Texas Sausage

[Freiesleben]

Hi all,

I am currently trying to make Texan Sausages similar to what you can get at Kreuz Market. I watched the guide from Franklin on Youtube, when he made his version of a Texan sausage, I followed it all the way, but I find it coming out too dry and not correct texture even though it contained 20% of pure fat.

After stuffing:



Test patty:



What could I have done wrong.

This is what it contained:

20% fat
15% pork
65% lean beef(round roast)
Rub(consisting of paprika, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and brown sugar)
Added a bit of water to mix it

I smoked it to IT 165-170

 

[Smokeoholic]

Looking at the photo the cooked patty doesn't seem dry at all.

What don't you care for regarding the texture, what size grinding
plate did you use?

 

[Bludawg]

A test patty is good for checking the flavor nothing more. It cooks different in the casing.

 

[Drunk Monkey]

I chucked in some powdered milk on my last batch and it was much better.

What are you using to stuff the snags? I had the Kitchen Aid attachment for my mixer and it always came out a little grainy. I got a dedicated stuffer and it came out perfect for my last batch.

 

[Free Mr. Tony]

Curious since I've never been to Texas. What is the most common texture of Texas sausage? Loose like a brat? Firm like a Polish? Emulsified like a hot dog?

I've made recipes that referred to them as Texas hot links and they were wonderful, but I was always curious to the accuracy of the texture.

 

[DaveAlvarado]

Curious since I've never been to Texas. What is the most common texture of Texas sausage? Loose like a brat? Firm like a Polish? Emulsified like a hot dog?

I've made recipes that referred to them as Texas hot links and they were wonderful, but I was always curious to the accuracy of the texture.

There's strong Czech, Polish, and German communities that pretty much defined Texas sausage making. Firm like Polish is the right idea.

If you go here and enlarge the picture you can get an idea of the texture.

https://southsidemarket.com/Products/Elgin-Sausage/Elgin-Original-Smoked-Sausage.aspx

 

[worktogthr]

The fat content seems ideal. I have only been making sausage for a couple of years (but obsessively haha) but I have found that in most cases when the texture is dry and crumbly, its due to a couple of things:

1. The meat got warm when it was being ground and/or mixed

or

2. It wasn't mixed enough

I usually grind my meat for sausage almost frozen and a guide that I go by to see if its mixed properly is how sticky it feels. I usually take a test patty and stick it to my palm. If you can turn your palm down and the patty doesn't fall the result is usually what I'm looking for. I have made much leaner sausage than what your recipe describes and still had the texture and juicyness I was looking for. I have also had really fatty sausage come out dry and crumbly and thats why I think the mixing or temp of the meat during grinding/mixing might be your problem.

 

[Jason TQ]

Is this all beef other than the added fat?

 

[Shagdog]

Sounds to me like you're overcooking them. Are you smoking these ahead of time, making a smoked sausage? If so, smoke them slower, and only bring them to about 135-140 tops. Try smoking them at 130-150 and once they hit 110, raise your temp to 180. Smoke them too fast and you will render out that fat and make them dry. After they hit 140, give them an ice bath to stop the cooking. freeze them in vac seal and give a quick grilling when its time to eat.

 

[Free Mr. Tony]

The test Patty looks a little loose as well, which could be a sign that it was under mixed.

 

[Tat-que]

The fat content seems ideal. I have only been making sausage for a couple of years (but obsessively haha) but I have found that in most cases when the texture is dry and crumbly, its due to a couple of things:

1. The meat got warm when it was being ground and/or mixed

or

2. It wasn't mixed enough

I usually grind my meat for sausage almost frozen and a guide that I go by to see if its mixed properly is how sticky it feels. I usually take a test patty and stick it to my palm. If you can turn your palm down and the patty doesn't fall the result is usually what I'm looking for. I have made much leaner sausage than what your recipe describes and still had the texture and juicyness I was looking for. I have also had really fatty sausage come out dry and crumbly and thats why I think the mixing or temp of the meat during grinding/mixing might be your problem.

