Sausages 12 Chapter Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Sausages12Chapter

Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Sausages

• The term sausage refers to a mixture of seasoned ground meat and fat.

• Once prepared, this mixture can be further processed into many products of varying form, shape, and production method.

Understanding Sausages

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Sausages

• At its most basic level, sausage is a simple product.

• A sausage has only three basic elements:1. The Forcemeat

2. The Casing

3. The Internal Garnish

The Anatomy of a Sausage

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The Forcemeat• Sausage is a mixture of highly seasoned ground meat and fat

specially combined to create protein development and emulsification. • Such a mixture is called a forcemeat, whether used for sausage or

for another preparation.

The Casing• Casings are long, flexible tubes that encase, or surround, the

forcemeat of most sausage products. • Natural casings are the inner lining of the intestines and other parts

of the digestive tract of various meat animals. • Manufactured casings are available in several materials and sizes.


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The Internal Garnish• Sometimes small cubes or pieces of food are mixed into

the ground forcemeat of a sausage. • When the sausage is cooked or dried, these pieces of

food remain visible.• When the sausage is eaten, they contribute to its

mouthfeel.


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Standard-grind Sausages • Made of forcemeats ground to varying degrees of

fineness or coarseness in a meat grinder.

1. Fresh sausages

2. Cured and hot-smoked sausages

3. Cured and dried sausagesa) Dried sausages can be divided into two subcategories:

1. Unsmoked dried sausages (includes fermented sausages)

2. Cured and cold-smoked sausages

Types of Sausage

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Emulsified Sausages • Made from meats and fat puréed

together rather than ground. Thus, they have a smooth texture.

• There are two basic types:1. White or fresh emulsified sausages

2. Cured emulsified sausages

Types of Sausage

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Weisswurst

Sausages

Meats and Poultry for Sausages• Pork is the primary meat used in charcuterie work, including sausage

making.• Most sausages made from pork are cooked before they are eaten,

so standard pork may be used to make them. – If you plan to make a cured and dried sausage, or a cured and smoked

sausage, that will not be cooked to a temperature above 140°F (60°C), you should purchase certified pork.

• Many popular sausages are based on beef. However, their formulas may contain pork fat.

Ingredients

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Fats for Sausages• The fat component of a forcemeat is as important, if not more

important, than the meat. • In many sausage preparations, fat is used in high proportion, often

equaling the weight of the meat. • Fat content of most traditional sausages is generally 30–50% of the

total weight.• Pork fat is the preferred fat for sausage-making. • The clean flavor and light texture of pork fat make it the ideal vehicle

for absorbing flavors and creating a rich, luscious mouthfeel.

Ingredients

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Sausages

Fats for Sausages• Pork fat is available in three basic market forms.

1. Fatback (or backfat)

2. Pork rind

3. Salted fatback

• Salt fatback should not be used for sausage making or other charcuterie work for two reasons:1. The large amount of salt will alter the salt-to-solids ratio in a

forcemeat, causing any foods in contact to become oversalted.

2. The salt’s preservative action draws out much of the fatback’s water content and changes its texture.

Ingredients

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Fats for Sausages• When ordering pork fatback for charcuterie work, be sure to specify:

fresh, unsalted fatback.• Jowl fat: A dense, pure white deposit fat located in the head of the

hog. It is considered the finest fat on the carcass.• Suet: The deposit fat that forms around an animal’s kidney. It is

considered a very pure form of pork fat.• Trim fat: It is lower in cost than fatback, jowl fat, and suet, but

usually contains a large amount of connective tissue that must be trimmed.

Ingredients

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Fats for Sausages• Beef and Veal Fat

– The fat of mature steers is ivory in color; it has a stronger taste than pork fat and gives forcemeat products a distinctive flavor.

– Beef suet, or kidney fat, is considered the cleanest, lightest-tasting fat on the carcass.

– The fat of calves, or veal fat, is lighter in color and flavor. Both beef fat and veal fat are used in beef sausages.

• Poultry Fat– The fat from chicken, turkey, and duck carcasses is used in poultry

sausages.

– While it has good flavor, it is soft in texture and can be difficult to grind.

