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Making sausage at home is easy. You just need the meat, fat, seasonings, casings and the right equipment.
What you usually need most when making sausage stuffing is a meat grinder and a sausage stuffer. Some stand mixers are equipped with meat grinding and sausage filling functions, so choosing this type of machine is also very suitable. Then just choose the meat fillings and seasonings according to the flavor of the sausage you want.
To string loose sausage into sausage links, you need to use sausage casings. Casings are usually divided into natural casings and synthetic casings. Natural casings are stripped from the intestines of sheep, pigs, and cows and have a unique flavor. Pig casings are the right size for traditional sausages, while the smaller sheep casings are better suited for breakfast sausages. Edible synthetic casings are typically made from shaped collagen. Many people prefer the texture and "bite" of natural casings, so they choose to purchase natural casings to make home sausages.
The general home sausage making method follows the following steps. You only need to follow these steps to get a relatively perfect sausage, even for novices.
These equipment include meat grinders, sausage stuffers, and mixers. You need to disassemble and clean these items to ensure the cleanliness and safety of the food.
This step is necessary to ensure that the machine is not stuck by the tendons and to obtain a better shape.
Before grinding the meat, place the meat grinder parts in the refrigerator for 1 hour and put the meat in the refrigerator to make sure they are cold so that the machine is not prone to overheating or getting stuck when grinding the meat. And cooling the meat for a while can help shape the minced meat better, grind it more evenly, and make homemade sausage taste better.
If the sausage has a higher fat content, the sausage will hold together better and taste better. Depending on the sausage recipe you make, the fat content can be as high as 25% or more. If you choose a leaner sausage meat, you can add extra fat by adding pork fat.
Using an electric meat grinder, place the meat pieces that have been cut into small pieces on the tray, turn on the machine, push the meat into the machine at a slow but steady speed, let it pass through the internal spiralizer, blade, and finally come out through the grinding plate hole. If you are using a manual machine, you only need to turn the handle slowly.
Use some seasonings such as black pepper, cumin, chili powder, garlic granules, salt, etc. to remove the fishy smell of minced meat and add different textures and flavors to it. You can also add some red yeast powder, which can add color to the sausage and keep the sausage longer. An electric mixer can be used for this process, saving time and energy.
Natural casings have a strong smell, so you need to soak them in white wine or onion and ginger water for a period of time, and then rinse them with running water. After cleaning is completed, it is ready for use.
Select the appropriate stuffing machine filling tube according to the required sausage size, put the seasoned minced meat into the hopper, put the casing in the filling tube, and squeeze the minced meat into the casing by turning the handle or stepping on the foot pedal. When the desired link length is reached, twist the casing once so that it becomes a short sausage. Poke a few small air holes in each sausage section to prevent air bubbles from bursting the sausage during cooking.
After filling all the sausages, you need to let them dry naturally in a ventilated place. Or use a container to smoke it for a period of time to give it a smoky flavor, which is also the flavor of sausage that most families love.
Different cooking methods will also bring different taste experiences. If you don't know how to cook sausage, or the best way to cook sausage, here are a few methods you can check out.
Cooking in a pan is the easiest and most classic way. To use this method, you will need a nonstick pan. But using a cast iron pan is also a good decision as it will add extra flavor to the sausage.
Once you have the right cooking utensils, add olive oil to the pan and wait until it heats up before adding small pieces of sausage, making sure each sausage doesn't stick to each other. You'll want to have a pair of tongs ready to easily pick up and flip the sausage if necessary.
Matters needing attention
Don’t add too much oil as the sausage already contains a lot of fat. Second, don’t put the sausage in the oil too early. When the surface of the olive oil appears slightly shiny, it means it is hot enough.
If you need to cook a lot of sausages, then you will need to fry a few sausages at a time, working in batches. Although this may take some time, it ensures a consistent texture.
You should let one side of the sausage cook completely before flipping it over. The sausage only needs a few flips to cook nicely.
To make sure the sausages are done cooking, cut one of the sausages in half and look at the color of the meat. The inside of the sausage should not be pink in the middle, but should be brown.
Cooking sausage on the grill is another classic cooking method, but it requires some time and patience. First, you need to wait for the grill to heat up.
If you are using a propane grill, it may not take long to heat. However, if you use charcoal or wood heat, you may have to wait a longer time for it to heat up enough to cook any food.
Grills that use charcoal can tell if they are hot enough by looking at the appearance and color of the charcoal. Typically warmer charcoal should be covered with a layer of ash and glow red or orange.
Once the grill is hot enough, arrange the sausages in a row on the grill. The sausages will make a sizzling sound when they hit the hot grill. If there is no sound, that means the grill is not hot enough and you should wait a few more minutes.
Precautions
Make sure one side of the grill is hot enough to cook and the other side is "cool" enough to maintain the temperature while the sausage is done cooking. If you grill the sausage on the hot side all the time, the inside of the sausage will not be fully cooked and the outside will be burnt. After moving it to the "cool" side of the grill, cook the inside of the sausage over low heat.
Boiling the sausage will make the sausage look very different compared to frying and grilling it. It will not form grill marks on the surface of the sausage, and it will not be contaminated with other flavors. It can only show the original taste of the sausage. If you have no experience with poaching, it will be difficult to tell if the sausage is cooked.
You can cook the sausage in regular tap water, or try chicken or vegetable stock, which will add flavor to the sausage. Boiling may not mean the sausage is cooked. In contrast, boiling is best for sausages containing very finely minced meat.
Things to note
Sausage cooking time depends on the type of sausage you are working with. If the sausage has been cooked beforehand, you only need to cook it for a few minutes. If the sausage is undercooked, it will need to cook longer, usually around 30 minutes. After cooking for a while, you need to take out a piece of sausage and squeeze it underneath to check if it is cooked. Well-cooked sausages will feel firmer.
Take advantage of winter and hunting season to make the home sausage you want! Secondly, it’s a great idea to have some machines at home that can ease your workload, so go ahead and pick out some of the best equipment before you fill your sausages!
Leevot is a brand that deals in commercial kitchen machines, and its products have good quality and excellent after-sales service. It will be an option that should be on your bucket list!
