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.
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.
I want to make a hog dog sausage factory, can you help me?
Good morning!
I plan to make Vienna sausage and I'm doing a lot of reading before trying it. Regarding the use of the emulsifying mix instead of powdered milk, I ask if I should use the same amount as in the recipe (20g). I'm also unsure whether I should change the amounts of salt and sugar added, since the mix already contains salt and sugar in its composition. Lastly, what is the best way to use liquid or powdered smoke for a slightly smoky flavor? Remembering that liquid smoke also has salt in its composition, which raises the first question. Thank you in advance for your attention and congratulations on the complete and well-explained content.
Hi Leonardo. Over and emulsifying mix, use as indicated on the product purchased, as each one has a different composition. Generally it will be close to these 20g, but it can vary. Regarding sugar and salt, if you want a more precise recipe, calculate the salt present in the composition of all the ingredients and subtract it from the added salt, this way you will have the exact amount of sodium in the sausages. But, for homemade productions, these calculations are normally not necessary as there is no sodium labeling and the difference in flavor in the sausages is not that significant. Liquid smoke generally does not have sodium, powdered smoke may or may not, which varies greatly depending on the product purchased. Apply directly to the dough during processing. If you want an external smoke color, dip it in the liquid smoke for a few seconds and let it dry.
Thanks for the answer.
Have a great week.
Hi, is it possible to replace powdered milk with something else that doesn't contain milk? even for allergic reasons. Thanks
Hi Aline. Milk protein allergy has been increasingly diagnosed, in addition to lactose intolerance, which is very common. You can do without or replace it with a product like this(emulsifying and stabilizing mix), which is much more efficient than powdered milk. You can also replace it with carrageenan or some type of starch, such as corn or potato starch.
Hi Eduardo, how are you? I had a little problem, I don't know if my comment arrived
I just received this comment.
Good morning. Can I add turmeric to make the color yellow?
Hi Priscila, yes you can, it will color well.
Hello, I made the recipe using ham, it was very good! Thanks for the excellent content!
Good, I'm happy to know that you did it and everything went well. A big hug!
Eduardo, good morning. Can I ask to grind the meat at the butcher's shop and thus alleviate the effort on the processor? Can I grind the fat together too? Thank you very much. Nilton
Hi Nilton, yes, you can get the meat already ground from the butcher. Yes, you can grind the fat together.
Thank you very much. Good luck there!
Eduardo, good afternoon. Boy, I tried to make the Vienna sausage but the dough wasn't smooth, the flavor was great, but the texture I think was a little to be desired due to the dough.
I put the very cold dough to beat, almost to freezing point, beat for 2 minutes, added the spices and beat for another 4, added the water and beat for another 4, added the powdered milk and beat for another 2 minutes. Which step could I have made wrong?
Hug.
Hi Silas. Perhaps the processor had difficulty completely grinding the meat. If possible, try to sharpen the processor blade. You don't need to beat for so long, keep watching the dough and when it becomes pasty (like toothpaste) you can stop processing. Try making the chicken sausage recipe as the chicken is much softer and easier to process. It's the easiest recipe to start with sausages.
https://charcutaria.org/embutidos/salsicha-de-frango-caseira/
Would you like to know what to use to give the sausage a more pronounced color, turning orange?
Liquid annatto natural coloring. You can add it to the dough but generally the sausage is immersed in this coloring.
Will it not leave a strong aftertaste?
Thank you very much for the prompt response. 🙂
Leave a taste. You can feel this taste in supermarket sausages, the more yellow they are, the stronger the taste. In the description of the ingredients of these sausages you will probably see the natural coloring annatto.
But if we dip the sausage inside the casing and before stuffing it?
Can fat be porridge? Is the salt common or is it curing salt?
Hi Alex. The recipe only contains common salt. You can make it with curing salt if you want, in this case add 2.5g of curing salt per kg of sausage mass. You can use pancetta as a source of fat.
Good evening Eduardo, when making sausage, is it possible to use lard instead of fat? thanks.
Hi Vinicius. It is not possible to use lard, it has to be the fat that is still rigid. Lard is processed and filtered and this changes its properties.
oops. Thank you, Eduardo. and congratulations on the information on the site.
Eduardo, good night. Congratulations on the website! I would like to know if there is a recipe for 100% beef sausage, like the American ones, all-beef. It’s not found in supermarkets here, nor are there any recipes. Thank you and hug.
1.25 kg beef short ribs or brisket
15 g salt
4 g curing salt 1
250 g crushed ice
9 g mustard powder
6 g paprika
3 g coriander seed powder
2 g white pepper
18 g minced garlic
30 ml dextrose or sugar
Smoke until the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 60ºC.
Immerse yourself in cold water when leaving the smoker.
Is it essential to smoke? Abs
Smoking is optional, you can finish the sausage in hot water or in a frying pan like this German sausage: https://charcutaria.org/receitas/bratwurst-salsicha-alema/
Thank you, Eduardo! Strong hug!
Hello, what is the ideal temperature for smoking? I'm going to smoke in a pit smoker.
Hi Rafael, the ideal temperature is 80ºC.
Hello everything is fine! Does the curing salt have to be added to this recipe or can it be removed and what is its function? thanks!
