Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage (47 page)

9. 
When the sausage has lost at least 15 percent of the green weight, remove the links from the smoker, and cool the sausage in front of an electric fan for one hour.

10.
 Refrigerate the sausages, uncovered, overnight. The next morning, cut them to single-portion lengths, and then wrap them in plastic food wrap. Sausages that will not be eaten within a few days should be individually wrapped in plastic food wrap, placed in a plastic bag, and frozen.

Spanish-Style Chorizo

True Spanish chorizo is dry cured and fermented under carefully controlled humidity and temperature conditions for about 20 days. Needless to say, if it is made in the traditional way, it is very difficult to make.

The Spanish-style chorizo described below will be semi-dry cured, but this will be done rapidly in a smoker. The tangy, fermented taste will be accomplished by using Fermento. This is a semi-dried sausage, but you can decide the extent to which it is dried. Traditionally, it is dried until it loses 25 percent of its moisture, but you might like it dried until only 15 percent of the moisture is lost. You decide. Try this sausage in soups, stews, or egg dishes.

Ancho
 chile powder is an important ingredient that you may not have on hand. Please see Appendix 1 for more information on this special chile powder.

CASINGS

If small-diameter hog casings are used, the processing time will be shortened. Rinse 7 feet (210 cm) of small hog casing, and refrigerate it overnight in water. Rinse again before using.

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

Prepare 2 lbs. (910 g) of lean pork and ½ lb. (225 g) of back fat—or 2½ lbs. (1,150 g) of fatty pork shoulder. Cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes and refrigerate. While this meat is being prepared, chill the grinder and sausage stuffer in the refrigerator.

SEASONINGS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

Dry ingredients

2 tsp. (10 ml) salt

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Cure #1

¼ cup (60 ml) Fermento

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) paprika

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) 
ancho
 chile powder

1 tsp. (5 ml) cayenne

¾ tsp. (3.75 ml) garlic granules

Wet ingredients

2 tsp. (10 ml) light corn syrup

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) cold water

MIXING AND STUFFING

1. 
Grind the meat with a 
³
⁄16-inch (4.8 mm) or smaller plate. Refrigerate the ground meat for about 30 minutes.

2. 
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Add the liquid ingredients, and mix well again. Refrigerate this mixture for about 15 minutes.

3. 
Add the chilled ground meat to the seasoning mixture, and knead until it is well mixed and uniform. This will require about three minutes. Chill the meat and seasoning mixture again while the sausage stuffer and hog casing are being prepared.

4. 
Stuff the sausage into the hog casing and twist the sausage rope into four long links. Use string to close the end of each link securely, and then cut between the ends to separate the four links. Tie the ends of each link together to form four rings. Weigh one of the rings, record the weight, and mark it with a colored string, or the like. This weight is called the 
green weight
. Refrigerate the rings overnight to permit the seasoning to be absorbed by the meat. Use an uncovered container, but cover the rings with a paper towel.

5. 
The next morning, dry the stuffed sausage in front of an electric fan until the surface is dry to the touch. Alternatively, dry the surface of the casings in a 140° F (60° C) smoker with no smoke.

6. 
Smoke at the lowest possible temperature for at least two hours. Make sure that the smoke vents are fully open; this will facilitate the required drying of the sausage.

7. 
Raise the smoker temperature to between 170° F (77° C) and 175° F (79° C) slowly—over the period of one hour or so—and continue cooking, with or without smoke, until the internal temperature of the thickest link reaches 160° F (71° C). Weigh the sausage ring marked with the colored string to determine if it has lost between 15 percent and 25 percent of its green weight. If it has, the smoking and cooking are finished. Proceed to step 9. If not, go to step 8.

8. 
If the sausage ring marked with colored string has not lost the desired percent of its green weight, reduce the smoker temperature to between 160° F (71° C) and 165° F (74° C) and continue cooking. Check the loss of weight every hour or so. When the desired weight has been lost, proceed to step 9.

9. 
When the marked sausage ring has lost the desired percent of weight, remove the rings from the smoker and cool the sausage in front of an electric fan for one hour.

10. 
Refrigerate the rings, uncovered, overnight. The next morning, wrap them in plastic food wrap. Sausages that will not be consumed within a few days should be individually wrapped in plastic food wrap, placed in a plastic bag, and frozen.

Summer Sausage

The tart taste of lactic acid in summer sausage makes it very popular. We produce this taste by using Fermento, a product made entirely from dairy products; we need not subject the sausage to a lengthy and difficult fermenting process.

Summer sausage got its name because it was made in the fall or winter, but it was intended to be eaten during the summer.

CASINGS

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

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

Prepare 1½ lbs. (680 g) of lean beef, ½ lb. (225 g) of lean pork, and ½ lb. (225 g) of pork fat. Cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes and refrigerate. While this meat is being prepared, chill the grinder and sausage stuffer in the refrigerator.

SEASONINGS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

Dry ingredients

2 tsp. (10 ml) salt

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Cure #1

2 tsp. (10 ml) dry mustard—packed in the spoon

1 tsp. (5 ml) paprika

1 tsp. (5 ml) garlic granules

¾ tsp. (3.75 ml) ground coriander—packed in the spoon

½ cup (120 ml) finely powdered skim milk

¼ cup (60 ml) Fermento

Wet ingredients

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) light corn syrup

¼ cup (60 ml) cold water

MIXING AND STUFFING

1. 
Grind the meat with a 
³
⁄16-inch (4.8 mm) or smaller plate. Refrigerate the ground meat for about 30 minutes.

2. 
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Add the liquid ingredients, and mix well again. Refrigerate this mixture for about 15 minutes.

