Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage (38 page)

The emulsification process is the same for every sausage in this chapter, and that process is explained immediately below:

How to Emulsify Sausage

Keeping the temperature of the sausage paste at less than 60° F (15.6° C) while emulsifying it is the most important point to keep in mind. This might seem difficult, but I have emulsified sausage many, many times, and I have never failed to achieve a good emulsification before the critical temperature of 60° F (15.6° C) is reached. If the ground meat is chilled in the freezer to the point of being slightly crunchy, and the specified amount of ice is added, there will be no problem.

1. 
Follow the instructions for the sausage you wish to make. At the appropriate point, the instructions will direct you to follow these processing directions (
HOW TO EMULSIFY SAUSAGE
).

2. 
Add the chilled ground meat to the seasoning and other ingredients, and knead this mixture until it is uniform. This will require about three minutes. Place this sausage paste in the freezer, and stir the paste about every 10 minutes while the food processor is being set up. The goal is to chill this sausage paste in the freezer until most of it is crunchy, but not frozen hard.

3. 
Prepare at least 1 cup (240 ml) of crushed ice by processing about 10 large ice cubes in the food processor. It is better to have a little extra rather than not enough. Refrigerate.

4. 
When the sausage mixture has become crunchy, divide it in half. Put half in the food processor with ½ cup (120 ml) of crushed ice, and refrigerate the remaining half of the paste and the remaining crushed ice. Process the sausage paste in the food processor for 30 seconds, and then measure the temperature with an instant-read thermometer. If the temperature is under 40° F (4.4° C), process it another 30 seconds. Continue to process the sausage paste 30 seconds at a time until 40° F (4.4° C) is reached.

5. 
When the temperature of the paste reaches 40° F (4.4° C), process it again for 15 seconds, if necessary. Continue to process 15 seconds (or less) at a time until 55° F (12.8° C) is reached—
or until the paste is emulsified
. Do not exceed 60° F (15.6° C); if this temperature is exceeded, the emulsion will probably
break
, meaning that the fat will liquefy and separate from the emulsion. Refrigerate the emulsified sausage paste.
Note: Do not over-process the sausage paste. When it is obvious that emulsification has been accomplished, the processing should be stopped, even if the temperature of the paste is below 40° F (4.4° C). (Emulsified sausage paste will have a swirled appearance like soft ice cream, and the surface will be glossy.)

6. 
Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the remaining half of the sausage paste. Refrigerate.

7. 
Return to the original sausage recipe for instructions and suggestions regarding stuffing, smoking, and cooking.

Beef Bologna (Baloney)

Beef bologna is a popular variation of the version made with beef and pork. The bite texture will be similar because both are emulsified. The darker color of a 100 percent beef sausage, and the differences in seasoning, will provide a different appearance and taste.

Our sausage will be made with quality ingredients, and it will taste better than the commercial offerings. The texture will be remarkably similar to the commercially produced products, but it will have a milder and more pleasant flavor.

CASINGS

If 2½-inch (6.4 cm) diameter fibrous casings are used, three 12-inch (30 cm) casings will be required. Fibrous casings must be soaked in water 30 minutes before stuffing. Be sure to fill the casing with warm water.

THE MEAT FOR 2½ LBS. (1,150 G) OF BEEF BOLOGNA

Prepare 2½ lbs. (1,150 g) of beef chuck. (Lean wild game and beef suet may be substituted for some of the beef.) Cut the beef chuck into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes. Refrigerate the meat until it is well chilled. While this meat is being prepared, chill the grinder and sausage stuffer in the refrigerator.

SEASONINGS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

2¼ tsp. (11.25 ml) salt

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Cure #1

1½ tsp. (7.5 ml) paprika

1 tsp. (5 ml) onion granules

¾ tsp. (3.75 ml) white pepper, ground

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) mustard, ground—packed in the spoon

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) garlic powder

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) coriander—packed in the spoon

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) marjoram

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) nutmeg

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) allspice

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) MSG (optional)

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) light corn syrup

¼ cup (60 ml) cold tap water

½ cup (120 ml) finely powdered skim milk

MIXING AND STUFFING

1. 
Grind the beef chuck with a
-inch (4.8 mm) or smaller plate—the smaller the better. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

2. 
Measure the seasoning and other ingredients—except for the meat—into a large stainless steel mixing bowl. Stir until the mixture is uniform; it will be a thin paste. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

3. 
Follow the instructions in
HOW TO EMULSIFY SAUSAGE
near the beginning of this chapter.

4. 
Stuff the emulsified sausage into the prepared fibrous casings. If an electronic thermometer will be used when the sausage is cooked, insert the cable probe into one of the chubs. Close the ends of the chubs with twine. Refrigerate overnight (or for at least a few hours) to permit the seasoning to be absorbed by the meat. Use an uncovered container with a paper towel placed over the chubs.

5. 
If the bologna will be smoked, please see Chapter 7. (Cold smoking followed by steaming is recommended.) If it will be cooked without smoking, please see Chapter 6.

