Sausage Basics

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There are a few important things to remember before you get started making sausage.

[FONT=Felix Titling,Felix Titling][FONT=Felix Titling,Felix Titling]Safety
[/FONT][/FONT]1.) Keep everything clean! When using raw meats they are very susceptible to germs and bacteria. Keep meats stiff but not completely frozen. This will make it not only easier trim and to grind but reduce the likelihood of airborne contamination and bacterial growth.

2.) If you are using different types of meat such as pork and poultry clean your tools and surfaces before continuing to the next type of meat.


3.) Wash and sanitize everything as soon as possible after using your equipment. Once it dries it’s harder to clean.

Ingredients

[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]All sausages contain meat or meat substitutes, fat and spices. Some will also require binders, cures, cultures and other additives depending on what you are making.
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Meat
[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– use only the freshest meats for your homemade sausages. There is an exception to this rule – if you are making dried, semi dried, aged or fermented sausages from pork, fish or wild game meats they should be frozen first to avoid trichinosis. Trichinosis is a worm know to be in pork, fish and wild game which can be transferred to humans by eating infected meat. This is easy to avoid by freezing the meat according to this table:
At -5° F for 20 days, or At -10°F for 10 days, or At -20° F for 6 days.

Fats [FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– Fat gives sausages it’s texture and add flavor, especially pork fat. The percentage of fat in sausages should be between 25 and 30% on average. There are some sausages that will require as much as 45% fat. Go with what is suggested, at least the first time and adjust it to your liking in later batches.
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Salt
[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– No getting around it salt adds flavor to meat. Salt also acts as a preservative in some cases. You will use between 1.5 and 3% salt in your sausages. Keep in mind that this should be non iodized kosher or sea salt unless specified otherwise by the recipe.
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Spices
[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– In sausages fresh dried spices sometimes works better than fresh. Measurements are generally for dried spices. Two year old spices in your kitchen have lost their flavor. Buy new ones! [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]Binders [FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– There are many types of binders. What a bind does as it suggests is hold the sausage meat together. Soy binders are very popular today but I personally would rather use Carnation low fat powdered milk. It adds texture, body and flavor to sausages you just don’t get from soy products. The expensive online butcher grade milk powders are not necessary.
Some sausages may need a gelatin as a binder. These are generally most often referred to as lunchmeats or Deli meats but they are indeed sausages. I highly recommend Knox unflavored gelatin for these types of sausages. Again - the expensive online butcher grade gelatins are not necessary.
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Cures
[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– There are several types of cures on the market. Prague Powder, Insta-cure, Salt Petre, Morton’s Tender Quick and more. It may not be available to you locally but – I highly recommend purchasing Prague Powders online if you have to. They are cheap in the long run and easier to control the salt. Cures are generally followed by a number #1 or #2. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]Prague Powder #1 – [FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]this is used for sausages that will be smoked.
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Prague Powder #2 - [FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]this is used for sausages that are dried, aged or fermented. [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]THEY ARE NOT INTERCHANGABLE!

Other Additives [FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– This list can go on forever but I will mention a few I use quite often and tell you what they are used for: [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]Amesphos [FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]- Phosphates – This product hold the moisture in the meat when cooking and freezing, acts as a binder and helps to improve texture, flavor and color. Use is ¼ teaspoon per pound of meat. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]Sodium Erythorbate [FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]- I use this in brines for ham or bacon when I need to rush the bring. It’s use is1 ounce per gallon of brine. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]Potassium Sorbate [FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– this is a mold inhibitor good for dried, semi dried aged, fermented sausages and jerky. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]Buttermilk Solids [FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– Sold in grocery stores in the baking section. Adds a nice tang to a sausage without drying or fermenting. Similar to Fermento. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]Whey [FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– Also a mold inhibitor but adds an almost fermented flavor to non dried sausages. May be used with buttermilk or alone. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]Sugars
Dextrose
[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]- corn sugar dissolves quickly and stays in solution great in sausage and brines. Has 20% LESS sweetening power than cane sugar.
[/FONT][/FONT]Corn Syrup Solids [FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– another sugar a be used instead of Dextrose. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]Starter Cultures –
Bactoferm™ F-RM-52
[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– used for fermenting/aging salami, and pepperoni.
[/FONT][/FONT]Bactoferm™ [FONT=Verdana,Verdana][FONT=Verdana,Verdana]LHP - [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]– used for fermenting/aging summer sausage. [/FONT][/FONT]
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[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]NOTE 1:
[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]When using recipes which include cures such as Prague Powder #1, Prague powder #2 Tender Quick, Instacure or Fermento to name a few, always follow instructions on the package for use NOT the amounts listed in a recipe! Each manufacturer may use slightly a different mix!
[/FONT][/FONT]NOTE 2:
[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]When ever smoking sausages with a tradition tang such as pepperoni or summer sausage use encapsulated citric acid. It will melt at 135°F adding flavor when needed and add a mouth watering tang. Regular citric acid will dissolve too soon and not add the traditional tang you want.
[/FONT][/FONT]NOTE 3:
[FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic][FONT=Century Gothic,Century Gothic]Always use NON Iodized salts. Use Sea Salt or Kosher salt whenever possible.


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