How to make sausage?

Real sausage is an emulsified mixture of meat, fat and seasoning. 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 proteins and vegetable emulsifiers, such as soy protein and lecithin. Unfortunately, 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 is horrible, rubbery and has an artificial flavor. But, the real sausage is rich in flavor, quality and has a creamy texture! Just make it at home, choose a good supplier and look at the ingredients rather than the price when buying.

Equipment used to make sausage

• Meat grinder;
• Mixer with flat paddle;
• Bagging machine (electric or manual sausage stuffer);
• Very sharp knife.

Ingredients for making sausage

• 500 grams of lean meat – usually beef and/or pork;
• 250 grams of crushed ice – it can be water, wine or some broth;
• 375 grams of pork fat – preferably from the skin layer or lard;
• 20 grams of salt – if you use salty broth, reduce the salt;
• 25 grams of skimmed milk powder – works as an emulsifier, stabilizer and humectant.

Procedures

Making a sausage is a slightly more complicated process than making a sausage, the procedure is not difficult, but you need to get the proportions of the ingredients right and, just like when making sausages, pay attention to the temperatures throughout 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 grams for every 500 grams 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 and laborious to correct.

Grind and mix

Chop the meat with a knife, take the opportunity to remove the nerves. Pass the meat and fat through a meat grinder with the wide disc, return to the freezer if it has warmed up a little, season with salt and, if necessary, add sodium nitrite to prevent the proliferation of bacteria. Return to the freezer if the mixture has warmed up a little. Remove from the freezer, add the well-chilled or frozen and chopped liquid and pass again through the meat grinder with the finest grinding disc. Return the mixture to the freezer.

Emulsifying the Sausage Filling

This is the most important part that turns a sausage into a sausage. Remove the mixture from the freezer and add it to the beater with the flat paddle, always keeping everything well chilled. Add the seasonings and beat on high for 4 minutes. The mixture should be very pasty and uniform.

Add powdered milk to help emulsify, stabilize and retain moisture. Beat for another 2 minutes. Turn it off and keep it refrigerated to fill the stuffing in the casing and finally transform it into sausages.

Sausage stuffing test

To test whether the filling has the desired taste, take a portion, wrap it in plastic wrap and let it boil in a pan, remove and taste. Ideally, the inside of the sausage should be at 65 degrees so you can remove it from the boil and try it. 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 will be a bad sign, as something has probably gone wrong during the emulsification, possibly the temperature has risen too much during the process.

Stuffing the sausage

Stuff the sausage in the same way you would stuff a sausage (for more details, read How to make sausage?), use a hand-crank, electric filler or wide funnel. In the case of sausage, as it has a pasty consistency, it is also possible to use a bag with a piping tip to place the filling in the casing. But in all cases it is necessary to leave the tripe to soak for at least thirty minutes, then roll the entire tripe around the stuffer tube, push the filling into the tripe and finally twist or tie it approximately every 10 centimeters.

The correct way to eat sausage

The correct way to cook the sausage is to keep the water at a temperature between 80ºC and 90ºC, that is, without letting the water boil. If you have a cooking thermometer, monitor the internal temperature of one of the sausages. When it reaches at least 65ºC (around 15 to 20 minutes), remove them from the heat and place them in another container with very cold water for about 5 minutes to stop the cooking. The temperature should drop to 60 degrees. After cooking, the sausage can be eaten or refrigerated for later reheating by boiling, in a frying pan, grill or oven. Always frying in a frying pan is a good option because the caramelization resulting from this process adds flavor to the sausage. If you want a smokier flavor, grill them on the grill, letting the outside brown slightly.

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.