Casings and Casings: A Guide to Perfect Sausages

Complete guide to sausage casings and casings. Learn about the types, advantages, disadvantages and tips for choosing the best one for your production.

When it comes to the production of processed meats, such as sausages, hot dogs and salami, the choice of casing or casing is as crucial as the selection of the ingredients inside. After all, it is the casing that gives shape, protects and directly influences the quality and conservation of the final product. In this post, we will delve into the world of casings and casings, exploring their variations, uses and best practices, based on the chapter “Tripas e outros Envelhos” (Tripes and other Casings) of the book “Embutidos, Frios e Defumados” (Burnished Meats, Cold Cuts and Smoked Meats) by Embrapa.

Types of Casings and Wraps:

1. Natural Casings:

Natural casings are the most traditional and still widely used in the production of sausages. They come from the digestive tract of animals, mainly pigs, sheep and cattle.

• Pork tripe: Versatile and resistant, it is ideal for fresh, cured and smoked sausages. It provides a classic texture and a characteristic flavor.
• Sheep tripe: Smaller in size, it is perfect for thin, delicate sausages, such as Frankfurter. It offers a soft, tender bite.
• Beef Tripe: With a larger diameter, it is used for larger sausages, such as mortadella and salami. It provides resistance and a robust appearance.

Advantages of Natural Casings:

• Permeability: Allows moisture exchange and smoke penetration, essential for curing and smoking.
• Flavor: They contribute to the authentic flavor of the sausages.
• Texture: They offer a unique texture when bitten.
• Adhesion: They adhere well to the dough, preventing the formation of air bubbles.

2. Artificial Wraps:

Artificial casings emerge as alternatives to natural casings, offering standardization and practicality.

• Collagen: Made from animal protein, they are edible and resemble natural casings in texture and appearance. Ideal for fresh or smoked sausages and hot dogs.
• Cellulose: Made from vegetable fibers, they are resistant and uniform. They are usually removed before consumption. Used in sausages, mortadella and some types of salami.
• Plastic: They are waterproof and ideal for cooked products or those that do not require smoking. They are used in cooked hams, Vienna sausages and molded products.

Advantages of Artificial Wraps:

• Standardization: Uniform caliber and length, facilitating scale production.
• Resistance: Lower risk of rupture during the embedding process.
• Barrier: Some types offer a greater barrier to moisture and oxygen, extending the product's shelf life.
• Cost: They can be more economical than natural casings, depending on the type and application.

3. Stockinette (Elastic Mesh):

Although it is not a wrap in the strict sense, the stokinette is a thick, elastic cotton mesh, essential in the preparation of products consisting of large pieces of meat or whole carcasses, such as ham tenderloin, shoulder blades, smoked chickens and turkeys.

Function of the Stockinet:

• Format: It gives the product a rounded and uniform shape.
• Support: Maintains the integrity of the piece during cooking and smoking.
• Permeability: Allows smoke to act across the entire surface of the piece.

Care and Preparation:

• Natural Casings: They should be washed in plenty of running water, inside and out, to remove salt and residue. It is important to check the origin and quality of the casings, purchasing them from reliable suppliers.
• Artificial Wraps: Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for use and storage. Collagen and cellulose wraps generally need to be hydrated before use.
• Stocking stuffer: It must be of good quality and elasticity to ensure the firmness and shape of the product.

Golden Tips:

• Choose the correct caliber: The size of the casing or casing must be suitable for the type of sausage you want to produce.
• Don't overfill: Excess dough can tear the casing or casing.
• Tie the ends together tightly: This prevents loss of mass and guarantees the shape of the sausage.
• Pierce the air bubbles: Use a fine needle to remove any air bubbles that form during the embedding process.

Conclusion:
Choosing the right casing or casing is a fundamental step in the journey to creating tasty, quality sausages. Whether you are a home-cooked enthusiast or an experienced producer, understanding the characteristics and uses of each type of casing will make all the difference in the final result.

Do you have any questions about casings and casings? Leave your question in the comments.
What is your favorite sausage casing or casing? Share your experience in the comments!
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Casings, Wraps, Sausages, Sausage, Salami, Natural Casing, Pork Casing, Sheep Casing, Beef Casing, Collagen, Cellulose, Plastic, Stock, Smoking, Charcuterie, Sausage Manufacturing.

Reference:

ROCCO, SC Sausages, Cold Cuts and Smoked Meats. Brasilia: Embrapa, 1996. 94 p.