General information and suggestions on making sausages. Sources for sausage making supplies.
NOTE: See also the files: haggis-msg, meat-smoked-msg, butchering-msg, pig-to-sausag-art, sausages-msg, chopped-meat-msg, meat-pies-msg, meat-stuffed-msg.
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NOTICE -
This file is a collection of various messages having a common theme that I have collected from my reading of the various computer networks. Some messages date back to 1989, some may be as recent as yesterday.
This file is part of a collection of files called Stefan's Florilegium. These files are available on the Internet at: http://www.florilegium.org
I have done a limited amount of editing. Messages having to do with separate topics were sometimes split into different files and sometimes extraneous information was removed. For instance, the message IDs were removed to save space and remove clutter.
The comments made in these messages are not necessarily my viewpoints. I make no claims as to the accuracy of the information given by the individual authors.
Please respect the time and efforts of those who have written these messages. The copyright status of these messages is unclear at this time. If information is published from these messages, please give credit to the originator(s).
Thank you,
Mark S. Harris AKA: THLord Stefan li Rous
Stefan at florilegium.org
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Date: Thu, 16 Oct 1997 00:08:54 -0400
From: "Robert Newmyer" <rnewmyer at epix.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Ready to smoke!
Sorry no recipes but I have found a good source for smoking and
sausage-making supplies:
The Sausagemaker
1500 Clinton Street, Bldg. 123
Buffalo, NY 14206
Phone: 716-824-6510
Also this site sells smoking chips, sounds very interesting.
Woodbridge and Vintage Barrel Chips - made exclusively from recycled 100%
American French Oak wine barrels, which for years have been used in the
aging of fine wines.
http://www.woodbridgechips.com/
Griffith Allt y Genlli
Bob Newmyer
rnewmyer at epix.net
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 10:31:35 -0500
From: maddie teller-kook <meadhbh at io.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Food Preservation
Melissa Martines wrote:
> Second, I have the recipe for the sausage, I have a smoker lined up, I
> have even ascertained that the Kroger butcher will give me intestines
> for casing (althought THAT caused a few lifted eyebrow :) ). What I'm
> not sure about is how to actually squeeze the ground meat product into
> the intestines. A pastry tube perhaps? Any other suggestions?
You can purchase a 'sausage stuffer'. It looks like a funnel with a wide tip
(well, as wide as you want the sausage to be). You put the casing on the tip...
pushing it on until you have about an inch or so.. .tie a knot. You can then add
the ground sausage meat thru the funnel pushing with a dowel... as each ''link''
gets to the size you want... twist it to form the end of the link, then start
pushing more meat through. OR, if you have a Kitchen-Aid with the food grinder
attachment, there is a sausage stuffer attachment that fits into the grinder
..... it is much faster!!!Good Luck!
Meadhbh
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 11:44:59 -0400
From: waks at world.std.com (Jane Waks)
Subject: Re: SC - Food Preservation
>Melissa Martines wrote:
>> not sure about is how to actually squeeze the ground meat product into
>> the intestines. A pastry tube perhaps? Any other suggestions?
>
>You can purchase a 'sausage stuffer'. It looks like a funnel with a wide tip
>(well, as wide as you want the sausage to be). You put the casing on the tip...
Or you can cut the top off a plastic 1 or 2 liter soda bottle and
make your own wide-necked funnel. Then fit the sausage casing
over the neck of the bottle.
(idea courtesy Lady Arianwen ferch Gawaine, who needed half a dozen
such funnels at once for a pre-event sausage-making party)
Caitlin Davies
Carolingia, EK
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 11:39:57 -0500
From: a14h at zebra.net (William Seibert)
Subject: Re: SC - Food Preservation
El-cheapo sausage stuffer: get one of those plastic bag type cake decorating things from the grocery store, bore out one of the tips, then pull the casing over the tip. Fill the bag with the sausage and squeeze like hell. More work than the mechanical ones, but a lot cheaper.
WAJDI
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 10:19:21 -0700
From: "needlwitch at msn.com" <needlewitch at email.msn.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Food Preservation
>Second, I have the recipe for the sausage, I have a smoker lined up, I
>have even ascertained that the Kroger butcher will give me intestines
>for casing (althought THAT caused a few lifted eyebrow :) ). What I'm
>not sure about is how to actually squeeze the ground meat product into
>the intestines. A pastry tube perhaps? Any other suggestions?
One other thing to remember is that when you work with real intestines, you
want to wash them thouroghly, and keep them moist. Also, they tear much
easier, so they are much more prone to blowouts.
Thorbjorn the Cook
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 14:37:24 -0400
From: Jeff Botkins <jbotkins at ime.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Food Preservation
needlwitch at msn.com wrote:
> One other thing to remember is that when you work with real intestines, you
> want to wash them thouroghly, and keep them moist. Also, they tear much
> easier, so they are much more prone to blowouts.
> Thorbjorn the Cook
What works well is to make sure you soak your casings in warm water with
some salt in it for a bit before you start stuffing....
Also, you should seperate and unknot your casings well ahead of time to
avoid frustration...
After you do that, it's helpful to run water through them to sort of
make sure the kinks and such are worked out...you can do this with your
faucet running at just a trickle (use warm water)...
Jeff
(the former meatcutter/sausagemaker)
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 14:00:38 -0500
From: a14h at zebra.net (William Seibert)
Subject: Re: SC - Food Preservation
Jeff Botkins wrote:
> After you do that, it's helpful to run water through them to sort of
> make sure the kinks and such are worked out...you can do this with your
> faucet running at just a trickle (use warm water)...
Running water thru the skins will also show you where the pinholes are, before
you waste time stuffing them.
WAJDI
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 1998 16:05:16 -0400
From: Jeff Botkins <jbotkins at ime.net>
Subject: Re: SC - Food Preservation
William Seibert wrote:
> Running water thru the skins will also show you where the pinholes are, before
> you waste time stuffing them.
> WAJDI
You Betcha !!
Tho, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to ditch the whole casing,
just cut it off where the tear is...
You might end up with some shorter ones, but if you're going to link
it, it shouldn't be a prob...
Jeff
(who just loves all this talk about sausage-making !)
Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 15:10:18 EDT
From: Mordonna22 at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - Food Preservation
mmartines at brighthorizons.com writes:
> Second, I have the recipe for the sausage, I have a smoker lined up, I
> have even ascertained that the Kroger butcher will give me intestines
> for casing (althought THAT caused a few lifted eyebrow :) ).
hmmm, a better idea is commercially packaged goat or sheep intestines. We
used to get ours from the general store under the Morton's brand (yes, the
salt people). These are sold in salt in plastic tubs. Salting toughens them,
so they are FAR easier to work with than fresh hog guts. And they are of a
size more readily recognizable as "sausage" and more homogenous. Hog guts are
so easy to tear that they seldom survive the cleaning process without holes.
And the guts from one hog can vary in diameter from 1 inch to eight or more.
We did occasionally use hog guts to stuff the pudding meats, but never for
sausage.
Mordonna
Date: Sat, 19 Sep 1998 16:05:21 -0400
From: Jeff Botkins <jbotkins at ime.net>
Subject: Sausage casings was Re: SC - Food Preservation
From the perspective of someone who used to be in the sausage-making business:
Hog casings are the general rule with most sausages the size of kielbasa and
bratwurst....
Sheep casings are generally used for viennas/hot dogs, that sort of thing.....
Beef bungs are used for big bolognas and such.....
Your summer sausages and cooked salamis generally use a collagen or synthetic
casing.....
In many places, you can buy hog casings in a form commonly referred to as "cup
casings"...these are more or less odds and ends pieces and they are packed in
salt...
