Sausage Making (22 page)

Sheep casings, rinsed

Lamb is often seasoned with garlic and rosemary, so when I set about making this sausage I began with that classic flavor profile. The additional lamb fat in this recipe makes it exceptionally rich and juicy. You should be able to purchase hard lamb fat from any butcher; if you're utilizing the whole animal, use the fat surrounding the kidneys, in the neck, and on the belly.

1.   
   1.
   Place the lamb shoulder, lamb fat, and beef on a rimmed baking sheet, transfer to the freezer, and chill until crunchy on the exterior but not frozen solid
   (see page 23)
   .
   
2.   
   2.
   In a small bowl, add the garlic confit, salt, fennel seeds, rosemary, black pepper, onion powder, and Cure No. 1 and stir to combine.
   
3.   
   3.
   Nest a large mixing bowl in a bowl filled with ice. Grind the meat through the small die of the grinder into the bowl set in ice
   (see page 24)
   .
   
4.   
   4.
   Add the spice mixture to the meat and stir with your hands until well incorporated; the mixture will look homogenous and will begin sticking to the bowl
   (see page 25)
   .
   
5.   
   5.
   Press a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the meat to prevent oxidation, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, you can vacuum-seal the farce.
   
6.   
   6.
   Transfer the meat to the bowl of a food processor, add half the crushed ice and process until all of the ice has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining crushed ice and continue processing until the mixture is completely smooth, 4 to 5 minutes longer. Note: The temperature of your meat during this mixing step is critically important. Its temperature should never rise above 40°F/4°C; work efficiently during this step of the process.
   
7.   
   7.
   Spoon 2 tbsp of the meat mixture into a nonstick frying pan and spread into a thin patty. Cook the test patty over low heat until cooked through but not browned. Taste the sausage for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
   
8.   
   8.
   Stuff the sausage into the sheep casings
   (see page 31)
   and twist into links
   (see page 36)
   .
   
9.   
   9.
   Smoke the links
   (see page 43)
   at 170°F/77°C, until the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 145°F/63°C, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the sausages from the smoker, let cool slightly, then transfer to a refrigerator and let stand, uncovered, overnight. The following day, the wieners can be heated through in a pan or on a grill.
   

YIELD: 3 LB/1.4 KG

Boneless pork shoulder (or a combination of pork cuts, about 75% lean, 25% fat), cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1.20 lb
  
• GRAMS: 550
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 40.36
  

Pork liver, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 0.60 lb
  
• GRAMS: 298
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 21.90
  

Heavy cream

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2 cups + 2 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 280
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 20.54
  

Eggs

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2
  
• GRAMS: 90
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 6.61
  

Crème frâiche

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 52
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 3.81
  

All-purpose flour

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₃
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 24
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 1.73
  

Madeira

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 35
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 2.57
  

Fine sea salt

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 13
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.99
  

Fresh thyme leaves

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tbsp + 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 7
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.49
  

Coarsely ground black pepper

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 7
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.49
  

Ground coriander

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 5
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.35
  

Ground nutmeg

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 1
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.06
  

Cure No. 1
(see page 15)

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 3
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.10
  

Beef middles, rinsed

My favorite way to eat liverwurst is on a cracker, topped with slivered yellow onion. Though pork liver is high in protein, it isn't a great binder, so I add a small amount of flour to the farce to make the liverwurst smooth and spreadable.

1.   
   1.
   Place the pork shoulder and liver on a rimmed baking sheet, transfer to the freezer, and chill until crunchy on the exterior but not frozen solid
   (see page 23)
   .
   
2.   
   2.
   In a medium bowl, add the cream, eggs, crème frâiche, flour, Madeira, salt, thyme, black pepper, coriander, nutmeg, and Cure No. 1 and stir to combine.
   
3.   
   3.
   Nest a large mixing bowl in a bowl filled with ice. Grind the meat and liver through the small die of the grinder into the bowl set in ice
   (see page 24)
   .
   
4.   
   4.
   Add the cream mixture to the meat and stir with your hands until well incorporated; the mixture will look homogenous and will begin sticking to the bowl
   (see page 25)
   .
   
5.   
   5.
   Transfer the meat to the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture is completely smooth, 5 to 6 minutes. Note: The temperature of your meat during this mixing step is critically important. Its temperature should never rise about 40°F/4°C; work efficiently during this step of the process. Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to do this in batches.
   