Ingredients

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Flavorings for Sausages• Dextrose is a powdered glucose sweetener often added

to sausage forcemeats.• Synthetic souring agents reproduce flavors produced by

the action of bacteria in traditionally fermented sausages.

Ingredients

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Flavorings for Sausages• Here are some ideas for sausage flavoring ingredients:

– Salt (kosher or natural)– Sugar products– Fruit juices, wines, beers, and spirits– Vinegar, condiments and prepared sauces– Herbs, dried or fresh, ground or cracked spices– Pulverized dried seasonings– Fresh or cooked onions, garlic, shallots, chopped vegetables– Citrus zest– Fermento™

Ingredients

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Flavorings for Sausages• Internal garnishes add flavor as well as texture. • As with seasonings, thoughtfully chosen internal garnishes can lend

a seasonal or ethnic feeling to a sausage product. • Here are some options for internal garnishes:

– Dried fruits

– Cooked fresh fruits

– Cooked or raw vegetables

– Nuts

– Firm or hard cheeses

– Fresh, cured, or smoked meats

– Solid fat

Ingredients

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Secondary Binders• Some sausages require additional ingredients to help their basic

forcemeats bind together and to give them a firm, cohesive structure. These are called secondary binders.

• Secondary binders for sausages are usually starchy ingredients or protein enhancers, including:– Bread crumbs

– Nonfat dried powdered milk

– Eggs or egg products

– Soy protein concentrate

Ingredients

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Sausages

Bacterial Cultures• Some traditional cured and dried sausages rely on a high

acid content for preservation. • One way to lower the pH of a sausage is through the

action of a beneficial acid-loving bacterial culture. • The beneficial bacteria feed on the sugars in the sausage

forcemeat and produce lactic acid as a waste product.

Ingredients

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Sausages

Sausage Casings• The casing of a sausage determines its size and shape, and it fulfills

several other important functions. • Natural casings are derived from the digestive systems of animals. • Natural casings are preferred by charcutiers for four main reasons:

1. They give sausages an attractive, natural appearance.

2. They have natural elasticity and, thus,make it easier to encase the forcemeat.

3. Natural casings accept the color and flavor of smoke better than synthetic casings.

4. Natural casings give sausages a superior mouthfeel.

Ingredients

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Sausages

Sausage Casings• Salt-packed casings.• In this traditional market form, casings are wrapped in

bundles, called hanks, of a specific length; they are then packed in dry salt or in a heavy brine to preserve them.

• Pre-flushed casings.• Natural casings are now available in pre-flushed form,

either loose or in plastic tubs; they are packaged in liquid preservative that keeps them softened for immediate use.

Ingredients

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Sausage Casings• The high demand for sausage products and the limited availability of

natural casings has led to the development of a variety of manufactured casings.– Collagen casings.

– Collagen is a protein substance found in the skin, flesh, and connective tissue of animals. Today, collagen derived from cattle hides is used to make collagen casings.

– Synthetic casings.

– Synthetic casings may be made from plastic or plant fiber; this type of casing is not edible and used for sausages that are peeled before eating.

Ingredients

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Guidelines for Sausage Safety and Sanitation• Thoroughly sanitize cutting boards, knives, and any other tools used for

fabricating sausage ingredients.

• Wash hands frequently during forcemeat preparation; wear food-service gloves.

• Meat grinders, food processors, mixers, and sausage stuffers have ridges, perforations, and tight spaces that are difficult to properly clean and inspect; these machines and their parts must be sanitized before and after use.

• Sterilize perforation equipment.

• Workers must wear nonskid shoes and mop up spills as soon as they occur.

• To avoid accidents from machinery, use the guards and other safety devices.

• Be careful when handling blades; never leave them soaking where they are not clearly visible.

Ingredients

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Grinding Equipment• Meat Grinders• Rotation Choppers• Food Processors• Mixing Equipment• Electric Mixers

Encasement Equipment• Sausage-Stuffing Machines• Meat-Grinder/Sausage-Stuffer Attachments• Pastry Bag and Tip

Equipment for Sausage Making

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1. Grinding– Grinding is the first step in preparing a sausage, or other

forcemeat.

