Sausage

Sausage

We use a lot of it here, I make all of it. This started when my wife gave me a copy of Ruhlman and Polcyn: Charcuterie shortly after it was published. The two have a second book Salumi due out in late August.

Bruce Aidells, the Marianskis have books, Home Sausage Making, Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage, The Whole Beast and Professional Charcuterie are others.

Not to mention the CIA Garde Manger and the Professional Charcuterie series, different than Professional Charcuterie above (for when you win the lottery as it is $200+ a volume).

Charcuterie is not limited to sausage, and includes fermented sausage, which I’m not going to get into here. What will be here is an over view of the process, books (see above), supplies and equipment sources, see below, and tips I’ve picked up or discovered in the years I’ve been doing this.

Note: There will be recipes in the future, including those of the three I posted today, this is more of a how to and about.

There are grill sausage, which will be the first I post about, there are breakfast sausages and there are more general sausages for dinner, a charcuter plate or a mixed grill.

Tips:

First, while you want everything as cold as possible, do not put the grinder in the freezer, regardless of what the books say. Put it in an ice bath. Blades chip, which means discarding the entire grind (I also have a spare blade).

Second, if you do more than one grind at a time, don’t wash the grinder parts, rinse them in cold water. It is already clean, what is on it is clean food waste, rinse it off. Do not put the waste down the disposal, put it in the garbage. This is stuff the grinder couldn’t grind, why do you think the disposal will. It won’t like casing either, believe me I know.

Steel the blade of your grinder before each single use.

When you do grind, grind into a steel bowl set in an ice bath. If the room is in the low 60s so much the better.

If the recipe calls for a portion of ice cold water, use ice chips instead, the grinder won’t mind and it keeps it colder.

The meat grinder attachment on a stand mixer will work, but I do a lot of sausage, 20 pounds at a time is common. I use a commercial grinder from Northern Tool (see below). I also use a five pound stuffer from them.

I buy pork shoulders, remove the skin, debone and then pack in 5 pound put ups. I also use turkey thighs and chicken thighs both mixed with about 10% pork fat, veal is usually too dear, but some beef is used mixed with rendered suet for the fat. 5 pounds is my typical grind and I find that a shoulder is fatty enough. Obviously if you are doing a mix of pork and another meat, you want to use a smaller put up. The put ups then get frozen for several weeks, the skin and bones get turned into stock (the link is to chicken stock, but pork is the same, just use pork not chicken, this is a light or white stock basic recipe)

Freezing the pork for more than 3 weeks at below 0 F, removes the problem of undercooked pork harboring trichinosis, although with only 12 cases in the US for the last year reported this is a minor problem now. Trichinosis, see the paragraph on freezing.

Supplies:

The Sausage Maker

Butcher-packer

Northern Tool is probably your best bet for tools and food processing equipment such as a grinder or stuffer.

Take you put up out of the freezer and put it in the fridge for a couple of days to defrost.

Cut the meat into small pieces, I aim for ¾ of an inch on a side and not more than an inch long.

You want them small enough to slide down the feed tube without pushing them. Put the bowl containing you now diced put-up in a freezer for 30+ minutes. I simply move on to the next put up, but I do3 or 4 sausages at a time.

Or you can use the time for your mise in place. Liquids in the fridge until used.

Get your meat out of the freezer, put in a larger bowl, add the mise in place and mix. I use my hands, but you could use a spoon.

Now assemble your grinder direct from the ice bath and grind.

You may wish to use a mixer to insure a good mixture at this point, if using a fermenting agent this is vital, literally.

Back in the fridge until the next step, stuffing the sausage. Note, many sausages may be used out of the casing, if so save yourself time and money, by putting the sausage up without casing. I use ½ pound put ups of finished sausage, one is a lunch for two and three two dinners for two.

For five pounds of sausage you need one length, about 10 feet, of a medium hog casing; 32-35 mm.

yes I know that is a larger size, it was in stock.