Curing salt is a preservative. It helps to protect, it also gives a characteristic flavor and a redder color to the meat. It is mandatory to use sausages when selling sausages, but when making them at home, it is not mandatory.
Good morning Eduardo, for a Frankfurt sausage, do you have the measurements (proportions) of pork and beef? Thank you and congratulations on the website!
Hi Leonardo, here is a basic proportion for Frankfurter.
20% Beef – chuck
40% Pig – overpalette
20% Pig – bacon/belly
20% Ice
Changes in the proportions of pork and beef alter the flavor and color. As with all emulsified dough, the secret/difficulty is obtaining a good emulsion!
Hugs!
Good afternoon,
I would like to know what brand and model of bagging machine you used in the chicken sausage video…
I bought it on aliexpress, search for “sausage stuffer 3lb”. The brand is masterfeng or something.
Thank you very much…
Good evening, Eduardo!
I already bought the cannon, I'm waiting for delivery, thank you very much for the tip and for sharing your knowledge!
I have another question, I see that you use a great brand, Kitchenaid, but if I use a Walita food processor with 750 Watts of power, will I be able to get a good result? Regarding the orbital mixer I have the same question…
Thank you very much!
Hi Marcos, thank you! I got this kitchenaid a few years ago when the dollar was at a very good rate. It's currently exorbitant! She's really good, really strong. Yes, you should get it from Walita, do a small amount at a time so as not to overload the engine. Start with a chicken sausage that has more tender meat. On the orbital it is much calmer as the blade requires much less force and speed than the processor's cutting blades. Hugs!
Thanks again..
I already made the chicken sausage in the recipe https://charcutaria.org/embutidos/salsicha-de-frango-caseira/ three times, the first time was horrible, I wasted a lot of ingredients and it yielded nothing, but the second and third times were perfect. I hope my processor can handle processing the ham to make Bratwürst sausage.
It all started here, so I'm back to thank you again, especially for the tip on buying the bagger! Soon I'll start making sausages...
Hi Marcos. He persisted and succeeded! Sausage is really complicated, the emulsion is a challenge that requires persistence. I'm glad you managed to get to the right point. Chicken meat is softer and easier to emulsify, while pork is a little more rigid and requires more from the processor. Make small quantities so as not to overload the equipment. Then tell the result. For those who have already made sausage, the sausage will be a breeze!! A big hug.
What is the yield on this recipe?
Around 1kg
Good morning,
I'm making sausage and other sausages, I've been testing the sausage for 2 weeks now and I'm not getting the dough right. The flavor, the color are all right, but the texture is a little crumbly. I'm hitting the cutter until it reaches 15 degrees. what is your suggestion.
Hi Fabiano. If the proportions of meat, fat and water are correct and the temperature is well controlled, the problem may be with the cutter. Make sure the blades are very sharp and that the dough is smooth, without lumps, like toothpaste. Another point is when embedding, you cannot let it heat up too much before embedding. What is the proportion of meat, water and fat?
I sent you a whatts now.
Good morning. I have a question about cooking sausages. You say in the text that when the sausage is at 70º C (around 15 and 20 minutes) it is ready, or rather, cooked. Is this time required for the product to reach 70°C or is it the time the product must remain in the water to reach 70°C internally?
I have my own American equipment for steaming sausages (hotdog steamer). This equipment is semi-professional and reaches a good temperature with the steam generated. I place my sausages in the equipment and their internal temperature quickly reaches 70°C, but I don't know if I should keep the product for a while at that internal temperature or if at that temperature the product is cooked. After the steamer, I place the sausage on a special sausage grill with rotating cylinders that grill the sausage. Therefore, they stay in the heat a little longer.
Thank you for any information regarding this.
Marcelo
Hello, Marcelo. This is the time for the internal temperature to reach 70ºC. When the internal temperature of the sausage reaches 70ºC, you can remove it and cool it. I didn't know about this hotdog steamer, it looks really good. Steam is the best way to cook and meatpacking plants often use boiler steam stoves. I visited your link, are the sausages in this frankfurter handmade? One of my frustrations is not finding a decent hotdog here in my region. Hugs!
Hi Eduardo, thank you very much for the clarification. Most of the sausages I sell are artisanal. I'm selling some from Bern. My goal for this year is to produce 100% of the products I sell. I'm already producing some, but they're more like sausages than sausages, as I need to emulsify the dough and I don't yet have equipment that makes this possible. Hug.
Marcelo, this restaurant has to open here! There is a small national skymsen cutter that might solve the problem initially. Another possibility is to use a colloidal mill to emulsify the meat. I've seen it in operation and it leaves the dough smooth. Test chicken sausages, which have soft meat and the skin helps with the emulsion. You can use cooked pork skin, which also helps a lot with the emulsion. I'm about to include powdered collagen in the store, which is an incredible ingredient for the consistency of the emulsion and also for firming and improving the cut of sausages. Anything just say and I'll try to help. Hugs!
This collagen powder is cool. I'll take a look at this cutter you mentioned.
Thanks.
Marcelo
Thanks
Good morning. As I am allergic to milk protein, what product should I use instead of powdered milk to help emulsify? Thank you in advance for your response.
Hi João, you can replace it with isolated soy protein or a source of starch such as potato starch, cassava starch, wheat or corn starch. The intention is to help retain/stabilize water so that the product becomes softer. In addition, there are also phosphates.