Chapter 2

Meat, The Raw Base of Sausage Making

Topics Covered• Raw sausage

• Cooked sausages

• Poached sausages

• Cured sausages

• Meats and fats used in sausage making

• Certified pork

Raw Sausage• Made by:

– Grind preprepared and preseasoned meats with a fine, medium, or large grinding plate

– Mix well with paddle to extrude protein

• Referred to as either bulk sausages (loose) or linked sausages (encased)

• Should be stored in a refrigerator

• Usually served sautéed, grilled/broiled, baked, or braised

Cooked Sausages• Made from precooked meats and ground

fat

• While still warm:– Mixed well with salt and seasonings– Piped into casings– Poached in 160°F to 170°F meat broth to an

internal temperature of 155°F to 160°F

Cooked Sausages (cont’d.)• Broth is used to prepare metzel soup

(butcher soup)– Hearty bread soup

Poached Sausages• Sometimes lightly smoked when raw

– Poached at 160°F–170°F to an internal temperature of 155°F–160°F

– Chilled in cold water to internal temperature of 140°F and refrigerated

• Uses:– Sliced for cold cuts– Carved to order and served warm

Cured Sausages• Made only from raw materials

– Seasoned with Instacure #2 curing salt– Cured in refrigerator for 24 hours– Incubated 72 hours at 70°F air temperature– Air dried in dark, airy, cool room for up to 6

weeks or longer

• Include:– Salami and lightly smoked cold sausages

Starting clockwise at noon: Leberkäse, gelbwurst, Napolitanian sausage, krackauer, gelbwurst, cooked salami, bologna, centerblack pudding

American cuts of pork

Meats and Fats Used in Sausage Making

• Pork:– Fat pork belly– Lean pork belly– Pork butt– Pork shoulder

Left to right: Pork butt, fat pork belly, lean pork belly, pork shoulder

Meats and Fats Used in Sausage Making (cont’d.)

• Pork fat:– Fat back– Pork caul

(crépinette)– Pork jowls

Left to right: Fat back, pork caul, pork jowls

Meats and Fats Used in Sausage Making (cont’d.)

• Specialties:– Pig’s feet– Pig’s knuckles

Left to right: Pig’s foot with knuckle, knuckle and pig’s foot, split pig’s feet

Meats and Fats Used in Sausage Making (cont’d.)

• Specialties: (cont’d.)– Pork tongue– Calf’s liver– Chicken gizzards– Chicken liver– Pork kidneys– Pork liver

Top, left to right: Chicken liver in buttermilk, chicken gizzards, calf’s liver Bottom, left to right: Fresh chicken liver, pork kidneys, pork liver

Meats and Fats Used in Sausage Making (cont’d.)

• Beef:– Chuck

Lean chuck

Meats and Fats Used in Sausage Making (cont’d.)

• Turkey and other poultry:– Turkey breast– Turkey thigh

Left to right: Turkey breast, turkey thigh

Meats and Fats Used in Sausage Making (cont’d.)

• Lamb:– Shoulder– Trim

Lamb shoulder

Meats and Fats Used in Sausage Making (cont’d.)

• Game birds:– Partridge– Pheasant– Grouse

• Other meats:– Venison/deer– Bison/buffalo

Leg of venison

Certified Pork• To prepare sausages safe for

consumption: – Freeze all raw pork or game

• Especially if used for salami, cervelat, land jaeger, or raw prepared sausages

• Technique called “certifying pork”

Certified Pork (cont’d.)• How to certify pork:

Frozen Pork on a sheet pan (CERTIFIED)

Certified Pork (cont’d.)• Trichinae:

– Killed at internal temperature of 138°F when sausages are poached or cooked

– If you poach, bake or hot smoke sausages:• Play it safe • Bring internal temperature to 160°F

Summary• This chapter described:

– Meats, fats, and offal meats that produce four categories of sausages:

• Raw sausages• Cooked sausages• Poached sausages• Cured air-dried sausages