Your butcher will generally buy his hog casings fresh packed in salt by the
"hank:...
A hank is about 3 pounds or so and the amount of sausage you can make varies with the diameter..
You have 4 general sizes of hog casings:
29-32 mm -- used for franks, or link breakfast sausage (country sausage)--makes
90-100 lbs.
32-35 mm -- used for some bratwurst, bockwurst and italian sausage--makes up to
115 lbs.
35-38 mm -- used for some knockwurst, kielbasa (polish sausage), etc.--makes
about 125 lbs.
38-42 mm -- largest available (diameter is 1 1/2 - 2"), used for bigger
kielbasa, some summer sausage, liverwurst and ring bologna.-- makes up to
140 lbs.
Sheep casings generally come in 2 sizes:
22-24 mm -- used for pork link sausage--makes 50-60 lbs.
24-26 mm -- used for winers/hot dogs -- makes 60-70 lbs.
Beef bungs are used for big bologna, cooked salami, lebanon salami, etc. --are
approx 4 to 4 1/2" in diameter, and each casing holds 8 to10 lbs.
There's a ton more info I can come up with if anyone wants it, incl info on beef
and hog middles, synthetic casings, collagen casings, etc.
I pretty much get most of my sausage-making stuff mail order from a supplier in
Buffalo, NY (The Sausage Maker)...
I have the phone number and address for anyone who'd like it.....their prices are pretty reasonable.
They also sell a variety of grinders, slicers, stuffers, smokers and
spices....etc.
Jeff
Date: Tue, 22 Sep 1998 21:57:36 EDT
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - Food Preservation
upsxdls at okway.okstate.edu writes:
<< Slide the casing over the tube end of the stuffer. Tie a knot in the
end of the casing. >>
For clarification purposes only> Push all of the casing over the end of the
stuffer. It will bunch up together. Pull a couple of inches off the tube
then tie the knot./ Push the extra casing back unto the tube until the knot is
firmly against the end of the sausage stuffer. Then proceed to push the
stuffing through the tube into the casing tying off with string or twisting
the filled casing in the lengths you desire. If you do not wish to make small
sausages by twisting or tying coil the sausage as it is filled, tying off the
other end when it is reached.
Ras
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 15:11:57 -0600
From: "Decker, Margaret" <margaret at Health.State.OK.US>
Subject: FW: SC - making sausages
Dottie Elliott wrote:
I have been learning to make various sausages (form period sources) and I
need a little advice. When I am stuffing them I twist the sausage skin
several times between each link and it holds for awhile. Yet while cooking,
some of the links untwist. It still tastes fine but doesn't look as nice. I
tried tieing each link with string until after it was cooked and that worked
but it takes a lot of string and time. Is there a trick to twisting the
links I don't know?
Clarissa
Try knotting the casing as you would thread instead of twisting.
Margarite
Date: Thu, 05 Nov 1998 09:09:25 +0000
From: Robyn Probert <robyn.probert at lawpoint.com.au>
Subject: Re: FW: SC - making sausages
>Clarissa wrote:
>I have been learning to make various sausages (form period sources) and I
>need a little advice. When I am stuffing them I twist the sausage skin
>several times between each link and it holds for awhile. Yet while cooking,
>some of the links untwist. It still tastes fine but doesn't look as nice. I
>tried tieing each link with string until after it was cooked and that worked
>but it takes a lot of string and time. Is there a trick to twisting the
>links I don't know?
Try tying several strings of sausages together (4 is common) every few links
Rowan
Date: Wed, 4 Nov 1998 20:30:56 -0500
From: "Philippa Alderton" <phlip at bright.net>
Subject: Re: SC - making sausages
May I suggest that the trick is not in the twisting, but in the stuffing?
Most sausages when they cook, expand, and this expansion will push against
the twist, since the contents have to go somewhere, and out the casing
isn't first choice. Try stuffing less into the casing, and try pricking the
casing when cooking, so the hot juices may escape.
Phlip
Caer Frig
Barony of the Middle Marches
Middle Kingdom
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 08:07:53 EST
From: Mordonna22 at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - Sausage
mmartines at brighthorizons.com writes:
> Well, I can't figure out how much fat to the meat should be used. For
> example, if I use 5 lbs. of pork, how much fat? Also, what KIND of fat?
Standard practice back home was 1 part lean meat to 1 part fat. Pork fat is
preferred for pork sausage.
Mordonna
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 09:51:00 -0500
From: "Kappler, MMC Richard A." <KAPPLERR at swos.navy.mil>
Subject: SC - sausage stuffing
Clarissa asked:Is there a trick to twisting the links I don't know?
Milady, are you using real or artificial casings? I myself use natural
casings (out of personal preference and so m'lord Ras will continue to
admit, on occasion, that he knows me ;-) and have never had a problem
with them untwisting provided everything was tight, tidy and WELL
washed. I do have a German friend in the Bay area though, who taught me
most of what I know of sausage making, who actually ties the skins in a
knot at the end of each link. Understand, this takes much practice and
more dexrterity, and I myself prefer the twist (lazy lil Pucker that I
am). Essentially what he does is, as he fills each link, he pulls the
casing off the filler tube a ways, and then quite deftly ties a knot by
feeding everything thru on itself. Not difficult to do, but very
difficult to do well in order to avoid air pocket and such. Hope this
helps.
Regards, Puck
Date: Thu, 5 Nov 1998 19:13:15 -0600
From: "Debra Hense" <nickiandme at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: SC - making sausages
Are you aways twisting them all in the same direction? If so, you need
to reverse the twist each time, one link towards you, the next link twist away
from you. Or, a couple of twist to the right, then on the next link, a
couple of twists to the left.
Sorta like: |
-> twist
|
<- twist
|
-> twist
|
This should help prevent the untwisting while cooking.
Kateryn de Develyn
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 01:20:47 -0500
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
Subject: Re: SC - making sausages
Dottie Elliott wrote:
> I have been learning to make various sausages (form period sources) and I
> need a little advice. When I am stuffing them I twist the sausage skin
> several times between each link and it holds for awhile. Yet while
> cooking, some of the links untwist. It still tastes fine but doesn't
> look as nice. I tried tieing each link with string until after it was
> cooked and that worked but it takes a lot of string and time. Is there a
> trick to twisting the links I don't know?
Twisting the casings more than maybe two complete twists places a great
deal of stress on the casing. I'm coming into this discussion a bit
late, but I wanted to respond to some responses you've already received.
My own experience has been that it's best to twist the links in
alternating opposite directions, and tie them with a continuous length
of string, roughly 1 1/2 times as long as your string of sausage. Have
you ever examined the way a butcher ties up a roast, using one piece of
string? It's a lot like that. Use one end to tie the end of your
casings, even if you've knotted the casings. (Don't fill them too full,
but be sure there are no air bubbles, which are easier and better to
expel before sealing the ends than to prick the thing full of holes.
Sausages don't really expand when cooking, and hot dogs don't "plump
when you cook 'em", either! What happens is simply that the casing
shrinks rapidly, which, if it's not stuffed too tightly, is rarely a
problem, but a tight casing, especially one full of expanding air, which
becomes a problem a lot sooner than steam does; who cooks sausages to
212 degrees inside?)
Run your string along the first link, wrap it around the first twist and
under itself and out again, then along the second link, and so on until
you've got all the links tied off. The great advantage of using this
method is with things like liver sausages and black puddings: they often
won't support their own weight without help, and it is a source of
unending despair to have your black puds bust open not because you broke
the casings while poaching them, but because you weren't careful enough
lifting them out of the pot. With the string properly tied, you can lift
that string of links out of the pot by the string without straining the
casings too much.
