 |
11/23/08, 11:25 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: East TN
Posts: 6,977
|
|
|
Sausage stuffing question
I just bought some collagen casings to stuff sausage into. I know with natural casings you can just twist them into links. Will collagen do this or will I have to tie each link?
__________________
"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost
|
11/23/08, 02:15 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,622
|
|
|
You should be able to just twist them up. If they're resistant to that (either untwisting or tearing), then you can put the whole section of casings unopened in the fridge overnight, where it'll absorb a little humidity from the air in there and make it easier to twist them. Otherwise, though, you should store them sealed in a cool dark place.
|
11/23/08, 02:16 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,622
|
|
|
Sorry, I mean uncovered, not unopened. Just put them on a plate in the fridge but leave them uncovered.
|
11/23/08, 03:28 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 84
|
|
|
I have a quick question about sausage stuffing.
Why do so many recipes (and manufacturers) add pork? I do not like eating pork, not for the religious or dietary ideals, it's just that pork tastes weird to me. I would love to stuff my own eventually, but not if I need to use pork.
|
11/23/08, 03:31 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: East Texas, Zone 8b
Posts: 477
|
|
|
Many people add pork because other meats can be very lean for sausage. A combination of pork and another leaner meat makes a good combination.
|
11/23/08, 06:26 PM
|
|
Banned
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Location: South Central Wisconsin
Posts: 14,801
|
|
|
Yes, you can twist them. Just as with natural casings, you have to soak them in warm for a half hour or so to soften them. Then they are pliable enough to make links.
Martin
|
11/24/08, 07:50 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,622
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by newhomemaker
I have a quick question about sausage stuffing.
Why do so many recipes (and manufacturers) add pork? I do not like eating pork, not for the religious or dietary ideals, it's just that pork tastes weird to me. I would love to stuff my own eventually, but not if I need to use pork.
|
If you add pork to the mix, you probably won't taste it, since the spices and other meat contribute to the flavor. But I add straight pork fat to recipes with lean meats like chicken or deer for the reason mentioned above--if you don't add at least 30% (or around 45% if you want it to be as juicy as a store-bought sausage) the meat ends up having a decidedly sawdust texture.
|
11/24/08, 03:06 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: East TN
Posts: 6,977
|
|
|
Well all of the books say you can't link collagen casing sausage and I'm thinking they might be right. I tried a few different ways and either the casing split or it just came unraveled. I guess I'll stick to natural casings from now on. I do have a long section sitting in the fridge yet and I think i'll tie off the links on it.
__________________
"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost
|
11/24/08, 03:07 PM
|
|
Banned
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Location: South Central Wisconsin
Posts: 14,801
|
|
|
Most stuffed sausage formulas call for 15% to 20% pork fat or trimmings. The fat prevents the sticks from becoming truly sticks and to bond the meat together. Legally, I believe that 25% may be the maximum allowed.
For those recipes which call for pork or pork trimmings, shoulder roasts work best. Usually they can be found on sale around Easter when there is a glut of them on the market.
Martin
|
11/24/08, 05:00 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 84
|
|
|
Is there any other kind of fat I can use besides pork? Pork fat tastes just as weird as the pork does to me. It tastes saltier and messier, if that makes sense.
I have lots of kobe beef fat lying around and I would much rather use that than pork fat. So anything like beef or lamb fat, could those be used? I have a few pints of each of those just sitting here.
|
11/24/08, 06:07 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,622
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paquebot
Legally, I believe that 25% may be the maximum allowed.
|
Hehe...well, then, there must be some felony fat contenting going on in these parts.
newhomemaker, kobe might be nice, but be wary of the gaminess from all that dry aging. Six weeks makes for some funkadelic flavors (great for steak, but the surface fat can be WAY stronger). If the fat's from the inside of a cut, that would probably be okay. If it's the trimmings off the outside of a roast or steak, it'll make pork taste pretty neutral to you.
Most people around here don't even use lamb fat for lamb sausages. Same reason. Funkadelic. And that's from an area where we make the full-on Boudin--no oatmeal or cornmeal or anything else...just clotted pigs blood, onion, and allspice, baby.
|
11/24/08, 06:11 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: East TN
Posts: 6,977
|
|
|
On the advice of a sausage maker I just used some real fatty bacon I had to fatten up some venison sausage. I used 3lbs of venison to 2 lbs of very fatty bacon.
