How to make homemade sausage

Real sausage is an emulsion of prime meat, fat, seasonings and water. The basic difference between a sausage and a sausage lies in the proportions of these ingredients and the emulsification techniques, which transform the mixture into a homogeneous and creamy mass, often aerated due to the type of process adopted.

The important thing is that the mixture is very creamy, delicate and tasty. Unlike products offered by large industries, it is not necessary to add large amounts of stabilizers, such as phosphates, or vegetable proteins, such as soy protein.

These economical industrial products have given sausage this label as a low-cost, low-quality product, and unfortunately, rightly so, as the common sausage found in supermarkets has low-quality ingredients, such as excess poultry skin and mechanically separated meat. However, real sausage is rich in flavor, quality and has a creamy texture! Just choose a good meat supplier and make it at home.

Equipment used to make sausage

• Manual or electric meat grinder;
• Food processor with sharp cutting blade;
• Bagger (sausage filler) or funnel;
• Very sharp knife;
• Culinary thermometer.

Casing or casing

The casing/casing is an essential item for sausage production; It can be natural from sheep, artificial from cellulose or collagen, sizes 19 to 24. It can be purchased online, in butchers or specialized meat shops.

Procedures

Making a sausage is a time-consuming process, but it is not difficult; You need to get the proportions of the ingredients right and always pay attention to the temperatures throughout the process. The temperature is important so that the fat does not dissolve and separate from the emulsion during the process. Always keep everything cold, and this applies to dishes, equipment, meat, fat and liquids added to the recipe. Leave them in the freezer before using them. It is recommended to leave the meat and fat in the freezer and use them when they are almost frozen. Salt is added at a rate of 10 to 20 grams per kilogram of meat and fat. Remember that, with salt, it is always better to err on the side of less and then get it right in the end, as the opposite is much more complicated to correct.

Salt the meat

It may seem unnecessary, but the ideal is to salt the meat a day in advance. Salt, in addition to adding flavor, is incorporated into the protein and helps with the emulsion, retaining fat and water. Then, clean, chop the meat with a knife into 1cm cubes and add salt a day in advance.

Milling

Note:​ If you don't have a grinder, chop as finely as possible with a knife and skip this step.

Pass the meat and fat through the grinder with the wide disc. Return to the freezer if it has warmed up a little. Again, return to the freezer if the mixture has warmed up a little. Remove from the freezer and pass again through the grinder with the finest grinding disc. Return the mixture to the freezer.

Emulsifying

This is the most critical part of the process. It's what turns a sausage into a sausage. Remove the meat from the freezer and place it in the food processor with the cutting blade, always keeping everything well chilled. Add the remaining seasonings and process on high speed for 4 minutes. Afterwards, add the liquid in the recipe very cold and little by little, as this helps to keep everything cold. Try to always keep the temperature below 12ºC. As you process, make sure the mixture becomes very pasty and homogeneous.

Add powdered milk to help emulsify, stabilize and retain moisture. Process for another 2 minutes. Remove and store refrigerated to embed this dough in the casing and, finally, transform into sausages.

If your processor is not powerful, do it in two steps.

Sausage dough test

To test whether the pasta has the desired taste, take a portion, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in almost boiling water (80º C) for a few minutes. Remove and try. Adjust the seasoning and salt if you notice any problems. If the filling has become floury, falling apart, or with fat sticking to the plastic, this is a bad sign, as the emulsion has probably collapsed.

Note: Problems that may occur with the emulsion (and how to avoid them) are a more complex item for this text, requiring a specific text for this topic.

Stuffing the sausage

This is perhaps the most difficult task to do at home, as the sausage dough is soft and sticky. The ideal is to use specific equipment, but it is very difficult for anyone to have one at home. So, as an alternative, it is possible to use a wide funnel to place the filling inside the casing (casing). Natural casing is generally preserved in salt, so you need to rinse it with plenty of water. Collagen casing is easier to work with, but less digestive.

Supermarket sausages are generally made with cellulose casing and after cooking, before being packaged, this casing is removed, as it is not edible. More expensive commercial sausages, such as the Vienna type, are wrapped in collagen casing. The ideal casing for sausages is sheep intestine, but it is rarely used commercially as it is more expensive and difficult to work with. For those just starting out, the suggestion is to look for collagen casing and, later, when you are familiar with the process, switch to thin pork or lamb casing.

Regardless of the casing, insert it into the funnel's outlet tube, tie the end with a string, or make a knot, and start passing the sausage mass into the casing. Every 10 cm, turn the casing a few times or tie with a string to form the long separations typical of sausages.

Cooking

To cook the sausage, heat water in a pan between 80º C and 90º C, that is, without letting it boil. If you have a culinary thermometer, monitor the internal temperature of one of the sausages and, when it is at 70º C (around 15 to 20 minutes), remove them from the hot water and place them in another container with ice water for approximately 5 minutes to stop cooking. It's ready for consumption!

After cooking, the sausage can be consumed or refrigerated for later reheating by boiling, in a frying pan, barbecue or oven. Cooking in a frying pan is always a good option, as the caramelization resulting from this process adds flavor to the sausage. If you want a more smoky flavor, roast them on the barbecue and lightly toast the outside.

It is laborious, but you will have a product made with noble meats, much healthier, without preservatives, colorings, stabilizers and emulsifiers.

Can sausage be smoked?

Yes, you can smoke them instead of cooking them in water. In this case, set the smoker to a temperature between 80ºC and 90ºC, and keep them in the smoker until the internal temperature of the sausages reaches 72ºC. Remove and immerse in ice water. You can consume them immediately, refrigerate or freeze them.

I don't have a thermometer, how can I tell if the sausages are cooked?

Without a thermometer, leave the water in the pan at 80ºC for about 25 minutes. Keep the water from boiling. Generally, when bubbles start to appear at the bottom of the pan, it is time to reduce the heat to low, without letting it boil. This time varies depending on the thickness of the sausages. The thicker they are, the longer it will take for the inside to reach the correct temperature, between 65ºC and 72ºC. Once the inside of the sausages reaches this temperature, they will be cooked and sterilized, and can be consumed immediately, refrigerated or frozen.

Should I use curing salt (nitrite) and how long does it take for the curing salt to start working and protecting the sausage?

The nitrite in curing salt begins to act and protect the sausages the moment it is added to the meat. Its use is especially recommended for smoked sausages, as the environment in the smoker is conducive to the development of the bacteria responsible for botulism. To better understand how curing salt works and how long it takes to act, read the post Nitrite conversion time in cured meats.

Recipes

These sausages are for immediate consumption as they do not contain preservatives. Store them in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. It is suggested to place a label with the preparation date.

The powdered milk works as a stabilizer, that is, it helps to keep the emulsion stable.

Seasonings can vary according to taste, the important thing is to keep the proportions of meat, fat and water unchanged.

Vienna Sausage

• Pork shank 450g;
• Pork fat 260g;
• Ice water 150g;
• Powdered milk 20g;
• Refined salt 18g;
• Sugar 4g;
• Hot paprika 4g;
• dehydrated garlic 2g;
• White pepper powder 1g.

Pork fat can be found in abundance in pork bacon or belly; ask the butcher for a piece.

Chicken Sausage

• 300g chicken breast with the skin;
• 300g chicken thighs with the skin – boneless;
• 300g chicken thighs with the skin – boneless;
• 100g of ice water or crushed ice;

• Salt 15g;
• Powdered milk 20g;
• dehydrated onion 1g;
• Mustard 1g;
• Hot paprika 2g;
• Garlic powder 1g;
• Sugar 2g;
• Black pepper 1g;
• White pepper 1g.