Yes, it uses a lot of string. No, it's not that time consuming once you
get your fingers accustomed to the task. If using a lot of string is a
problem, make sure you use cheap, thin cotton twine, which is what
butchers use anyway.
Adamantius
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 07:16:58 -0600
From: kallie at zebra.net (Kathleen Ashcraft)
Subject: Re: SC - making sausages
Philip & Susan Troy wrote:
> My own experience has been that it's best to twist the links in
> alternating opposite directions, and tie them with a continuous length
> of string, roughly 1 1/2 times as long as your string of sausage. Have
> you ever examined the way a butcher ties up a roast, using one piece of
> string? It's a lot like that. Use one end to tie the end of your
> casings, even if you've knotted the casings.
An alternative to this, if you're using natural casing, is to take one of the
casings that end up with pinholes in it (and one will, rest assured), and trim
out about 6 to 8 inches to either side of the pinhole, then slice the casing
into thin strips and use these to tie between links. Works for me.
wajdi
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1998 10:21:48 -0500
From: "LHG, JRG" <liontamr at ptd.net>
Subject: SC - SC-Sausage/Powder Douce
>> Plastic coke bottles work wonderfully as disposable sausage
>> stuffers/funnels if anyone else out there is thinking of doing some
>> sausage stuffing.
>Thank you. This is a wonderful idea and much cheaper than the metal meat
>grinders/sausage stuffers I saw advertised. This sounds especially good
>for someone who would like to try sausage making but doesn't know if they
>want to do a lot of it.
>Stefan li Rous
Stefan, an even easier method is to use a plastic kitchen funnel. It is
devoid of the ridges that could get in the way of threading the casings
properly onto the stuffer tube. When you are talking 8mm casings, it's not
a risk I'd want to take.
BTW, Morgan, we *did* get the casings thoroughly wet before we stuffed
them, right? Rinsed them quite well inside and out, getting rid of salt, if
that's how they were packed?
And we also used meat that had been ground and held at the proper
temperatures (ie ground just at the freezing point, and mixed and used
immediately) so that we wouldn't need any of that nasty prague powder that
wards off bacterial infection (I hate medecine in my food)?
Aoife
Subject: Supplies
Date: Sat, 21 Nov 1998 21:00:51 EST
From: Logo65 at aol.com
To: stefan at texas.net
I have bought supplies from the sausage maker, but now buy from a source out
of detroit. They have a catalog and a web site. Many of the
http://www.butcher-packer.com/bod.htm Butcher & Packer Supply Company
prices are half as much as of what the sausage maker wants. If
you do a seach on the web you can probably find a supplier close to you.
Eric
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 1998 08:52:56 EST
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: SC - Sausage Casings
stefan at texas.net writes:
<< But do they make plastic kitchen funnels with large openings? The ones I
remember seeing all have snouts only about the size of a finger or less
in diameter. Wouldn't this really slow down the sausage stuffing compared
to that of a 2-litter or 3-litter soda bottle, which are closer in size
to what I thought the sausage casing diameter is?
Stefan li Rous >>
Suasage cases come n varying diameters depending on the type of sausage.
colon, duodenom, and the large intestine are used for larger diameter
sausages, while the small intestine is used for smaller sausages. Artificial
cellulose casings can also be purchased in differing sizes which generally
reflect the size of the natural casing or can be had in sizes not normally
associated with natural casings.
Most commercial sausages are packed into cellulose casings these days but
sausages packed in natural casings are by no means that rare or hard to come
by. By their nature, natural casings have great elasticity and there should be
no problem with easily fitting a casing made from pig's intestine over a soda
bottle cap or removing it over the ridges as it tends to be rather slippery.
The secret is to soak and rinse casings sufficently to rehydrate them and
remove the salt in which they are packed.
Large tube funnels are easily obtainable at any hardware store or agricultural
supply store such as 'True Value' or 'Agway'. Also the automotive section of
any variety store will have larger funnels. Simply wash the new funnel in
warm soapy water, rinse thouroughly and you are ready for the sausage making
experience.
Ras
Date: Sat, 2 Jan 1999 23:32:15 EST
From: LrdRas at aol.com
Subject: Re: SC - sausage questions
stefan at texas.net writes:
<< My question is, how do you get the internal temperature of the sausage
links?>>
I use one of the pocket thermometers, they are relatively inexpensive and
very handy when cooking for crowds. ;-)
<< If you pierce the sausage casings with a meat thermometer don't the
insides start leaking out of the sausages, especially if the temperature is
not there yet and you have to heat them some more? >>
Well...a careful reading of the ingredients list reveals eggs as an
ingredient. These, combined with the starches set up almost instantly when the
sausage goes into the hot liquid. In my initial try, I let the water get to
hot, and had one or two burst like an overcooked hotdog. I found that if you
carefully control the temperature of the liquid and do NOT let it raise above
the original suggested temperature bursting never occurs. After a few
batches, experience will guide you in the area of water temperature.
<<Will the casing be more susceptible to tearing after it has been
pierced?>>
That was NOT my experience. The proteins in the casing harden instantly on
contact with the water. A small hole is all that the thermometer makes and I
had no experience with any filling leaking out of any of those that were
pierced.
<< And a similar question, if you cut the links apart, what keeps the
sausage insides from spilling out the now open ends?>>
At this point they are entirely congealed and cooked so there is no longer
anything that can spill out. BTW, if you are thinking of recreating the
recipe, keep mind that I like highly seasoned food halving the amount of
seasoning will produce a milder and still tasty sausage.
Ras
Date: Sun, 3 Jan 1999 10:31:35 -0600
From: "Lady Di" <toastie at interaccess.com>
Subject: Re: SC - sausage questions
stefan at texas.net writes:
<< My question is, how do you get the internal temperature of the sausage
links?>>
As a guide, simmering for about an hour usually does the trick ;)
Lady Di
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 16:57:01 EDT
From: ChannonM at aol.com
Subject: SC - Re: Food Processors and the lists Opinion
> On Tue, 5 Sep 2000, Sue Clemenger wrote:
> > Where do you buy the casings? Are they available at meat counters, or
>
> Last time I saw them they where in a nice packet in the frozen food
> section of one of the local grocery stores. But that's in Sweden, dunno
> about the states. Ask the nice people at the counter.
From the info I have freezing them is a bad thing, breaks down the collagen
and fibres and results in lots of holes.
I bought mine at a butcher's shop in our local farmers market. If Stefan
doesn''t mention this first, there are great files in the florithingy.
I found some ordering info and there are some web sites devoted to the topic.
Here are a few tidbits;
http://www.butcher-packer.com/bod.htm -Butcher & Packer Supply Company
http://www.3men.com- Recipes and great simplified instructions
Hauviette
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2000 17:31:46 -0400
From: "Nicholas Sasso" <NJSasso at msplaw.com>
Subject: Sausage casing storage (was SC - Re: Food Processors and the lists Opinion)
> On Tue, 5 Sep 2000, Sue Clemenger wrote:
> > Where do you buy the casings? Are they available at meat counters, or
> > Last time I saw them they where in a nice packet in the frozen food
> section of one of the local grocery stores. But that's in Sweden, dunno
> about the states. Ask the nice people at the counter.
