Questions about making sausage

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GoolsbyMD

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So I'm thinking about buying the Lem #5 and stuffer to make breakfast, boudin, annoudile etc. I have been reading Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausage by Stanely Mairanski, and it has me a bit confused. Starting off I'll be cooking them hot so not curing. I have read about adding some ice cold water while adding your seasoning after grinding to help keep it cool and moist since the smoker will evap most of it anyway, won't this make it soupy? After I case them do I still let the air dry for a set of time or is that only if curing? After I hot smoke them do I drop them in ice water if not being eaten right away to get below 50? I'm sure I'll be posting more questions in here as I get deeper into the book. Ill prob have to read it about 3 times.
 
Answers in red.

GoolsbyMD said:
So I'm thinking about buying the Lem #5 and stuffer to make breakfast, boudin, annoudile etc. I have been reading Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausage by Stanely Mairanski, Great book!

and it has me a bit confused. Starting off I'll be cooking them hot so not curing. I have read about adding some ice cold water while adding your seasoning after grinding to help keep it cool and moist since the smoker will evap most of it anyway, won't this make it soupy? Nope - just use the recommended amount -I use smoked pork stock made from bones from previous cooks

After I case them do I still let the air dry for a set of time or is that only if curing? Casings should be dry before smoking. If you're not curing, you should probably hang them somehow in the fridge to dry out before smoking. I do almost all of mine cured, so I can't really say for sure what to do with uncured.

After I hot smoke them do I drop them in ice water if not being eaten right away to get below 50? This is to get them to stop cooking so they don't overcook and dry out. Now that I think about, the food safety aspect of it is good as well, esp. for uncured.

I'm sure I'll be posting more questions in here as I get deeper into the book. Ill prob have to read it about 3 times.
Click to expand...
 
GoolsbyMD said:
So I'm thinking about buying the Lem #5 and stuffer to make breakfast, boudin, annoudile etc. I have been reading Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausage by Stanely Mairanski, and it has me a bit confused. Starting off I'll be cooking them hot so not curing. I have read about adding some ice cold water while adding your seasoning after grinding to help keep it cool and moist since the smoker will evap most of it anyway, won't this make it soupy?

No it won't get soupy. Add your seasonings to the water and whisk together. The reason for adding the water in the first place is to help get your seasonings evenly distributed and stuff easier.

After I case them do I still let the air dry for a set of time or is that only if curing?

I let them sit in the refrigerator overnight after stuffing. The next day hang them up and put a fan on them until the casing is dry. They accept smoke better when dry. Overnight in the fridge lets the seasoning permeate into the meat better.


After I hot smoke them do I drop them in ice water if not being eaten right away to get below 50?

Yes, this keeps the casing tight to the meat because the meat will have some shrinkage from the heat in the smoker.



I'm sure I'll be posting more questions in here as I get deeper into the book. Ill prob have to read it about 3 times.
Click to expand...

Ask away. I'm sure you will get help from other brethren also.
Good luck and post pics:-D
 
Oh - and if you notice wrinkling of the casings after the cookin and ice bath you can give 'em a quick douse in boiling water and that will tighten the casing up.
 
Bass pro has them Lem 5 on sale for 219, plus my $50 gift card and mil discount should break down to around 150, might make that trip tonight...
 
GoolsbyMD said:
Bass pro has them Lem 5 on sale for 219, plus my $50 gift card and mil discount should break down to around 150, might make that trip tonight...
Click to expand...

get it

thats the one I have.

its great. the neck that you stuff the meat down is a little small, but its a great grinder.

I love mine. thats a great price
 
gtr said:
Oh - and if you notice wrinkling of the casings after the cookin and ice bath you can give 'em a quick douse in boiling water and that will tighten the casing up.
Click to expand...

So if my sausage gets a little wrinkled from cold water, I'm supposed to dip it in boiling water to fix the problem? :shock:
 
GoolsbyMD said:
So I'm thinking about buying the Lem #5 and stuffer to make breakfast, boudin, annoudile etc. I have been reading Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausage by Stanely Mairanski, and it has me a bit confused. Starting off I'll be cooking them hot so not curing.
Click to expand...

Some hot cooked sausage, like breakfast sausage, still requires a cure because the outer surface of the meat is mixed with the inner meat when ground. The use of a cure in these instances is not to cure the meat but to prevent food poisoning when the outer surfaces where bacteria grows in intermingled into the ground mixture.

GoolsbyMD said:
I have read about adding some ice cold water while adding your seasoning after grinding to help keep it cool and moist since the smoker will evap most of it anyway, won't this make it soupy?
Click to expand...

No, it assures the seasonings and cure are evenly mixed and also helps to add some viscosity when stuffing into the casings.

GoolsbyMD said:
After I case them do I still let the air dry for a set of time or is that only if curing?
Click to expand...

Only if the recipe calls for air drying

GoolsbyMD said:
After I hot smoke them do I drop them in ice water if not being eaten right away to get below 50?
Click to expand...

Only if the recipe tells you to, otherwise quickly chill and package for later use.

.
 
So the use of nitrates/nitrites according to the book, improve flavor, color, tenderizes, and prevents food poisoning. So why not use nitrates/nitrites with every cook? Which is cure 1 and cure 2. This book is like evil chemistry, might drink a beer and let it simmer for the night.

Picked up the LEM #5 out the door for 165. Thanks to a sale, gift card and mil. Discount. Next will be the vertical stuffer. All cooking on hold till I understand this book better.
 
I make a ton of sausage. I only air dry when curing. Leaving sausage out in the TDZ for any amount of time is to risky. Air drying is really just for coloring. Just use a small amount of water and it won't be soupy. I only add water when curing to make sure the cure mixes in well. If you have the proper fat content you won't need water at all. If you hot smoke you do need to shock in ice water.
 
Cure #1 is used for short "wet curing" products (bacon); it contains only nitrates. Cure #2 is used primarily for longer, dry curing products (hams, salamis, etc.); it contains nitrates AND nitrites (which slowly break down into nitrates over time), extending the window of safety when dry curing.
 
More questions,
Ok so I get the water, spices etc. time to hammer out this cure thing, i understand the difference between 1 & 2.

So i only need a cure if i let the meat hang out in the danger zone 38-160 for close to 4 house, ie cold smoking or hot smoking below 160. If I'm making fresh sausage like boudain, breakfast etc and cooking it in my smoker using a temp(say 250) that will push it past TDZ in less than 4 hours and eating or freezing afterwards I should be ok?

Once i break past 160 I shouldn't have to worry about food poisoning anymore as long as I keep it frozen or refrigerated(1-3 days) until its ready to eat then push it back up past the 160 mark?
Thanks so far.
 
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