3. 
Add the chilled ground meat to the seasoning mixture, and knead until it is well mixed. This will require about three minutes. Chill this meat and seasoning mixture again while the sausage stuffer and fibrous casings are being prepared.

4. 
Stuff the sausage into the fibrous casings. Insert an electronic cable probe in one of the chubs. Close the ends of the chubs with twine. Refrigerate the stuffed casings overnight to permit the seasoning to be absorbed by the meat. Use an uncovered container.

5. 
The next morning, dry the stuffed chubs in front of an electric fan until the surface is dry to the touch. Alternatively, dry the surface of the casings in a 140° F (60° C) smoker with no smoke.

6. 
Smoke at the lowest possible temperature for two hours or more.

7. 
Over a period of one hour, raise the temperature to 170° F (77° C) and continue cooking, with or without smoke, until the sausage reaches an internal temperature of 140° F (60° C).

8. 
Remove the summer sausage from the smoke chamber and finish cooking by steaming or poaching. Please see Chapter 6 for these cooking instructions.

Thuringer

Thuringer used to be a very popular lunchmeat, and it could be found in almost every grocery store. It is more difficult to find now, probably because fewer people prepare sandwiches for lunch at work or school.

Thuringer originated in Germany. It is much like summer sausage in taste and appearance.

CASINGS

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

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

Prepare 2 lbs. (910 g) of lean pork and ½ lb. (225 g) of back fat—or 2½ lbs. (1,150 g) of pork shoulder. Cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes and refrigerate. While this meat is being prepared, chill the grinder and sausage stuffer in the refrigerator.

SEASONINGS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

Dry ingredients

2 tsp. (10 ml) salt

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Cure #1

1 tsp. (5 ml) ground coriander—packed in the spoon

1 tsp. (5 ml) black peppercorns, cracked

1 tsp. (5 ml) paprika

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) dry mustard powder—packed in the spoon

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) ground nutmeg

½ cup (120 ml) finely powdered skim milk

¼ cup (60 ml) Fermento

Wet ingredients

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) light corn syrup

¼ cup (60 ml) cold water

MIXING AND STUFFING

1. 
Grind the meat with a 
³
⁄16-inch (4.8 mm) or smaller plate. Refrigerate the ground meat for about 30 minutes.

2. 
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Add the liquid ingredients, and mix well again. Refrigerate this mixture for about 15 minutes.

3. 
Add the chilled ground meat to the seasoning mixture, and knead until it is well mixed and uniform. This will require about three minutes. Chill this meat and seasoning mixture again while the sausage stuffer and fibrous casings are being prepared.

4. 
Stuff the sausage into the fibrous casings. Insert an electronic cable probe in one of the chubs. Close the ends of the chubs with twine. Refrigerate the stuffed casings overnight to permit the seasoning to be absorbed by the meat. Use an uncovered container.

5. 
The next morning, dry the stuffed casings in front of an electric fan until the surface is dry to the touch. Alternatively, dry the surface of the casings in a 140° F (60° C) smoker with no smoke.

6. 
Smoke at the lowest possible temperature for two hours or more.

7. 
Over a period of one hour, raise the temperature to 170° F (77° C) and continue cooking, with or without smoke, until the sausage reaches an internal temperature of 140° F (60° C).

8. 
Remove the Thuringer from the smoke chamber and finish cooking by steaming or poaching. Please see Chapter 6 for these cooking instructions.

Turkey Salami

Salami made of domesticated birds or wildfowl is good if it is made of dark meat. The thighs of turkeys or chickens are the easiest to bone and use. Duck and geese, both wild and domesticated, are all dark meat, so any part of these birds may be used. Goose has a beefy flavor, so it makes particularly interesting salami.

No matter what kind of fowl is used, make sure to remove all tendons, cartilage, and the like, before grinding it.

CASINGS

If 2½-inch (6.4 cm) diameter fibrous casing are used, two 12-inch (30 cm) casings will be required. Fibrous casing must be soaked for 30 minutes in warm water before stuffing. Be sure to put some warm water inside the casings. (Note: A kosher and very traditional casing would be the skin from the neck of a turkey, goose, duck, or chicken. The ancient Romans are known to have used the skin from chicken necks to stuff sausage.)

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

Prepare 2½ lbs. (1,150 g) of dark meat, including the skin and a reasonable amount of fat. Cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes and refrigerate. While this meat is being prepared, chill the grinder and sausage stuffer in the refrigerator.

SEASONINGS AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

Dry ingredients

2 tsp. (10 ml) salt

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) Cure #1

1 tsp. (5 ml) pepper, ground

1 tsp. (5 ml) black peppercorns, cracked

½ tsp. (2.5 ml) garlic granules

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

¼ tsp. (1.25 ml) allspice

¹
⁄8 tsp. (0.625 ml) cloves, ground

¼ cup (60 ml) Fermento

Wet ingredients

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) light corn syrup

1 Tbsp. (15 ml) sherry

2 Tbsp. (30 ml) cold water

MIXING AND STUFFING

1. 
Grind the meat with a 
³
⁄16-inch (4.8 mm) or smaller plate, and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes.

2. 
Mix all dry ingredients thoroughly in a large mixing bowl. Add the liquid ingredients, and mix well again. Refrigerate this mixture for about 15 minutes.

3. 
Add the chilled ground meat to the seasoning mixture, and knead until it is well mixed. This will require about three minutes. Chill this meat and seasoning mixture again while the sausage stuffer and fibrous casings are being prepared.