>>> <ChannonM at aol.com> 9/5/00 4:57:01 PM >>>
>From the info I have freezing them is a bad thing, breaks down the collagen
and fibres and results in lots of holes. I bought mine at a butcher's shop in our local farmers market.<<<SNIP>>>
Hauviette >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
I have also had that experience of freezing destroying them. BUT (this is a great one . . .) if you keep the rascals in a strong brine, the water won't freeze, and neither does the casing. The stuff I bought from a butcher came in this intense salt water that doesn't freeze, and they are staying fine (butcher claims for a couple years after opening). I just have to rinse them pretty well to remove the salt, if desired, and then they are ready to go when at room temp. If you let the saline/brine level drop, the casings freezer burn and break really easily. I bought them by the pound, and got enough for about 100# of sausage in one hank.
So far, Le Menagier's recipe has been a favorite around here (hot smoked), though I have numerous more recipes on the drawing board. I'll appreciate any recipes developed, Hauviette, and I'll post my Menagier version this evening if it isn't already webbed off my personal site.
niccolo difrancesco
(at least 20% fat . . . 40% is a better sausage. . . 50% is described in Le Menagier. Otherwise it gets too dry.)
Date: Tue, 5 Sep 2000 18:41:39 -0700 (PDT)
From: Huette von Ahrens <ahrenshav at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: SC - Sausage casings
Here is a website were you can buy hog and sheep
casings. They claim that they have the freshest
casings and will ship anywhere free.
http://www.northamericanhogcasing.emerchantpro.com
From looking at the price list, you can get 100 yards
of casings from $17 to $21 for hog casings in various
diameters and $23 for sheep casings in various
diameters.
Here is their address, etc.:
Syracuse Casing Co. Inc.
528 Erie Blvd. W
Syracuse, NY 13204
Phone (315)475-0309
Fax (315)475-8536
E-mail: makincasin at aol.com
Huette
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 08:32:11 -0600 (CST)
From: "Pixel, Goddess and Queen" <pixel at hundred-acre-wood.com>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: rice pudding & marrow
> You can go several ways, ranging from a funnel, or some variant, to an
> industrial sausage stuffer, which is like an enormous hypodermic
> syringe. Period cooks would probably have used a hollow, truncated cow's
> horn, and there's a cool, inexpensive sausage funnel I sometimes see in
> Middle Eastern markets.
You also need to grease the funnel, preferably with a hard fat like
vegetable shortening or lard. If you don't, it can be darn near impossible
to get the casing onto the funnel, and it has a nasty habit of sticking
and tearing.
And of course, the greasing of the horn and the act of sliding the casing
onto the horn provide much amusement for the spectators. We finally
learned our lesson and banned the peanut gallery from the kitchen.
Margaret
Date: Thu, 13 Dec 2001 09:43:41 -0500
From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: rice pudding & marrow
Pixel, Goddess and Queen wrote:
> You also need to grease the funnel, preferably with a hard fat like
> vegetable shortening or lard. If you don't, it can be darn near impossible
> to get the casing onto the funnel, and it has a nasty habit of sticking
> and tearing.
Actually, I never had that problem with numerous times of making sausage
of various types.
Are we talking natural casings here? Maybe your experience and mine
represents differences in casing size versus funnel size, tension, etc.
I never had a problem with well-soaked casings, just threaded on wet.
Adamantius
Date: Tue, 03 Feb 2004 17:20:21 -0500
From: John Kemker <john at kemker.org>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] sausage can be fun...
To: Cooks within he SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Why, yes, Christie, I have!
When I was working on the Red Tower 30 Dayboard (remember that little
project? ;-), I was trying out a dish that called for making a pork
liver sausage.
I'd leave the collagen casings for summer sausage or something you're
going to peel before eating. Tough, stringy and fibrous.
--Cian
kingstaste at mindspring.com wrote:
> We were shopping a Bass Pro Shops recently (if you haven't seen one,
> it's
> worth the trip just for the experience, you don't see rock climing
> towers in
> many retail stores), and spending a fair amount of time in the cooking
> section. Oooh, I could do a lot of dmage in there. As it was, I
> bought
> myself a set of four stainless stock pots (8,12, 16, and 20 qt) for 30
> bucks. But I digress. They had a large meat processing section,
> along with
> dehydrators, vacuum sealers, and packaging supplies, theyhave a large
> selection of sausage making equipment. I found the sausage casings
> hanging
> on a rack, made from 'collagen'. They were available in various
> sizes, not
> refrigerated or water-packed, just long tubes of casings in a plastic
> pak
> on a hanger. I had to wonder what the actual content of these things
> were,
> anyone ever play with them?
> Christianna
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 2004 20:01:27 -0500
From: "Carol Eskesen Smith" <BrekkeFranksdottir at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] sausage can be fun...
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
I tried the collagen once; never again. My experience was very
similar. The casings split easily and were most unco-operative.
Brekke
Date: Thu, 6 May 2004 17:02:28 -0400
From: "a5foil" <a5foil at ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] German Sausage recipes
To: <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>, "Cooks within the SCA"
<sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
>> <<31>>
>> Pratw?rst von vischen
>> Hakch den hechten chlain vnd gutz gewurtz
>> darzu vnd nim ch?m darein vnd tue das an
>> einen spis vnd pratz vnd pegewss mit smaltz
>> vnd richz an mit zukker, ymber vnd traget.
>>
>> Roasting sausages of fish
>>
>> Chop pike finely and add good spices and cumin. Place that on a spit and
>> roast it, and baste it with lard. Serve it with sugar, ginger and /traget/
>> (gum tragacanth? candied spices?)
>
> Do you think this just omits to tell you to put it in the casings?
>
> -- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
It's possible that casing was just assumed. It's also possible that the
mixture is supposed to be firm enough to hold together without casing. We've
done it with pork sausage that would otherwise be cased, when we were out of
casing. It's trickier, but it does work.
Cynara
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2005 23:05:11 -0500
From: Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Need assistance in Scaling Sausage Spicing
To: Barbara Benson <voxeight at gmail.com>, Cooks within the SCA
<sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
> I have never tried to scale anything where I cannot taste as I go so I
> was looking for some advice on what might be a problem. I am going to
> add the water carefully until I think it is right. I looked up some
> info on scaling and it said to half the herbs after the first doubling
> which would have me reduce the herbs to 7.5 t apiece and I am afraid I
> would end up with really bland sausage.
First, do this in 3 batches if you can. 5 lbs is about all you can
usefully stuff at once, anyway. That makes it a bit easier. First, put
in about half the amount of spice, and smell the mixture. Then add
another 1/4 the amount, and fry a tiny bit. That way you will be able to
tell how it comes out. (Advice from the experienced sausage maker who
lent me his sausage stuffer for my Conviviencia feast.)
--
-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
Date: Sat, 22 Jan 2005 15:26:24 -0800 (PST)
From: Lawrence Bayne <shonsu_78 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage recipes
To: Barbara Benson <voxeight at gmail.com>, Cooks within the SCA
<sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
--- Barbara Benson <voxeight at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
In the [sausage] recipe it
calls for 4 bs pork, 4 lbs beef, 2 lbs pork fat and 1
quart of water. What is the purpose of the water?
<<<
An astute question, if a simple one. Requiring but a
simple answer. For moisture. Most sausage recipes that
are smoked as preserving method need extra moisture to
keep the meat from "burning" and thus becoming
in-edible. By the time the excess water has evaporated
out, the rest of the sausage is ready for consumption.
You can substitute other fluids, but make sure they
will not spoil before the sausage is done.
Most fresh sausages do not need the extra fluid as
they will be cooked and eaten quickly enough to
prevent the need for moisture.