Natural casing will keep indefinitely in a refrigerator when packed in salt. Cover in salt each time you take out the hank of casings.

Soak it in cool water and wash the inside, by filling with water and letting the bubble run through the length two or three times. It will remove the salt and make it much easier to get on the stuffing tube.

Slide the whole length on to the appropriate (there will probably be 3) size of stuffing tube.

The sausage waiting for the stuffer.

Bratwurst in the corner, Sweet Italian at the edge and Knockwurst in the center.

And twisted into links. I use the width of my left hand to size the length and alternate the twist from clock wise to counter clockwise, which saves twisting the whole 10 foot length.

The whole table is designed to take a wood clamp around the entire edge, which keeps the stuffer from moving. This also works on the mixer to keep it from walking.

And lunch, fresh knockwurst just off the grill

Sausage will keep for a couple of months in a zip lock, but label carefully, they all look alike frozen. If you use a Food Saver they will keep longer, but that is more work and money, what is your turn over here?

Camera Nikon D-90 with internal flash.

Lens(es) AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f2.5-5.65G

                AF-S NIKKOR 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G

                AF-S NIKKOR 35mm F1.8G

                AF-S NIKKOR 50mm F1.4F

                AF DC-NIKKOR 105 mm F2

Recipe with pictures Downloadable PDF  Link doesn’t work 

on the PDF itself

Recipe without pictures Downloadable PDF Link doesn't work

 on the PDF itself

As always feel free to use and distribute, if you use our pictures 

and/or text then give us credit – thanks.

If you do use the recipe drop us a note in the comments, a link to your post or just what you thought.

© 2012 Virginia L. Dyson & Warner W. Johnston  

Chicken Fricassee with Chorizo and Peppers

This post is short of pictures, they will be added the next time we do this dish. This happens.

1 Chicken Cut up
8 oz chorizo (see Ruhlman and Polcyn)
4 bell peppers, medium dice (note mix the colors if you wish)
1 14.5 oz can dice tomatoes (unless you can get consistent fresh,   
                use canned tomatoes)
2 medium onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
4 cloves of garlic, quartered (yes of course you peel them)
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon tomato paste, save the rest in a small jar in the             
                      refrigerator for later. 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (if you only have salted, use less salt)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper (fresh ground pepper).

[This can be reduced, we did it with two quarters and half of everything else except the chorizo - which I put up in 8 oz packs]


Season the pieces of chicken.

Place the chicken, skin down, in a hot skillet with the butter and oil. Skillet should not be smoking but hot. Saute until golden, perhaps five minutes, then the same on the other side.
Transfer to a platter, and hold if doing a second batch, season again when all are done.
Sweat onions and garlic for 3-5 minutes over low heat in the uncleaned pan. Set aside
Cook the sliced chorizo in the pan until done. Set aside.
Add the chicken, garlic and onions back. Add stock, tomatoes and tomato paste, cook over low heat, until chicken is done turning it perhaps twice in the process.
Add the peppers and chorizo, cook over low heat until peppers are soft, perhaps 10 minutes.

Serve with rice or fresh pasta and a robust wine, but it doesn't need to be a red.

Camera Nikon D-90 with internal flash.

Lens(es) AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f2.5-5.65G

                AF-S NIKKOR 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G

                AF-S NIKKOR 35mm F1.8G

                AF-S NIKKOR 50mm F1.4F

                AF DC-NIKKOR 105 mm F2

Recipe with pictures Downloadable PDF  Link doesn’t work 

on the PDF itself

Recipe without pictures Downloadable PDF Link doesn't work

 on the PDF itself

As always feel free to use and distribute, if you use our pictures 

and/or text then give us credit – thanks.

If you do use the recipe drop us a note in the comments, a link to your post or just what you thought.

© 2012 Virginia L. Dyson & Warner W. Johnston  

Sausage, Sauerkraut and Potato Gratin

Sausage, Sauerkraut and Potato Gratin 

There are not many pictures as this started as a let us use the grill sausage in the freezer before it goes bad. The next time we do it we will add lots more pictures. It turned out a lot better than expected and has moved in status from lunch to dinner. 

