Pricking Sausage ?!

[ColoradoSmoke]

I just watched the video below on making sausage. He recommends to prick it to get all the air out the casings (many holes). But he is also cooking them in a frying pan and not in a smoker.

It doesn't seem logical to me to prick since I will be smoking the sausage? I've never made sausage before so I'm not sure.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPQP4TC3E1w&feature=youtu.be&t=9m"]How to Make Homemade Sausage - YouTube[/ame]

Edit: around the 15 min mark

 

[gtr]

Pricking the sausage (for lack of a better term...) is for reducing air gaps that happen when stuffing. It's a regular part of the process for me, and I smoke all mine.

 

[Shagdog]

Yep, I prick my sausage too.. But honestly, I'm not sure it makes any difference when you warm smoke it and slowly bring it to temp.

 

[blazinfire]

I watched this video when I made my first batch of sausages. It helps to prick them when cooking them in a hot skillet. But honestly I prick my sausages one time where I tie the casing before stuffing it. That way I can pull the little bit of air out of the start of the casing. From there I don't see pricking being very useful unless your cooking it hot!

 

[worktogthr]

About a year ago I started making homemade sausage using a book I got for Christmas which explicitly said that I should prick my sausage (try to not to laugh haha) to eliminate air pockets. I didn't have a specific sausage pricker so I just eliminated that step and they have come out fine. I have done about 15 batches of fresh and maybe 7 or 8 batches of smoked and I never had any issues with air bubbles or anything. Not experienced enough to know but does it make the appearance of the sausage nicer?

 

[Free Mr. Tony]

I prick only where I have air pockets. The casings sit down on the meat that way, and you don't get the pooling fat pockets squirting out at you when they are cooking.

I got a tip from a guy to use diabetic lancing prickers. They are sterile, work great, and a few dollar box will last your for just about ever assuming you are only using for sausage.

 

[Bludawg]

That just sounds painful:shock:

 

[GrillsGoneWild]

That just sounds painful:shock:

No Pain, No Gain!

 

[FireChief]

That just sounds painful:shock:

And how !!

 

[Trailer Trash]

I've made lots of sausage. Brats, Itailian, Chicken Basil, Andouille and Charizo mostly. I've noticed that with the pork sausages (Brats and Itailian), that if I don't "prick" I tend to have more "blow outs" on the grill. Pork has fat. Fat liquifies when grilled and if there isn't a way out slowly, it seems to burst the sausage... IMHO

 

[IamMadMan]

I have only pricked snack sticks to help with pooling of liquids and shrinkage, never any other type. My sausage stuffer doesn't give me any air pockets, but maybe if I had an air pocket, I might prick it to eliminate it.

When grilling though I have used a fork in the cooking process to release the build-up of liquids in the casing on some occasions.