Lothar
Date: Sun, 23 Jan 2005 12:20:10 -0500
From: "a5foil" <a5foil at ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage recipe
To: "Barbara Benson" <voxeight at gmail.com>, "Cooks within the SCA"
<sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
From: "Barbara Benson" <voxeigt at gmail.com>
> Now, here is a question. In the recipe it calls for 4 lbs pork, 4 lbs
> beef, 2 lbs pork fat an 1 quart of water.
>
> What is the purpose of the water?
Aside from adding moisture, water or other liquid in sausage also serves the
mechanical function of distributing salt (in particular) and other
flavorings throughout the meat more efficiently than if the dry spices are
just sprinkled on the meat. If you want to test this yourself, take a
teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper per pound of ground pork, and
sprinkle it directly on the meat and mix it in (this is a recipe for
butifarra crua). Try the same recipe, but add a quarter cup of water per
pound of ground pork, dissolve the salt in the water, and soak the pepper in
the water for about 10 minutes before working the water and seasonings into
the meat.
Wet sausage is easier to stuff, to. About 30 minutes after salt is added to
the meat, it starts to set. A sausage with added liquid is easier to work,
longer after the salt is added.
- Thomas Longshanks
Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2005 21:00:17 -0700
From: lilinah at earthlink.net
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Introductions.. And Meat Pies
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
> Vegetarian suet, huh? I wonder how that would work as the fat for
> sausages. At our next local event, there's a bake sale fundraiser (to
> raise money to purchase loaner armor), and if I can work it out, I
> thought to offer sausages, with 1 minor stumbling block being a few
> people in the barony who don't/won't do pork...
>
> --maire, surfacing from a pile of paperwork and laundry....
I had a problem making sausages for people who don't eat pork: and
that was finding affordable non-pork casings. Pork casings are what
are used for most (if not all) of the commercial chicken and turkey
sausages i've seen.
I found lamb casings at the halal market, but it was enough for *50*
pounds of meat, and i was only using 15 lbs. And this block of
casings cost $40 or so...
I ended up just shaping the ground seasoned meat into sausages shapes
and baking them... loses the succulent quality of a sausage, but
tasted excellent. (actually i've done this twice, once with an
Andalusian recipe and once with a Roman recipe, but substituting lamb
for pork)
--
Urtatim (that's err-tah-TEEM)
the persona formerly known as Anahita
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 20:32:55 -0400
From: "grizly" <grizly at mindspring.com>
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Sausage Making
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
I have made suasages for a feast on two occasions, and have done a
'commissioned' effort for a fundraiser. There is a specialty sausage maker
in mtro-Atlanta (owned by ex-Braves catcher Biff Pocoroba) who found it
amusing and entertaining tomake my redaction of a Menagier sausage. I took
in the seasoning and tiold them the total meat , fat ration, and salt
content. They cold smoked for a few hours and bagged it for me . . .
even made links the size I wanted.
Last two times I made it myself. Grinding can be done by the butcher if
they will make your fat/lean ratio as you want it. Stuffing was done best
with a large cast-iron Enterprise Lard Press/Sausage Stuffer . . .
the hand crank on the kitchen table was a bit of a nightmare.
Two things that are absolutely crucial. KEEP IT COLD. All things must be
cold and observe time/temp stresses on your food through the whole deal.
LUBRICATE THE MEAT. I did not add enough water to my sausage before
stuffing, and it was a whole lot more effort to stuff than it should have
been. Whatever liquid your recipe calls for will make the mixture
smooth enough to extrude more simply.
Do it just for the experience of it all. Nothing like feeling the joy of a
period charcutier! Every manuscript (at least almost all) I have seen
translated have recipes for sausage. Then, try your hand at making a
mustard (also ubiquitous recipes) to go with it. No better love than
a hand crafted sausage and mustard.
niccolo
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 20:38:00 -0400
From: "grizly" <grizly at mindspring.com>
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Sausage Making
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Not to be a spoon tease . . .
my redactions:
http://franiccolo.home.mindspring.com/salsize_bone.htm Neapolitan Cusine
Sausage
http://franiccolo.home.mindspring.com/sausages_le_menagier.html Le
Menagier 1393 Paris (very similar)
http://franiccolo.home.mindspring.com/sinapeum_rubeum.htm Platina Red
mustard
niccolo
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 20:51:19 -0400
From: Robin Carroll-Mann <rcmann4 at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage Making
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
As others have said, sausage-making is labor-intensive, but not
difficult. I have made sausage for feasts and dayboards 3 or 4 times,
and they were well-received on each occasion. I think it's one of those
dishes that impresses people, but (at least in my area) is fairly cheap
to make, DO order casings in advance. One of my local supermarkets
carries them, but they're not always in stock. The local Italian pork
store sells them, too, but in large quantities only.
--
Brighid ni Chiarain
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 21:27:02 -0400
From: "Carol Smith" <Eskesmith at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage Making (long)
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
I make sausages pretty regularly, and have almost always frozen them and
have had no problems.
By all means, make a test batch(5 lbs or less) to try out your spices. Go
easy at first; you can always more, but it's almost impossible to reduce
them. You should use a little water with any recipe, even if the recipe
doesn't call for any, just to make the mixture softer and to press into the
casings. (Or substitute beer or wine for the liquid, if you desire). The
trick to good sausages is to keep the air out of the casings; you can work
small air bubbles out from either end of the casing, or you can poke a
PINPRICK hole in the casing to remove an air bubble. That's the major
problem I've found in homemade, but I've got a 25-lb press that I only pull
out for feasts. Otherwise, I just use the 5-lb press I use for classes.
I've made Medieval German and Italian sausages and modern, as well. One of
the things we've done, once, many years ago, was a fish sausage, made by
Master A, Charlie, and me, for a Celtic Silliness "Come as you're not"
event. I believe Adamanteus had posted the recipe here a while back.
Brekke
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 21:31:03 -0400
From: Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage Making
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
> Now I have another question. Has anyone here made sausages and
> if so, did you find the task to be difficult? I am looking into
> buying a meat grinder/sausage combo for next to nothing. I
> remember someone saying that the casings can be difficult to find,
> but I have found an on-line source that ships them in brine and
> vaccumed sealed.
I've done it several times. I would say that the Kitchen aid sausage
stuffer attachment is pretty much a pain to use, but if you have a good
sausage stuffer-- I reccomend the plunger-fed ones, as the stuffing goes
quite quickly and the hardest part is setting up the skins. It will take
several hours at least to do 20 lbs of sausage on a Kitchenaid; with a
plunger-stuffer I was able to do 40 lbs in about 45 minutes.
--
-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 21:43:06 -0400
From: "Carol Smith" <Eskesmith at hotmail.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] in re sausage casings
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Brighid's right on the casings, of course. I usually order from The Sausage
Maker, at www.sausagemaker.com . Very reliable, various sizes of casings
available, and shipping is pretty fast. they normally sell enough casings
for about 100 lbs at a clip, but casings keep.
And Grizly - WHAT HE SAID! Keep everything COLD, and clean the area
regularly. (Washing casings before use is FUN! - I'm easily amused,
though.)
Brekke
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 21:44:50 -0400
From: "Carol Smith" <Eskesmith at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage Making
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
You can get artificial casings, but they're actually a lot less forgiving
than the intestines, which come cleaned and packed in salt. I tried
them once, but immediately went back to "the real thing".
Brekke
Date: Sat, 15 Apr 2006 21:53:51 -0400
From: Robin Carroll-Mann <rcmann4 at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage Making
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
> Being a pure city girl (as my Southern husband like to point out) I
> think the hardest part will be handling the casings. I hate
> touching inards and such. Even just taking out the gizzards and
> liver etc from a roasting chicken. They may be in a bag but I still
> don't like it.