Agreed! But would add if possible chill your equip and utensils , and the addition of water I use crushed ice! Keep the fat as solid as possible looks great thou

 

[SolFire]

Some tricks i've learned.

Season cubed meat with spices, salt, pink salt the night before you grind.

Course Grind (chili grind) 60/40 beef and pork and 40% added SOFT beef fat, yes juicy sausage is FATTY.

Ice water and powdered milk.

Using a course grind (3/8" die) allows you to mix meat afterwards in a bowl with a paddle until it turns a bit tacky, 1-3 min on low. An important step for texture.


Cold Meat (just north of frozen)
Cold Grinder
Cold Mixing Bowl.

Keep smoker below 140°

 

[Woody Butthrie]

Okay. Not to hijack this thread, but I am ready to try to make sausages also. Cold meat and utensils. Check. Two of you have mentioned smoking the sausages around 140. If you make fresh sausages and do not use prague powder is this still safe? Also, how much powdered milk per pound? The seasoning in my first batch was good, they were just a little dry. I think I started them out on too hot of a fire to start.

 

[Freiesleben]

Thanks for all the comments so far guys, I will look into this when making my new batch and post the pictures

 

[Freiesleben]

Sounds to me like you're overcooking them. Are you smoking these ahead of time, making a smoked sausage? If so, smoke them slower, and only bring them to about 135-140 tops. Try smoking them at 130-150 and once they hit 110, raise your temp to 180. Smoke them too fast and you will render out that fat and make them dry. After they hit 140, give them an ice bath to stop the cooking. freeze them in vac seal and give a quick grilling when its time to eat.

Yeah, I might have overcooked them. But should it not be an IT of 165? To be on the safe side as Woody Butthrie asked as well.

I think I will try dry powder milk next time as well, as I can see several other are doing. I believe that will do the same as cereal binder?(which is what I think they use at Kreuz Market)

 

[SolFire]

It is not necessary to use curing salt when making fresh sausage. I never do when making Italian sausage, but that usually gets cooked on a hot grill within a day or two. Smoked sausage gets stuffed, hung to dry in the fridge overnight, then smoked in the danger zone for a couple of hours.

I use it for two reasons.
1.) Color. Smoked Beef sausage tends to have an ugly brown center if pink salt is not used.

2.) Piece of mind. Even though I cooked the meat properly, vacuum sealed it and chilled it immediately, I don't worry about spoilage.

Non Fat Milk Powder at 4% of total meat weight.

 

[Shagdog]

Yeah, I might have overcooked them. But should it not be an IT of 165? To be on the safe side as Woody Butthrie asked as well.

I think I will try dry powder milk next time as well, as I can see several other are doing. I believe that will do the same as cereal binder?(which is what I think they use at Kreuz Market)

You rendered out the fat from cooking them that high.

You handled the meat and ground it yourself, and I assumed you used nitrite, so you are on the safe side at 140. Especially at a slow smoke, all nasties are killed by then, as your sausage will have sat in the 130's for an extended period of time, which is really all you need. If you're looking for a smoked sausage, This is what you'll want to do...

Here is some Hot links and Kielbasa, slow smoked to 140

 

[Freiesleben]

Shagdog: I did not use nitrite which I could see that Aaron Franklin did not use either, because of that I wanted to make it with IT 165 degrees. But might have to try using nitrite the next time and then only bring it to 140 degrees.

The sausage you made looks really tasty.

 

[SolFire]

Yeah, I might have overcooked them. But should it not be an IT of 165? To be on the safe side as Woody Butthrie asked as well.

Food Safety relies on temperature and time. I smoke at a low temperature for under 2 hours, then ice bath and refrigerate because in the future I probably will bring them up to a higher temp. But again Pink Salt is my safety net.

 

[Shagdog]

I agree, you should use appropriate levels of nitrite.

Also, keep in mind, you are grinding the meat from a whole muscle. There isn't the danger of contamination that happens from a processor. Whole muscles only need to be cooked to the 140s. Your meat is safe there, especially if slowly brought up to temp and nitrites are used correctly.