Bologna (Baloney)

Common, commercially produced bologna tastes awful, but it is popular nevertheless. The two major reasons for its popularity, I believe, are the low price and the emulsified texture. People like the emulsified texture, and because the product is emulsified, any meat deemed fit for human consumption can be used; this keeps the price low, and the emulsification makes it impossible for the consumer to identify the meat. Nowadays, even poultry is an ingredient in bologna lunchmeats, and parts of the bird that you and I would discard are emulsified and used. The texture of our sausage will be remarkably similar to the commercially produced bologna, but our product will be made with quality ingredients, and it will taste much better.

CASINGS

If 2½-inch (6.4 cm) diameter fibrous casings are used, three 12-inch (30 cm) casings will be required. Fibrous casings must be soaked in water for 30 minutes before stuffing. Be sure to fill the casings with warm water.

THE MEAT FOR 2½ LBS. (1,150 G) OF BOLOGNA

Prepare 1 lb. (450 g) of pork shoulder butt, and 1½ lbs. (680 g) of beef chuck. (Lean wild game and extra pork fat may be substituted for the beef.) Cut the pork butt and beef chuck into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes. Refrigerate these two meats until they are well chilled. While this meat is being prepared, chill the grinder and sausage stuffer in the refrigerator.

SEASONINGS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

2¼ tsp. (11.25 ml) salt

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Cure #1

1½ tsp. (7.5 ml) paprika

1 tsp. (5 ml) onion granules

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) white pepper, ground

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) mustard, ground—packed in the spoon

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) coriander—packed in the spoon

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) marjoram

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) nutmeg

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) allspice

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) light corn syrup

¼ cup (60 ml) cold tap water

½ cup (120 ml) finely powdered skim milk

MIXING AND STUFFING

1. 
Grind the pork butt and the beef chuck with a
-inch (4.8 mm) or smaller plate—the smaller the better. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

2. 
Measure the seasoning, water, and powdered milk into a large stainless steel mixing bowl. Stir until the mixture is uniform. It will be a thin paste. Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

3. 
Follow the instructions in
HOW TO EMULSIFY SAUSAGE
near the beginning of this chapter.

4. 
Stuff the emulsified sausage into the prepared fibrous casings. If an electronic thermometer will be used when the sausage is cooked, insert the cable probe into one of the chubs. Close the ends of the chubs with twine. Refrigerate overnight (or for at least a few hours) to permit the seasoning to be absorbed by the meat. Use an uncovered container with a paper towel placed over the chubs.

5. 
If the bologna will be smoked, please see Chapter 7. (Cold smoking followed by steaming is recommended.) If it will be cooked without smoking, please see Chapter 6.

Braunschweiger

I like the taste of liver, and I have liked Braunschweiger since I was a kid. The fact that I could not buy it in Japan is one of the reasons I began to study the craft of making sausage. Braunschweiger is cured and usually smoked, but smoking may be omitted.

This sausage is traditionally made with pork liver, but calf, beef, or poultry liver may be used instead. Pork liver has the strongest taste and is therefore not as popular as other kinds of liver; it is seldom seen in common grocery stores. If you want to buy pork liver, look for it in ethnic grocery stores. Beef liver is milder than pork, but stronger tasting than calf. Poultry liver is the mildest-tasting liver, and chicken liver is reasonably priced and easy to buy. Depending on my mood at the time, I use beef or pork liver to make Braunschweiger.

CASINGS

If 2½-inch (6.4 cm) diameter fibrous casings are used, three 12-inch (30 cm) casings will be required. Fibrous casings must be soaked in water for 30 minutes before stuffing. Be sure to fill the casings with warm water.

THE MEAT FOR 2½ LBS. (1,150 G) OF BRAUNSCHWEIGER

Prepare 1 lb. (450 g) of pork shoulder butt, ½ lb. (225 g) of bacon, and 1 lb. (450 g) of liver. Cut the pork butt into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes, and cut the bacon into squares. Refrigerate these two meats until they are well chilled. If large livers are being used, cut the liver into pieces that will fit into the hopper of the meat grinder. Refrigerate the liver in a separate dish from the pork and bacon. While this meat is being prepared, chill the grinder and sausage stuffer in the refrigerator.

SEASONINGS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

2¼ tsp. (11.25 ml) salt

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Cure #1

2 tsp. (10 ml) onion granules

¾ tsp. (3.75 ml) white pepper, ground

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) marjoram or oregano

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) mustard, ground—packed in the spoon

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) allspice

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) ginger powder

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) nutmeg

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) coriander—packed in the spoon

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) light corn syrup

¼ cup (60 ml) cold tap water

½ cup (120 ml) finely powdered skim milk

MIXING AND STUFFING

1. 
Grind the liver, bacon, and pork butt. Use a
-inch (4.8 mm) or smaller plate—the smaller the better. It is best to grind the soft liver first; the bacon second, and the harder pork last. (The harder pork cubes will help push the softer meats through the grinder.) Refrigerate the ground meat mixture for about 30 minutes.