Sausage Information - Weston 08-0801-W User Manual

SAUSAGE INFORMATION

MEAT SELECTION FOR SAUSAGE MAKING
Sausage making has evolved over many years and generations, and as a result there are countless
types of sausage you can make using the basic ingredients of meat, fat and a few carefully blended
spices. Following are a few simple guidelines that will help you make the best tasting sausage
possible.
Any type of meat can be used for making sausage: pork, beef, bison, moose and caribou, even
antelope make great sausage. It is important when preparing venison or other red game meats to
trim all the fat from the meat, as red game tallow will turn rancid in as few as five days. Replace the
fat with either pork or beef fat, depending on the type of product you are making, at a ratio of 1 pound
(0.5 kg) of fat for every 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of game meat.
The fat content of your sausage will affect the taste, texture, cooking characteristics and shelf life of
your product. Most commercially made sausage has a fat content of about 20%. Using less than 12%
fat will result in a very dry tasting sausage, while using more than 20% may result in a sticky flavorless
sausage that will be difficult to cook.
CURING
It is important to properly cure meats to preserve meat and poultry, and to destroy undesirable
microorganisms on the meat surfaces that cause spoilage and food born illnesses. There are
many steps that help in this process, including smoking, cooking, drying, chilling and the addition
of cure ingredients. The oldest means of accomplishing this is by introducing salt into the meat. The
resistance of bacteria to salt varies widely among different types of bacteria. The growth of some
bacteria is inhibited by salt concentrations as low as 3%, e.g., Salmonella, whereas other types are
able to survive in much higher salt concentrations, e.g., Staphylococcus. Fortunately, the growth of
many undesirable organisms normally found in cured meat and poultry products is inhibited at low
concentrations of salt.
Modern curing is based on Nitrates and is very scientific. The best way to ensure proper curing is to
purchase one of the many commercially available curing agents from either a grocery store or your
local butcher. A very common cure is Prague Powder, which is available in two types (#1 and #2).
CASING
There are many different types of casings available, the right choice depends on personal preference
as well as the type of sausage you wish to make. For most sausages, your choices are natural or
collagen. Don't let the names fool you; collagen casings are not a synthetic product . They are made
from beef skin and other tissues. Collagen casings are uniform in size and texture and require almost
no preparation. "Natural" casings are the intestines of lamb, sheep, hogs or beef. They are less
uniform in size and require substantial preparation. For those reasons, more than 75% of commercially
made sausage in the U.S. is made with collagen casing. There are also fibrous non-edible casings
that are used for some varieties of smoked sausages and bolognas.
TYPES OF SAUSAGE
Most sausages fall into one of four categories: Fresh, Smoked, Cooked or Dried. All sausages, except
dried, require refrigerated storage. There is also a sub-category of uncooked smoked sausages.
Among the fresh and uncooked smoked sausages, you will find such flavors as kielbasa or Polish
sausage, Italian sausage, breakfast sausage and many others. Both fresh and uncooked smoked
sausages require cooking before eating and also require refrigerated storage.
Smoked and cooked sausages include salami, bologna, the ever-popular hot dogs and many others.
Proper smoking requires a smokehouse or smoker. These can be simple home-built structures made
from metal drums or even old refrigerators or they can be elaborate manufactured units. Most smoked
sausages are warmed before serving. Many people think that a smoked sausage will last much
longer without spoilage, but this is not true. Smoked sausages should be treated the same as fresh
sausage in terms of storage.
Dried sausages require the longest processing time, as they are air dried over a long period of time.
Some types of dry sausages are pepperoni, prosciutto and a variety of ham products, just to name a
few. The conditions under which the meat is dried are very exacting; temperature, time and humidity
must all be carefully monitored for a safe and delicious product.
STORAGE
It is important to remember that sausage will lose its flavor the longer that it is stored. It is recommended
that you only make as much sausage as you will need for 4-6 weeks. Even frozen sausage will begin
to lose flavor noticeably after 6 weeks. Frozen sausage should be thawed slowly in the refrigerator
before cooking or serving. Quick thawing of the product will degrade the taste as well.
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