>
> The wimpy one
> -Muiriath
Fear not! Have you ever seen pork casings? They have a very low "yuck
factor", compared to chicken innards. No blood, no slime. They come
dried and packed in salt, and are an unthreatening tan color. After
they've been soaked and rinsed, they resemble 15-ft condoms. Filling
them is.... an experience. (Like Brekke, I am easily amused.)
--
Brighid ni Chiarain
Barony of Settmour Swamp, East Kingdom
Date: Sun, 16 Apr 2006 17:42:01 -0400
From: "Carol Smith" <Eskesmith at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage Making
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Lamb casings are available from The Sausage maker, address (again)
www.sausagemaker.com
I cannot recommend them too highly, and No, I am not a shill. Just have
used their products many times, and found them reliable.
Brekke
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2006 12:26:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: Sandra J. <kieralady2 at yahoo.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Re: Sausage Making
To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
IMO, Don't bother with the Kitchen Aid sausage stuffer
attachment, if you were thinking about that route. I
can stuff as fast, and much more ergonomically correct,
just using my trusty ceramic funnel.
My first few sausages I had issues with the salt, so
bewarrrre the amount of salt one puts into these
things. I really recommend mixing in your seasoning,
frying a small bit up in the pan to taste, then
adjusting the seasoning.
Clara von Ulm
Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2006 12:36:13 -0700
From: Susan Fox <selene at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: Sausage Making
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Funny, how you find one thing whilst looking for another... While I
was googling for information about Kobe Beef to make sure I was writing
the correct things on LJ topic "Food Porn" today
[http://community.livejournal.com/food_porn/] I ran across what looks
like a very good site that includes sausage making equipment, casings,
even "sausage kits." Also a DVD on basic beef processing and knife
care, which I may actually purchase. [http://www.askthemeatman.com ]
Selene
Date: Tue, 16 May 2006 16:05:42 -0400
From: "grizly" <grizly at mindspring.com>
Subject: RE: [Sca-cooks] Adventures in Sausage Making
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
If you find one of these at a garage sale or antique mall, it is a high
volume stuffer (also lard press, fruit press, etc.). Given a properly
lubricated farcemeat, it will crank out many pounds of sausages, and with
less relaoding . . . no electricity either! Found mine on eBay for just
under $150 delivered.
http://www.sausagesource.com/catalog/cr-no35.html
niccolo difrancesco
Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 08:53:01 -0700
From: Susan Fox <selene at earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Adventures in Sausage Making
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Stefan li Rous wrote:
> Muiriath reported:
>>>>
> So I did a trial run to speak, see how all this works out.
>
> First thing, it takes alot longer to stuff the casing then I
> expected. Took me 10 minutes with an electric grinder/stuffer to do
> 1 12 inch test sausage.
> <<<
>
> That is a lot longer than I would expect. Perhaps it is the equipment.
> Using the sausage stuffer on the mixers I seem to remember doing them
> about ten times faster than that. However, had your previously ground
> the meat? I think we might have ground the meat first, then mixed in
> the spices and then stuffed it.
Ya know, the last time my grinder took that long, it turned out that
there was a piece missing from the insides. M, do you have the little
plus-sign shaped widget that goes in, impaled on the spiral-shaft, just
before the output? That is what messed me up the last time I tried to
do large-scale grinding and it makes a BIG difference. It cuts up the
meat and helps propel it onward so it can actually get through the holes
in the plate. This is important even if the meat have been ground
already.
>>>>
> BTW, they are English bangers.
> <<<
>
> Sounds a bit obscene. Can any of the British folks here tell us where
> this name comes from? Somehow I don't think it is period.
Victorian prudery is post-period for the SCA [as I often say when my
humour gets a bit, um, earthy].
Some websites suggest that the name "banger" originated circa WWII,
because this sausage contained so much water that it tended burst
during frying. So Muiriath did it right after all! Maybe the name is
anachronistic but there's nothing "too modern" about a highly spiced
pork sausage.
Some banger links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2284846.stm
http://www.fletchingbonfiresociety.co.uk/bonfire_night_banger.htm
http://www.graigfarm.co.uk/pksaus.htm
Selene
Date: Thu, 18 May 2006 23:36:02 -0700
From: Maggie MacDonald <maggie5 at cox.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausages
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
At 10:48 PM 5/18/2006,Caointiarn said something like:
> Then Muiriath shared:
>> I am the proud owner of 3 1/3 pound sauage links .<> I put them in
>> the freeezer and will take them out in a >few days and cook up. I am
>> planning on making them next week and freezing for Caid's Coronation the
>> first >week of June, but if they don't freeze well, I will just make
>> them a day in advance (but was hoping to avoid that >due to other timing
>> problems)
>
> From my experience, the sausage shouldn't give you a problem making them
> ahead & freezing. Especially since it is for a short period of time {2
> weeks?} Thank you for sharing your experiences!
>
> Caointairn
In my experience with the sausages, the only thing you have to keep in mind
is that the seasonings will change in strength when they get frozen. (i.e.
garlic grows, a lot). Maybe test freeze one and thaw it out a couple days
ahead, so you'll know what to expect?
But yes, I froze all mine to keep them nice and food safe til the day of
the event.
Maggie
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 18:13:57 -0400
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Looking for sausage casings
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
On Apr 30, 2007, at 5:22 PM, Michael Gunter wrote:
> I just got a new sausage stuffer attachment for my Kitchenade
> so, of course, I simply MUST make link sausages.
> I have a couple of wonderful recipes to try. But the problem is
> that I can't find a source for the casings. So far every grocery
> store butcher shop I've gone to does not sell casings. Not
> even the places that make their own sausage!
>
> I've been told to check out the more ethnic markets like
> Fiesta so that is my next step. Mistress Clara told me she
> got her casings through the mail but can't remember the
> vendor.
>
> So, any suggestions for sausage casing vendors in the Dallas
> area?
Remember about a million years ago, I posted a little essay about
making friends with your butcher? Most shops that make sausage
wouldn't mind dipping into their own supply of pre-soaked casings for
a buddy... [See the HC-butchers-art in the FEASTS section - Stefan]
But yes, failing that, ethnic markets are a good place to look; I've
had good luck getting casings in Italian pork stores (this isn't a
butcher shop, per se; while they do butchering, they're more like the
Italian equivalent of a French charcuterie, but in English, among
Italian-Americans, they're mostly known as "pork stores", salumeria
in Italian. I've also seen them in some generically, default-ethnic
(read discount) meat markets which tend to cater to a variety of
ethnic groups.
And failing that, there's always Sausagemaker.com. They're in upstate
NY someplace, maybe Buffalo, but process and ship orders _very_
quickly. And, of course, they have just about anything you could
possibly want in that general area.
Adamantius
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:09:55 -0400
From: Jehan-Yves <jehan.yves at signofthetiger.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Looking for sausage casings
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
> So, any suggestions for sausage casing vendors in the Dallas
> area?
>
> Gunthar
Heinshon's Country Store is closer to Houston, but has all of the
Sausage Goodies you could possibly want, (and lot's more).
JehanYves
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 21:04:59 -0400
From: "Carol Smith" <eskesmith at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Looking for sausage casings
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
The address above is for the Sausage Maker, located in Batavia, New York.
they do e-mail and mail-order business, and I have found them very reliable.
I buy a pound or so of casing every few years, and keep them refigerated
in their original packing, to which I may add more Kosher salt, if needed.
Their casings come in various sizes, packaged in salt, and will be shipped
promptly. they carry both natural and collagen casings, and may even have
haggis casings. I didn't check that thuroughly.
