to ensure a wholesome product.

Traditionally, sausage experts consider the perfect fat-to-lean ratio to be about 25 percent fat and 75 percent lean. However, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service permits up to 50 percent fat in fresh pork sausages, breakfast sausages, and whole hog sausages. Considering this, 25 percent fat does not seem to be excessive, but many people who make their own sausage prefer a healthier, leaner sausage.

Pork is the most commonly used meat for making sausage, and an economical cut variously called Boston butt, shoulder butt, pork shoulder, or pork butt is most often used. Besides being inexpensive, it is a very convenient cut to use because it contains about the perfect ratio of lean to fat. Any cut of pork can be used, so use the most economical. In this book, the expression
pork butt
will be used; however, please understand
pork butt
to mean any cut of pork that contains about 25 percent fat—or the amount of fat you prefer. If you need to add fat, medium-hard pork fat is the best kind of fat to use because it has a high melting point. Use a type of medium-hard fat known as
back fat
or
fatback
whenever available. It is very convenient to have a supply of cubed back fat in the freezer to add to any kind of meat that is too lean.

If beef is used to make sausage, any cut of beef may be used, but the expression
beef chuck
will be used in this book. Beef chuck is economical, and it usually contains about the right amount of fat.

If wild game meat is used, it is best to trim and discard all the fat from the meat; very few people like the taste of wild game fat. To replace that fat, use enough pork fat to bring the percentage of fat to the desired level.

Poultry flesh is increasingly used for making sausage. Sometimes sausages are made entirely of poultry, but it is more commonly added to pork, beef, or a blend of pork and beef. I often substitute turkey or chicken thighs for the more expensive veal.

Often, there will be some pork, beef, or fowl left over after preparing meat to make a batch of sausage. This meat may be frozen for future processing, even though it was previously frozen. Every time meat is frozen, the ice crystals formed in the meat will cause physical changes that allow juices to escape when it is thawed. This will cause no serious deterioration in quality unless it is re-frozen many times.

COLD WATER THAWING

Thawing in a refrigerator is safe, and it is commonly recommended. However, cold water thawing is just as safe, and it is much faster.

If cold water thawing is employed, the pieces of raw material must be sealed in plastic bags to prevent absorption of water (
this is important
). It is best to put only one piece of raw material in each plastic bag. Remove as much air as possible. Place the bagged material in a deep container, and fill the container with cold tap water. The meat should be pressed below the surface of the water. Set the container in a sink, and allow a thin stream of cold tap water to run into the container—or change the water in the container from time to time.

A large joint of meat (a whole pork shoulder butt, for example) might require only a few hours to thaw in cold water, but the same joint of meat might require several days to thaw in the refrigerator. This will be true even if the temperature of the water in the container is the same as the temperature of the air in the refrigerator. Why does cold water thaw more effectively? The heat conductivity of water is much greater than that of the air in the refrigerator, so thawing is much faster, even if the thawing temperatures are the same.

Cold water thawing can be used in combination with refrigerator thawing. Even if you began thawing in the refrigerator, you can finish the thawing quickly in cold water. This is especially useful when you have underestimated the refrigerator thawing time and you need to begin your processing schedule.

Plastic Food Wrap

Plastic food wrap, which many people still call
Saran Wrap
, may be one of your most frequently used supplies. If you find that you use a lot of plastic food wrap, you might want to purchase a larger, more economical roll such as those used in restaurants and commercial kitchens. These rolls are about 6 inches (15 cm) in diameter; they are bulky, but the easy-to-use cutter provided with each roll makes wrapping easier than with the home-use roll. These large rolls can be found at restaurant supply grocery stores. The plastic wrap is normally 1 foot (30 cm) wide, and the roll contains 3,000 linear feet (914 meters).

Salt

One of the best kinds of salt to use for all sausage-making purposes is the kind of salt known as
pickling salt
or
canning salt
. This salt is over 99 percent pure, and it contains no iodine or other additives. Another variety of salt that is equally acceptable is known as
non-iodized table salt
or
plain salt
; only a freeflow agent (usually calcium silicate or magnesium carbonate) is added. This salt is also over 99 percent pure, and the taste of the small amount of free-flow agent will not be noticeable. When used for sausage making, curing, and canning, the impurities or additives in salt, depending on the kind and amount, can cause discoloration and bitterness in meats, fish, and vegetables. The freeflow agent will not cause problems for sausage making or meat curing, but the salt with no additives should be used for pickling and canning.

A 5-pound (2.27 kg) box of pickling salt can be obtained in most grocery stores for about $1.50. A 25-pound (11.35 kg) bag of plain table salt (containing the acceptable free-flow agent) can be purchased at a wholesale grocery store for about $3.50. There are few reasons to use anything other than one of these two varieties for making sausage. Iodized salt and sea salt contain minerals that are good for you, but they are not the best salts for making sausage.

Pickling salt and table salt are
fine grain
salts. Fine grain salts are best for sausage making because fine grain crystals dissolve faster than large crystals and because fine grain salt can be measured accurately by volume.

Kosher salt, especially the fast-dissolving flaked kosher salt, is quite acceptable for sausage making because it is a pure salt with no additives. A negative point is that any given volume measurement of kosher salt will weigh less than the same unit of fine grain salt; consequently, one tablespoon of kosher salt will weigh less—and contain less salt—than one tablespoon of fine grain salt. All the sausage-seasoning formulas in this book are based on the use of fine grain salt. If kosher salt is used, the volume measurement of the salt needs to be increased, and the amount of increase will depend on the brand and kind of kosher salt you are using.