2. Mixing– A separate mixing step is necessary only for standard-grind

forcemeats. – Emulsified forcemeats are thoroughly mixed during the puréeing

process, and therefore no further mixing is necessary.

3. Encasing– This is the process of stuffing a forcemeat into a casing.

The Four Phases of Sausage Making

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4. Finishing– There are six basic methods for finishing sausages. – Four of these methods involve precooking the sausages, and two

involve drying (without cooking):• Precooking methods

1. Poaching

2. Steaming

3. Poaching or steaming followed by cold-smoking

4. Hot-smoking

• Drying methods5. Cold-smoking and drying

6. Drying without smoking


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Guidelines for Maintaining Proper Forcemeat Temperatures• Have all meats and fat to be diced for a forcemeat at refrigerator

temperature when you begin working on them.• Place meats and fat in an ice bain-marie as you complete their

fabrication.• Keep the fabricated mixture cold while you are mixing it with the

seasonings and curing mix.• Be sure liquids to be added to the forcemeat are ice-cold.• Work as quickly as possible, work in small batches, and keep any

ingredients not being actively worked on in the refrigerator.


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Guidelines for Grinding Forcemeats in a Meat Grinder• Make sure the grinder blade is sharp.• Chill all grinder parts in the freezer, or an ice bath, before beginning

to grind.• Cut meats and fat into pieces that will easily pass through the grinder

feed tube. Do not force the meat into the grinder.• Keep the meats to be ground in an ice bain-marie. Receive the

ground meats into an ice bain-marie as well.


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Guidelines for Grinding Forcemeats in a Meat Grinder (cont’d)

• Begin with the coarsest die. Continue to grind through progressively smaller dies until you achieve the specified texture.

• Make sure the worm, blade, and die are properly seated in the grinder and that the collar (round part that holds the die in place) is screwed on tight.

• To clear the last bits of meat or fat from the grinder, push a piece of bread through it.


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Guidelines for Making Puréed Emulsified Forcemeats• When preparing emulsified forcemeats, follow the directions given in

the recipe you are using.• Make sure the chopper or processor blade is sharp.• Chill all removable parts in the freezer, or in an ice bath, before

beginning to purée.• When using a rotation chopper, pay close attention to the

appearance of the product, and stop the machine as soon as the forcemeat reaches the proper consistency.

• When using a food processor, work in batches. • Measure carefully and make sure all the proper ratios are maintained

for each batch.


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Poach-Testing Forcemeats• When all seasonings are added and the forcemeat’s protein

development and emulsification are complete, test and evaluate both texture and flavor before proceeding to the next preparation.

• To properly evaluate the flavor and texture of a forcemeat, it must be cooked and cooled to room temperature before you taste it.

• Poaching in plastic wrap is the best cooking method to use because it neither adds nor removes any flavors or fat content.


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Procedure for Poach-Testing Forcemeats1. Have ready a small pan of simmering water and an ice bain-marie.

2. Form 1–1½ oz (30–45 g) of cold forcemeat into a cylinder; place it on plastic wrap and roll it up. Twist both ends and, if desired, tie with kitchen string.

3. Place forcemeat in simmering water and cover with a small lid or folded damp towel to keep it submerged. Poach the forcemeat at a gentle simmer for about 1 minute, or until firm to the touch.


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Procedure for Poach-Testing Forcemeats4. Transfer the forcemeat to the ice bain-marie and place the lid or towel on

top. Chill for 1–2 minutes, or until it reaches cool room temperature.

5. Unwrap the forcemeat and taste it, evaluating both taste and mouthfeel. Consider whether finished product will be served hot or cold.

– Remember: Products to be served cold should be more highly seasoned than those to be served hot.


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Encasement• Goal: Evenly fill casings with enough forcemeat so they are plump

and attractive, but not so full they burst during cooking/handling.• Many encased sausages are twisted or tied off into specific lengths

with kitchen string. – A bubble tie creates a double seal with an air pocket between seals.

– If necessary to expel air from the sausage, the first seal can be loosened and the bubble can be pricked open without compromising the seal.


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Sausages 12 Chapter Copyright © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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