2 cups pork stock

5 small Yukon gold potatoes

2 lb sauerkraut - drained

½ lb. Bratwurst

1 lb. Knockwurst

  [note or equal weight in sausage that goes well with sauerkraut]

Vegetable oil

Arrowroot

Dijon

Sage

Thyme

Salt

Pepper

350 F oven

Dice 3/8-1/2 inch the potatoes and sauté in the oil. Salt and pepper to taste, add 1 cup pork stock and simmer until almost done.

Cut up and sauté sausage in second pan. 1” to 1 ½ pieces

Layer sauerkraut in medium gratin pan, then layer potatoes and then layer sausage.

Heat the remaining stock and add sage, thyme and Dijon. Reduce slightly as preferred. Add arrowroot to thicken, pour over gratin.

Bake at 350 F – 45 minutes

Note: there will be more pictures 

Camera Nikon D-90 with internal flash.

Lens(es) AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f2.5-5.65G

              AF-S NIKKOR 70-300mm f4.5-5.6G

              AF-S NIKKOR 35mm F1.8G

             AF-S NIKKOR 50mm F1.4F

Recipe with pictures Downloadable PDF  Link doesn’t work 

on the PDF itself

Recipe without pictures Downloadable PDF Link Doesn't work

 on the PDF itself

As always feel free to use and distribute, if you use our pictures 

and/or text then give us credit – thanks.

If you do use the recipe drop us a note in the comments, a link to your post or just what you thought.

© 2012 Virginia L. Dyson & Warner W. Johnston  

Split pea soup with Gouda-Kielbasa panini

1 bag (16 oz) dried split green peas (or similar dried bean or pea) 
1 pound sausage such as smoked Kielbasa
1/2 pound Gouda
1 ham bone
12 cups of Chicken Stock
2 medium onions, medium dice
3-4 celery stalks, medium slice
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
2+ teaspoons dried thyme
1 large bay leaf
pinch ground clove
salt


Put ham bone in bottom of large pot, I think that is 8 quart, and cover with chicken stock.

Below is the chicken stock, I had made it yesterday and will can it on Monday. Actually that is less than half of the chicken stock. 

Add the sliced celery

The diced onion is added then cut the Kielbasa in to 6 inch lengths, then slice length wise and add.

Stir

Mince the garlic

Stir, cover and over low heat, let gently simmer 90 minutes.

Ready for step two, get the sausage and the ham bone out and set aside.

Mustard, should be German, but this is the closest I have, regular Koop's Mustard would be good. Must be coarse.

Just regular Gouda.

  

One slice of good bread per person. This is going under a high flame broiler, so put it on fire proof tray on foil.

The sausage

Shred the cheese.

Add a cup of the cheese to the soup.

Cover the bread with mustard.

Cut the sausage into spoon sized pieces.

Cut the ham off the bone and into spoon sized pieces.

Mix the remainder of the cheese and half of the sausage pieces.

Cover the bread with the cheese sausage mixture

The ham and the remainder of the sausage goes back in the soup, discard the bone.

Put the cheese and sausage covered bread under the broiler, a high broiler if there is a choice.

Keep an eye on this, in 60-90 seconds rotate the fire proof and pull out after a total of 2 to 3 minutes - don't burn the bread.

The Soup

The Sandwich

 Lunch

Refrigerate the rest of the soup and the cheese sausage mixture, there should be enough left for another lunch. Soup after that can be frozen, and make a new cheese sausage mixture, with about 1/4 the amount listed here.

Camera Nikon D-90 AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f2.5-5.65G

with internal flash.

Recipe with pictures Downloadable PDF  Link doesn’t work 

on the PDF itself

 Recipe without pictures Downloadable PDF Link Doesn't work

 on the PDF itself

As always feel free to use and distribute, if you use our pictures 

and/or text then give us credit – thanks.

© 2012 Virginia L. Dyson & Warner W. Johnston