Contrary to popular belief, we should know how the sausage is made.
First, shouldn’t we know which parts of which animals we are consuming? If you don’t mind “everything but the squeak” being included, then I suppose this part of the argument is useless, but if you are interested in gaining a bit more control over the food you eat, sausages are a great place to begin. Plus, fresh, non-commercial preparation methods and ingredients just makes it all taste so much better.
Second, sausage-making is an activity that goes back 5,000 years, all the way to the Sumerians in Mesopotamia. Ancient humans saw the casings a a natural, organic way to preserve meat (eventually with salt and smoke), and here we are five millennia later continuing the tradition simply because it tastes so good. Making sausage at home allows you to participate in a very uniquely human activity.
Lastly, when it comes to Dad Duty and Grandpa Skills, this is one the kids and grandkids will hopefully talk about long after you are gone. Memories of trips to the butcher, prepping the meat, and then grinding, stuffing and smoking the finished product can hopefully provide a special memory and tradition with nostalgia in hindsight (though it may not be interesting to them in the moment).
If you are looking for a simple introduction to the wild, wonderful world of homemade sausage, consider the humble Kielbasa to start.
NOTE – this recipe is adapted from Michael Ruhlman’s Charcuterie, the Holy Bible of brining, smoking and curing meat.
Special Equipment
Digital Scale
Kitchen Aid with Paddle and Meat Grinder attachments
Sausage Stuffer
Food Processor (ideal, but optional)
Digital Thermometer
Smoking Capability (we just use wood chops and tinfoil on a regular propane grill – nothing fancy)
Hog Casings (10 feet/3m), soaked in water for 30 min, rinsed inside and out before stuffing)
Ingredients
5lbs pork shoulder butt (ideally boneless), cubed or cut into 1-inch strips
3 tablespoons/40 grams kosher salt
¼ cup / 72 grams minced garlic (by hand or in food processor)
1 ½ tablespoons / 3 grams ground, dried marjoram
1 tablespoon/10 grams ground black pepper
½ cup ice water
Preparation
- Cut the meat into cubes or strips small enough to feed into your meat grinder. 1-inch strips work well, as 1x2inch cubes.
- Set up your mise en place and combine all ingredients (except for the water) into one large bowl. Toss to distribute and refrigerate overnight – don’t rush this part.
- The next day, prepare to grind. First, prep the hog casings. Soak them in water for at least 30 minutes, and then rinse the insides under a regular faucet 2-3 times before stuffing.
- Next, ensure your meat and grinding gear is very cold. If it gets too warm, the meat/fat will separate, resulting in dry, crumbly texture that is not appetizing. If it is cold outside (40 degrees or less), you can do the grinding and stuffing outside (that’s how we do it in Maryland in December). If you’re working in a warm kitchen, you’ll need to freeze the meat and your Kitchen Aid grinder attachment in a freezer for about 30 minutes prior to grinding.
- Grind the meat through the small die (1/8 inch normally). If the meat begins to look mushy, turn off the grinder, remove the die, and untangle any fat/sinew that may be blocking the regular flow of ground meat.
- Attach the paddle. Mix the ground meat on low speed for about 1 minute. Pause, add the ice cold water, and resuming mixing on low/medium for another minute, until the liquid is absorbed and the meat mixture has a uniform, sticky, “almost furry appearance.”[1]
- Stuff the casings. Load the ground meat into your sausage press and crank down until meat begins to appear at the end of the stuffing tube. Slide the entire casing onto the tube, using some water for lubrication, and tie off the end. Slick the countertop (or baking sheet if you prefer) with water as well, to allow the sausage to slide easily as it is stuffed. Stuff the casings, keeping a hand on the stuffing tube to ensure equal distribution.
- We like to smoke and serve the entire coil, but if you prefer links, you can now pinch and twist in alternating directions, about 6-inches in length.
- Hot smoke the sausage to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. We don’t use anything fancy – just a propane grill, indirect heat, with wood chips soaked for an hour and packed into aluminum foil (with holes poked for ventilation) and placed directly onto the burners.
- Slice and serve – hot and cold servings are equally delicious.
For those of you who are visual learners, below is the same preparation process with pictures.
Cut the meat into cubes or strips small enough to feed into your meat grinder. 1-inch strips work well, as 1x2inch cubes.
Set up your mise en place and combine all ingredients (except for the water) into one large bowl.
Toss to distribute and refrigerate overnight – don’t rush this part.
The next day, prepare to grind. First, prep the hog casings. Soak them in water for at least 30 minutes, and then rinse the insides under a regular faucet 2-3 times before stuffing.
Grind the meat through the small die (1/8 inch normally).
NOTE – ensure your meat and grinding gear is very cold. If it gets too warm, the meat/fat will separate, resulting in dry, crumbly texture that is not appetizing. If it is cold outside (40 degrees or less), you can do the grinding and stuffing outside (that’s how we do it in Maryland in December). If you’re working in a warm kitchen, you’ll need to freeze the meat and your Kitchen Aid grinder attachment in a freezer for about 30 minutes prior to grinding.
This is what the ground meat should look like upon exiting the grinder. If the meat begins to look mushy, turn of the grinder, remove the die, and untangle any fat/sinew that may be blocking the regular flow of ground meat.
Once the mixing bowl is full (this photo is NOT a full bowl), attach the paddle. Mix the ground meat on low speed for about 1 minute. Pause, add the ice cold water, and resume mixing on low/medium for another minute, until the liquid is absorbed and the meat mixture has a uniform, sticky, “almost furry appearance.”[2]
Stuff the casings. Load the ground meat into your sausage press and crank down until meat begins to appear at the end of the stuffing tube. Slide the entire casing onto the tube, using some water for lubrication, and tie off the end. Slick the countertop (or baking sheet if you prefer) with water as well, to allow the sausage to slide easily as it is stuffed. Stuff the casings, keeping a hand on the stuffing tube to ensure equal distribution.
We do not have a “nice” sausage stuffer. We have a vintage, early 20th century Enterprise cast iron cider press that happens to have a stuffing tube/attachment. It is painful to use, requires a 2-gallon Ziploc bag for the meat, and is inefficient, but it was fun to clean up and put to good use.
We keep the meat in a Ziploc bag to avoid a messy cleanup, but this also requires cutting a hole in the corner to feed into the stuffing tube attachment. Long story…just buy a nice stuffer!
We like to smoke and serve the entire coil, but if you prefer links, you can now pinch and twist in alternating directions, about 6-inches in length.
Hot smoke the sausage to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. We don’t use anything fancy – just a propane grill, indirect heat, with wood ships soaked for an hour and packed into aluminum foil (with holes poked for ventilation) and placed directly onto the burners.
Slice and serve – hot and cold servings are equally delicious.
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Michael Ruhlman, Charcuterie. This is known as the “primary bind” and is essential to both the cooking and eating experience to avoid the “crumbly hamburger” effect (for those that have cooked burger patties without properly squeezing and binding the meat.) This step also distributes the seasonings. ↑