6.   
   6.
   Spoon 2 tbsp of the meat mixture into a nonstick frying pan and spread into a thin patty. Cook the test patty over low heat until cooked through but not browned. Taste the sausage for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
   
7.   
   7.
   Press a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the meat to prevent oxidation, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, you can vacuum-seal the farce.
   
8.   
   8.
   Stuff the sausage into the beef middles
   (see page 31)
   , twist, and tie off with kitchen twine
   (see page 36)
   into six links, each about 5 in/12.5 cm long.
   
9.   
   9.
   Smoke the liverwurst
   (see page 43)
   at 170°F/77°C, until the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 145°F/63°C, about 90 minutes.
   
10. 10.
    Remove the liverwurst from the smoker and immediately transfer the links to a cooling rack. Let stand until completely cool. Vacuum- seal the links or tightly wrap each link individually in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Vacuum-sealed links will keep several weeks. If wrapped in plastic, they should be eaten within 1 week.
    

YIELD: 3 LB/1.4 KG

Boneless pork shoulder (or a combination of pork cuts, about 75% lean, 25% fat), cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1.00 lb
  
• GRAMS: 439
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 32.25
  

Fine sea salt

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 41
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 3.00
  

Eggs

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2
  
• GRAMS: 90
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 6.61
  

Eggs

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2
  
• GRAMS: 90
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 6.61
  

Nonfat dry milk powder

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 82
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 6.00
  

Crème frâiche

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 87
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 6.39
  

Freshly grated horseradish

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 10
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.75
  

Coarsely ground black pepper

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 4
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.30
  

Ground coriander

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 4
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.30
  

Smoked trout, skin removed

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 0.40 lb
  
• GRAMS: 185
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 13.60
  

Crushed ice

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 4 cups
  
• GRAMS: 409
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 30.00
  

Finely diced red onion

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 4
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.30
  

Finely chopped fresh parsley

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 7
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.50
  

Hog casings, rinsed

This is everything I like about eating smoked fish, in tube form. Serve this sausage with greens and Horseradish and Black Pepper Crema
(page 186)
or, for an uptown hors d'oeuvre, slice it into coins and serve on blinis, topped with more crème frâiche and a dollop of caviar.

1.   
   1.
   Place the pork on a rimmed baking sheet, transfer to the freezer, and chill until crunchy on the exterior but not frozen solid
   (see page 23)
   .
   
2.   
   2.
   In a small bowl, combine the salt, eggs, milk powder, crème frâiche, horseradish, black pepper, and coriander and stir to combine.
   
3.   
   3.
   Nest a large mixing bowl in a bowl filled with ice. Grind the meat and fat through the small die of the grinder into the bowl set in ice
   (see page 24)
   . Place the trout on the baking sheet and chill in the freezer until crunchy on the exterior but not frozen solid.
   
4.   
   4.
   Add the spice mixture to the meat and stir with your hands until well incorporated; the mixture will look homogenous and will begin sticking to the bowl
   (see page 25)
   .
   
5.   
   5.
   Transfer the meat to the bowl of a food processor, add half the ice and process until all of the ice has dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining ice and continue processing until the mixture is completely smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Note: The temperature of your meat during this mixing step is critically important. Its temperature should never rise about 40°F/4°C; work efficiently during this step of the process. Remove the trout from the freezer and chop.
   
6.   
   6.
   Spoon 2 tbsp of the meat mixture into a nonstick frying pan and spread into a thin patty. Cook the test patty over low heat until cooked through but not browned. Taste the sausage for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Once satisfied with the flavor, fold in the chopped trout, red onion, and parsley.
   
7.   
   7.
   Press a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the meat to prevent oxidation, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, you can vacuum-seal the farce.
   
8.   
   8.
   Stuff the sausage into the hog casings
   (see page 31)
   and twist into links
   (see page 36)
   .
   
9.   
   9.
   Smoke the links
   (see page 43)
   at 170°F/77°C, until the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 145°F/63°C, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove the sausages from the smoker, let cool slightly, then transfer to a refrigerator and let stand, uncovered, overnight. When you're ready to eat the sausages, they can be cooked on a grill
   (see page 38)
   until heated through.