Brekke
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 19:05:01 -0700
From: "Maggie MacD." <maggie5 at cox.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Looking for sausage casings
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
At 06:57 PM 4/30/2007,Sue Clemenger said something like:
> *Collagen* casings? Truly? Are they considered kosher? That would really
> rock....(Jewish friends) I've been thinking that it would be a *blast* to
> teach a class on sausage making, or offer different sausages at a feast, and
> we lost the only place in town where I knew I could get (regular, pork)
> casings a couple of years ago....
> --Maire, who inherited a sausage grinder/maker from her folks....
The experiences I had with the collagen casings were very unhappy. It
never had the same texture as the natural casings, and the flavor
while not bad, just wasn't .. "right" either.
Maggie
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:45:59 -0400
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Looking for sausage casings
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
On Apr 30, 2007, at 9:57 PM, Sue Clemenger wrote:
> *Collagen* casings? Truly? Are they considered kosher? That would
> really rock....(Jewish friends)
My guess is that collagen casings _might_ be Kosher, or potentially
Kosher-able. There's no particular reason why collagen has to be
derived from piggies. It's probably mostly from cattle hides, feet
and hooves.
Collagen casings tend to be very soft, good for small sausages like
bangers and chippolatas, but since these cook quickly it's less of as
big deal if they burst somewhat. You can also get big casings of
collagen, fiber-reinforced collagen, and various other synthetic
substances. I bought some for haggis a while back, because I needed
quite a few and the various beef caps and bungs would have run to a
fairly large amount of money when bought in bulk, and I've had haggis
made in artificial casings before, and they were fine.
Adamantius
Date: Mon, 30 Apr 2007 22:17:34 -0400
From: "Saint Phlip" <phlip at 99main.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Looking for sausage casings
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Better than collagen casings, they have sheep casings. Suspect your
not-extreme-but-practicing kosher friends might enjoy that ;-)
On 4/30/07, Sue Clemenger <mooncat at in-tch.com> wrote:
> *Collagen* casings? Truly? Are they considered kosher? That would really
> rock....(Jewish friends) I've been thinking that it would be a *blast* to
> teach a class on sausage making, or offer different sausages at a feast, and
> we lost the only place in town where I knew I could get (regular, pork)
> casings a couple of years ago....
> --Maire, who inherited a sausage grinder/maker from her folks....
>> http://www.sausagemaker.com
>>
>> The address above is for the Sausage Maker, located in Batavia,
>> New York.
--
Saint Phlip
Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 06:02:40 EDT
From: Etain1263 at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Looking for sausage casings
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
countgunthar at hotmail.com writes:
<<< So far every grocery
store butcher shop I've gone to does not sell casings. Not
even the places that make their own sausage! >>>
Do you frequent any of these butchers? I went to the butcher we always
purchase from at market and they don't sell casings either...but he brought some
in the following week..just for me because I am a good customer. They
usually buy in such bulk that they can't be bothered to break them down into
managable size for individual use.
Etain
Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 08:39:03 -0400
From: "Nick Sasso" <grizly at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Looking for sausage casings
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
You might even try Whole Foods, if there is one nearby. Several, several
years back I bought casings at Harry's Farmers Market here in North Atlanta.
Whole Foods bought them out. I seem to recall buying frmo them once after
the changeover. It's worth a phone call if you have one locally.
niccolo difrancesco
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:23:56 -0500
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Problems with sausage
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
On Jan 7, 2008, at 10:13 AM, Michael Gunter wrote:
> I'm really enjoying making and researching sausage and I want to do more
> presentations and feasts using cased sausage. But I've run into problems.
> The main problem is that every sausage I've made has been too lean and
> a little dry. For 12th Night I even added lard into the mix to get enough
> fat into them but all that happened was once cooked the outer surface
> was greasy and they were still too lean.
When you say lard do you mean rendered fat? When heated, what is
rendered fat? (Hint: it starts with a "g" and ends in "e" ;-) )
Or do you mean something akin to uncured, fatty bacon or belly meat?
Or even salted fatback, trimmed of rind and soaked to remove some of
the salt?
You want a source of firm, sweet-tasting fat from actual adipose
tissues from certifiably chubby animals. Some of the modern recipes
I've seen call for fat pork, which generally means belly or side meat,
or a mix of lean pork (say, loin or shoulder) and fat pork (again,
belly). Or a mix of lean pork, like loin, shoulder, or fresh ham, and
kidney fat (I think on a pig this is known as the flead or leaf lard;
lard is rendered from this -- mostly-- and if the animal were a cow or
a steer it would be suet).
If the fat, when heated, just liquifies, it's going to have a very
limited effect on the sausage's mouth feel. You want something which,
when heated, is transformed from waxlike to jelly-like. Obviously
liquid fat will add to juiciness, but as anyone who's had lean,
overcooked pot roast knows, dry meat with gravy on it is still dry
meat...
> Talking with Master Modius made me think that one of the problems is there
> is no filler in the forcemeat. I can see how filler of breadcrumb, rice, groats
> or whatever can hold in the fat but in redacting the recipes I see no kind
> of filler mentioned. So is filler the secret or did period sausage stay lean?
> Both my bratwurst and zervelat were tasty but didn't have that rich mouth
> feel I associate with a good sausage.
Grain-based fillers (and in the end, almost all of them are grain-
based) are generally something (surely there will be exceptions, but
I'm speaking in general) that will appear in what are known in late
period as "puddings". True meat sausages tend not to include starchy
fillers. At various times and in various places, there have been
consumer protection laws about this in effect, akin to the
Rhineheitsgebot. I'm not sure if late medieval Germany and Austria are
among those places, but it's conceivable.
Adamantius
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 13:17:08 -0500
From: "Nick Sasso" <grizly at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Problems with sausage
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
-----Original Message-----
You want a source of firm, sweet-tasting fat from actual adipose
tissues from certifiably chubby animals. < < SNIP> > which generally
means belly or side meat,
< < SNIP > > (I think on a pig this is known as the flead or leaf lard;
lard is rendered from this -- mostly-- and if the animal were a cow or
a steer it would be suet).
If the fat, when heated, just liquifies, it's going to have a very
limited effect on the sausage's mouth feel. You want something which,
when heated, is transformed from waxlike to jelly-like. Obviously
liquid fat will add to juiciness, but as anyone who's had lean,
overcooked pot roast knows, dry meat with gravy on it is still dry
meat... > > > > > > >
Fat PLUS gelatin (soluablized callogen tissue) is far superior in mouthfeel
and tenderness than fat alone. As Master A mentioned, liquid fat just melts
and runs away . .. the other tissue will help hold moisture and velvety
feel.
niccolo
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 13:21:40 -0500
From: "Nick Sasso" <grizly at mindspring.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Problems with sausage
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
< < < < I want it to not only taste right but have a much better texture.
So, I guess I need to experiment and add a much higher percentage
of pork fat. Perhaps I'll use salt pork instead of bacon or at least
less bacon since I still want that smoky flavor from the German
black bacon. > > > > > >
I use fresh belly whenever I can get it. It is predominately adipose
tissue, and little lean meat to get in the way. Fresh belly won't add
extraneous sat or smoke or other flavors, giving me total seasoning control.
Your meat guy should be able to put you onto it. If nothing else, ask for
stray pork trimmings. It gives you a variety of fatty tissues to add to the
mix. I aim at 60% to 65% lean in my sausage, and cook to just a little past
medium. No pricks in the casings.
niccolo difrancesco
Date: Mon, 07 Jan 2008 13:34:36 -0500
From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Problems with sausage
To: grizly at mindspring.com, Cooks within the SCA
<sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
On Jan 7, 2008, at 1:17 PM, Nick Sasso wrote:
> Fat PLUS gelatin (soluablized callogen tissue) is far superior in mouthfeel
> and tenderness than fat alone. As Master A mentioned, liquid fat just melts
> and runs away . .. the other tissue will help hold moisture and
> velvety feel.
