Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage by Warren R. Anderson Read Free Book Online
Authors: Warren R. Anderson
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
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
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