Ä [21] Fidonet: HOME_COOKING (1:352/111) ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ HOME_COOKING Ä Msg : 2 of 127 -1 From : BOBBIE KOPF 1:300/507 Thu 28 Sep 95 12:38 To : ALL Subj : HOMEMADE SAUSAGE 1of2 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- I've seen numerous messages about Sausage Making, and thought I would offer what I have to ya'll The Mixture: 1. Trim meat & fat off all gristle and connective tissue. 2. Cut meat into long, narrow strips; freeze for about 30 min. before grinding. 3. In an electric grinder, allow fat and meat to feed through with very little assistance from the wooden tamper. 4. Grind a bit of fat first to grease the grinder; finish grinding with a piece of bread to remove last bits of meat. 5. After mixture is ground, stir it over ice, or refrigerate it for about an hour to make it easier to handle. The Casing: 1. You will need about 2 yards of casing for each of the recipes. 2. Wash casing to rid it of salt by slipping one end over the faucet and running warm water through it. 3. Cut into manageable lengths, about 2ft. If there are holes in casing, tie them closed or cut them off. 4. Soak in tepid water for about 1 hr. 5. Wring out the casing before filling it. Filling the Casing: 1. Attach stuffing horn to grinder. 2. Place one end of prepared casing over the horn. Gradually push all of the casing onto the horn, leaving a 2 inch overlap below the horn. Tie a knot in this overlapping end. 3. With your right hand, feed ground mixture into grinder, a bit at a time. 4. Achor casing on top of the horn with your left thumb, allowing casing to unroll as mixture is extruded. 5. Stop filling process occasionally to mold meat into casing. Pierce any air bubbles with a needle. 6. Do not pack too full, or it will burst as the filling expands during cooking. 7. After casing has been filled, remove it, with the horn still attached to one end, from the machine. 8. Push any remaining sausage through horn with a spoon handle. 9. Take off horn and knot casing 10. Leftover casing can be repacked with coarse salt and refrigerated. Dividing into Links: 1. Knot three-inch pieces of string around sausage at equally spaced intervals, or twist one measured link clockwise, and the next one counterclockwise so they don't unwind. 2. For individual sausages, compress meat so there is one-half inch of empty casing between links. Tie a knot at each end of the space and cut between. 3. Divide and cut sausages as you go. 4. The tighter sausages are tied, the more they curve. Drying: To develop their flavor, hang sausages to dry for 12-24 hours on a hanger or pasta rack in a cool spot They can also be dried on a rack in the refrigerator. Cooking: Sausages are toughened and dried out by overcooking. For juciest presentation, poach them gently in water, stock, wine or beer. Test for doneness when a sample slice reveals they are bown through, or a meat thermometer reads 165F, or their juices run clear when pricked. Keeping: To keep leftover sausages plump, place them in cold water while they are still warm. Let cool in water. Uncooked sausages will keep for three days in the refrigerator, or up to 3 months in the freezer. See next message for a little background on making sausage. Subj: Homemade Sausage 2 OF 2 ------------------------------------------- Sausages are basic mixtures of meat, fat, spices and liquid. You can utilize cheaper and tougher cuts -- beef round, chuck or brisket, pork shoulder, or rib (blade) end of the loin, lamb shoulder and veal shoulder or breast, because they will be tenderized by grinding Unless I am making fish sausage, or fine-grained 'boudin', I prefer a grinder with a sharp knife to a food processor. Quick as the processor is, it chops unevenly and heats up the meat, giving the sausage a pasty texture. Preground meat is not recommended. Depending on the leanness of the meat, an additional 30-50% fat - pork fatback, or leaf lard, beef or lamb suet, and on occasion, poultry fat - is added to moisten, tenderize and bind the sausage. Every herb or spice finds itself in the middle of these mixtures at one time or another, but a blend of white peppercorns, cloves, nutmeg, giner or cinnamon appears so regularly, that connoisseurs mix up their own secret proportions. Pork casings are the most practical for all but large, country-style sausages, which require the thicker beef casings. Stick with half dolls (7-1/2 yds). enough for ten pounds of meat. Anything larger is difficult to handle. Packed in salt, natural casings last at least a year in the refrigerator. You can usually obtain casings from your local butcher. Hope this has contained some useable info for all. Peace/bye * OLX 2.1 TD * Despite the high cost of living, it remains popular, --- GOMail v2.0 [94-0145] * Origin: The Desert Reef >(;} * Tucson Az * V34 * 520 624 6386 (1:300/507) Ä [21] Fidonet: HOME_COOKING (1:352/111) ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ HOME_COOKING Ä Msg : 1 of 127 +2 From : BOBBIE KOPF 1:300/507 Thu 28 Sep 95 12:36 To : ALL Subj : Homemade Sausage 2 OF 2 ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ -------------------- Sausages are basic mixtures of meat, fat, spices and liquid. You can utilize cheaper and tougher cuts -- beef round, chuck or brisket, pork shoulder, or rib (blade) end of the loin, lamb shoulder and veal shoulder or breast, because they will be tenderized by grinding Unless I am making fish sausage, or fine-grained 'boudin', I prefer a grinder with a sharp knife to a food processor. Quick as the processor is, it chops unevenly and heats up the meat, giving the sausage a pasty texture. Preground meat is not recommended. Depending on the leanness of the meat, an additional 30-50% fat - pork fatback, or leaf lard, beef or lamb suet, and on occasion, poultry fat - is added to moisten, tenderize and bind the sausage. Every herb or spice finds itself in the middle of these mixtures at one time or another, but a blend of white peppercorns, cloves, nutmeg, giner or cinnamon appears so regularly, that connoisseurs mix up their own secret proportions. Pork casings are the most practical for all but large, country-style sausages, which require the thicker beef casings. Stick with half dolls (7-1/2 yds). enough for ten pounds of meat. Anything larger is difficult to handle. Packed in salt, natural casings last at least a year in the refrigerator. You can usually obtain casings from your local butcher. Hope this has contained some useable info for all. Peace/bye * OLX 2.1 TD * Time exists so that everything doesn't happen at once!! * OLX 2.1 TD * Assumption is the Mother of all screw-ups --- GOMail v2.0 [94-0145] * Origin: The Desert Reef >(;} * Tucson Az * V34 * 520 624 6386 (1:300/507)