__________________
"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self confidence"
Robert Frost
|
11/24/08, 08:15 PM
|
|
Banned
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Location: South Central Wisconsin
Posts: 14,801
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by fin29
Hehe...well, then, there must be some felony fat contenting going on in these parts.
|
Pre-packaged sausage is supposed to have the fat content listed. www.wisconsincheeseman.com started their warehouse Holiday sale Friday. I loaded up on 4 different 12-ounce all-beef sausages @ $2.99. 4 each of Garlic, Mesquite, Original, and Salami. Fat content on each is 23%. And since they are beef sausages, it's beef fat.
Martin
|
11/24/08, 08:43 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Maine
Posts: 3,622
|
|
Yeah, those summer sausage-type sausages tend to be leaner. It helps with their shelf life. I thought you might like this website that I have bookmarked--it has quite a few formulas for sausage. It's very helpful for proportions for many different types. It's actually a website from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and if you click the arrows at the bottom of the page, you'll find all kinds of goodies.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/x6556e/X6556E04.htm
|
11/25/08, 10:57 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Posts: 1,120
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by newhomemaker
Is there any other kind of fat I can use besides pork? Pork fat tastes just as weird as the pork does to me. It tastes saltier and messier, if that makes sense.
I have lots of kobe beef fat lying around and I would much rather use that than pork fat. So anything like beef or lamb fat, could those be used? I have a few pints of each of those just sitting here.
|
beef fat will work, but it will have a unique flavour. not bad but different than anything with pork fat. i personally like all beef sausage with beef fat but not everyone i know does.
dean
__________________
Hope is something you give yourself in your darkest moments, this is the true meaning of selfreliance.
greetings from the far east of the western world
|
11/25/08, 11:35 AM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 84
|
|
|
Well, the kobe and lamb I have are all fresh ground. None of it was aged. And the mason jars I have are sealed in the freezer. It's just the grease left over from cooking the meat. The kobe grease is beefy in flavor, but is richer and there is a whole bunch of it. The lamb grease is creamy, much like the meat.
Are you saying I have to age my fresh sausages for six weeks??? *confused* I think I'm misunderstanding something here. lol.
Okay, let me ask this then. Do I need to use fresh fat for fresh sausages or can I use the grease from after cooking something else? I have some slab wild boar bacon in the freezer that I was saving for Xmas morning breakfast, but I might be willing to buy more if I need to use it fresh in the sausages.
|
11/25/08, 11:59 AM
|
|
Banned
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Location: South Central Wisconsin
Posts: 14,801
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by newhomemaker
Okay, let me ask this then. Do I need to use fresh fat for fresh sausages or can I use the grease from after cooking something else? I have some slab wild boar bacon in the freezer that I was saving for Xmas morning breakfast, but I might be willing to buy more if I need to use it fresh in the sausages.
|
No sausage recipe that I've ever seen calls for cooked grease of any type. Nor have I seen any mention of substituting lard for fat but suspect that it's possible. I'd suggest that you use whatever you wish since you are the one who has to eat it, not us!
Martin
|
11/25/08, 12:25 PM
|
|
|
|
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 84
|
|
Ahahah! Yes, I know I'm the one who has to eat it, but I'm just really curious and want to know if I can do it without pork. Hubby won't eat anything with pork in it, so I'm trying to make family friendly links. 
Would the boar bacon work in subsitute of regular pork bacon? Or is there a weird flavor that will come rolling out from it being a boar?
|
11/25/08, 12:51 PM
|
|
Banned
|
|
Join Date: May 2002
Location: South Central Wisconsin
Posts: 14,801
|
|
|
Pork fat and trimmings is pork fat and trimmings regardless of what hog it's from. If there's any off taste in the basic meat, it's usually covered up by the spices used. For making sausage, plain bacon is a good substitute where the recipe calls for pork trimmings. If I can't get a fat shoulder roast at a bargain price, I've often used bacon. Usually it's just about the right proportion of lean and fat.
Martin
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:48 PM.
|
|