What he said. I had intended to mention that connective tissue of the
right sort (collagen, the translucent stuff like you get in pork skin
and pig's feet, etc., GOOD, nasty white fibrous elastin and plain old
abject cartilage, BAD) was a bog contributor to mouth feel.
Gunthar, the typical modern fat-to-lean-meat ratio for sausage is
anywhere from 10-15% (10% for "lite" sausages which may well have
fillers added) up to as much as 35%. 35% is probably too much, but
some of the really cheap bulk sausage meat, made from trimmings, can
be that way. Unfortunately, when you cook it, it's like you've got
nothing left to show for your efforts.
20-25% is pretty common, and should do the job for you.
Adamantius
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 14:39:10 -0500
From: "Elise Fleming" <alysk at ix.netcom.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Problems with sausage
To: "sca-cooks at ansteorra.org" <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>
Gunther wrote:
> I also plan on not grinding this entry, since it is for a judged
> A&S but instead mincing and pounding the meat.
You might like to look at the texture that the Hampton Court Cooks have
achieved when they mince meat into teensy tiny pieces. There are some
photos on their web site (www.tudorcook.blogspot.com). I'm not sure if
there's a video of them doing the chopping but I think there might be.
It's really amazing the texture they got!
Alys K.
Date: Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:36:42 -0500
From: aldyth at aol.com
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
I know we have had prior discussion on where to find/buy sausage
casings. Today on my way home, I stopped by our local feed store and
well, found some. Hanging on one of those handy dandy strip things
next to the check out were many kinds of jerky, gummy packaged candy,
and "natural" sausage casings. It really did make me just stop. I
pointed out to the store manager that sausage casings probably were
not considered a snack food. He agreed, but he did laugh and shake
his head wondering if someone had accidently bought the casings
thinking they were jerky.
Aldyth
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:41:19 -0700
From: "Kathleen A Roberts" <karobert at unm.edu>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
"Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius" <adamantius1 at verizon.net> wrote:
> I'm not sure what you'd do with casings in that form...
> I'm familiar with them packed in salt, somewhat drier than when they
> came out of the animal, but not easily confused with jerky.
i saw some of those this weekend at sportsman's paradise
(whilst window shopping for estrella) and wondered at
them.
i couldn't begin to imagine how hard and delicate it might
be to reconstitute and stuff them. yep, they were
crunchy feeling.
cailte
Date: Wed, 23 Jan 2008 09:59:47 -0600
From: Michael Gunter <countgunthar at hotmail.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Sausage Casings
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
> i couldn't begin to imagine how hard and delicate it might be to
> reconstitute and stuff them. yep, they were crunchy feeling.
> cailte
Not too bad. You have to reconstitute them for a bit longer
than usual and make sure they are thoroughly rinsed out.
I've found them to be a bit smaller and more prone to tearing.
Otherwise, they are fine and keep much longer than the
brined casings.
Gunthar
Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 11:17:45 -0600
From: Michael Gunter <countgunthar at hotmail.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Sausage stuffing
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
This weekend I finished my period produced sausage
by adding some more spices to the forcemeant and
re-mincing the lot.
Then I went the distance and used the sausage stuffing
funnel that was loaned to me by Mistress Clara. This is
a large ceramic funnel with a smaller hole than I expected
with a rim around the bottom spout to hold the casing.
This definately took some practice. At first I threaded
all of the casing onto the funnel as I do when using the
Kitchenade. I discovered this didn't work well because
gravity worked against me. This is why all of the mechanical
stuffing devices I've found have the feed tube positioned
horizontally. The meat would enter the casing and start to
push everything down. It was impossible to keep a tight
fit. The other problem was the casing would slip over the
part being stuffed so everything would get tangled.
The feed tube also felt small and sometimes forcemeat would
get jammed. Luckily the size of the feed tube was the same as
my wooden spoon so that was used at times to push the meat
down.
After some rather un-Christian comments and experimentation
I found that leaving the casing laying on the counter and
then forcing the meat down the tube worked much better.
A lot of air was added to the casing but it could be pushed
out by the meat. Period recipes instruct to "pour" the meat
into the casing and this is more true than I expected. Although
it didn't exactly "pour" into the casing it is much easier allowing
gravity to work with you.
I got about 3 lbs of links with the funnel and was happy to
put it away. Still, it is nice to know that I could now make
sausage on site using just a funnel and a couple of good
knives. The handmade sausages are a bit lumpy and not
nearly as even as my machine created sausage, but with
more experience I'm sure I could fix that.
The handmade sausage will be displayed alongside the machine
ground and stuffed sausages to show the basic differences
between the two.
Gunthar
Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2008 15:32:43 -0600
From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage stuffing
To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
You really need to talk to John Hudson, an English potter who made most of
the reproduction kitchen crockery at Hampton Court. At the Serve It Forth!
CookCon in 2005, I watched him stuff about two pounds of sausage in five
minutes using only a stoneware funnel and a pestle. He then proceeded to
cook the sausage and some other items in his reproduction crockery. Since
he makes his own tools and is obviously skilled at using them, he
might be an excellent source for you.
You can find his website here: http://www.hudsonclaypotter.com/
index.php .
Bear
> After some rather un-Christian comments and experimentation
> I found that leaving the casing laying on the counter and
> then forcing the meat down the tube worked much better.
> A lot of air was added to the casing but it could be pushed
> out by the meat. Period recipes instruct to "pour" the meat
> into the casing and this is more true than I expected. Although
> it didn't exactly "pour" into the casing it is much easier allowing
> gravity to work with you.
>
> Gunthar
Date: Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:51:07 -0500
From: Johnna Holloway <johnna at sitka.engin.umich.edu>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Sausage stuffing
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
Ivan Day has the method down too.
http://www.historicfood.com/English%20Puddings.htm
Johnnae
Terry Decker wrote:
> You really need to talk to John Hudson, an English potter who made most of
> the reproduction kitchen crockery at Hampton Court. At the Serve It Forth!
> CookCon in 2005, I watched him stuff about two pounds of sausage in
> five minutes using only a stoneware funnel and a pestle.
Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:46:45 -0800 (PST)
From: Katja <katjaorlova at yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] OOP New Toy Acquisition
To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
<<< What I found a little distressing was the small hopper tray on the
KitchenAid; not only did it hold a small amount of the filling, but if
you used the plunger that comes with it to push the meat down into the
opening, it just sort of pushed meat over the top edge of the hopper
onto your work surface. It got to the point where about half the time
I was just forming balls of meat the size of the pipe opening, and
pushing them down with my hand. Which, of course, does slow down the
process somewhat. >>>
When I began using my Kitchenaid to make sausages for feasts several years ago, I found that a nifty little attachment -- a special food tray that hooks on top of the grinder/stuffer's feed tube -- was absolutely invaluable:
It makes adding handfuls of ground or chunked meat MUCH less annoying -- and it speeds things up, too!
Katja
Date: Sun, 15 Mar 2009 09:29:33 -0400
From: Johnna Holloway <johnnae at mac.com>
Subject: [Sca-cooks] Homemade Sausage
To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>
The latest issue of Fine Cooking (April/May 2009)
includes a beautifully illustrated article on creating sausages at home.
Pages 68-75.
There's also a good article on making briskets at home.
They are both worth a look.
Johnnae
<the end>