Any good sausage recipes?

[Norm]

I am about to leave for the Clay Center Meat Locker which is about 35 miles north of here because I just called them and confirmed that they sell sausage casings. ArrrTea, or anyone have any good recipes or links to smoked and or cured sausages?

[paddy]

Norm-Try www.nolacuisine.com The recipes for Andouille and Chaurice are both excellent, or maybe even better than excellent. This is really a great site with numerous recipe's and a wealth of information on Cajun and reole cooking.

[ArrrTea]

How 'bout authentic Hungarian Kolbasz? Simple, yet great flavor.
10 Lb batch- coarse ground pork butt
4 tablespoons HUNGARIAN paprika... Sezged is the best I have found
3 tablespoons good quality garlic powder (This stuff STINKS :{) )
1-2 tablespoons coarse ground Black pepper
4.5 Tablespoons Tenderquick

Grind and thoroughly mix in seasonings/cure. Allow to rest chilled to 40° for 24 hours before stuffing.

Use medium hog casings. I recommend "turning them inside out"
http://www.smoked-meat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96

Allow to rest another 12-24 hours before smoking.
Smoke at low temps- 150-ish for about an hour, then ramp up temps to the 200° range. Take sausage to internal of 155°, and then rinse under cool water, and allow to bloom at room temps for 6-12 hours. Hang in a cool, dry environment for at least a week. Casing will begin to contract on the stuffing.

These are ready to eat- used to have them sliced and placed on squares of Hunky (seedless) rye bread...Grandma called 'em "soldiers".

[Norm]

Thanks they all look good. I got 50' of hog casings, more than I expect I'll use in a while, but ready to give these a try. I also want to make some hot dogs.

[Norm]

Paddy, ArrrTea, I have a question about a couple of Paddy's recipes. One uses a pinch of Prague Powder #1 and another uses a pinch of meat curing salt with a link to a site that isn't showing up when I use it.

Question: Is meat curing salt the same thing as Tender Quick and can Tender Quick be substituted for Prague powder?

I have saved both youse guys recipes. Thanks for the tip about turning the casings inside out.

[ArrrTea]

Any recipe that calls for "meat curing salt" and a "pinch" of such should be suspect- there are several, and some can kill you- well, ALL can - some easier than others.

Generally That phrase would mean Prague #1, or Instacure #1. I suspect the recipe you mention means this type, mainly due to the "pinch"- 1 level TEASPOON of this stuff cures 5 LBS of meat.

Tenderquick can be used in place of the above- HOWEVER the volume used is MUCH larger, as it is "diluted" with plain salt and a small amount of sugar. Typical amounts of TQ are 1.5 TEASPOONS per LB of ground meat, and 1 TABLESPOON/Lb of solid meat.

Consequently, recipes using TQ have NO ADDED salt, while the #1 cures usually do call for salt in the recipe

[Norm]

Thanks Rich

[ArrrTea]

I neglected to mention I sometimes add perhaps a couple tablespoons of onion powder to this too... sometimes not.
Here's a pict of the stuff I made this weekend...deep mahogany color, garlic/paprika very evident in the flavor, smoked with pecan.

[paddy]

This is the andouille after smoking. I used collagen casings.

[Norm]

Thanks again guys. I have to get off my butt and use some of these casings.

Paddy, did you use the optional cure or leave it out?

[paddy]

Then ran cool water over it for a minute or so , let dry, and put on cooling rack in frig for about 24 hours. Casing will shrink and adhere to meat.

[paddy]

Norm, I used two tblsp. of the tender quick for five pounds of meat. I freeze the sausage and thaw as needed. When I make Italian or a breakfast type sausage I leave it out.

[paddy]

Norm, I gave you some incorrect information. I was getting ready to start another batch of the andouille and checked my notes and saw where I had crossed out the TQ and did not use it. If you use both salt and the TQ your sausage will be extremely salty.

[Norm]

OK paddy. Thanks. I have not started anything yet. Maybe later this week.

[ArrrTea]

Originally Posted by paddy

Norm, I gave you some incorrect information. I was getting ready to start another batch of the andouille and checked my notes and saw where I had crossed out the TQ and did not use it. If you use both salt and the TQ your sausage will be extremely salty.

TQ HAS the salt needed for your recipes! However remember if you intend to CURE sausage, you must use the TQ, or a nitrate/ite compound for this to happen. ANY slow smoked meats must be cured! You CAN HOT smoke uncured..or just salted...meats observint the 40° to 140° rule.

[Norm]

Is TQ the same thing as saltpeter?

[ArrrTea]

Originally Posted by Norm

Is TQ the same thing as saltpeter?

Hmmm I did make a post on this somewhere recently... in addition to that- NO!

Saltpeter (potassium nitrate) is no longer used. It is actually a combination of SODIUM nitrate and nitrite. And in addition it has sodium chloride (salt) and some sugar (glucose) as well as anti-caking agents.

Also- P#1 or Instacure #1 is only sodium NITRITE- a faster curing agent more for short term curing- sausages, bacons, fish, poultry.

#2 is sodium NITRATE which slowly converts to the nitrite form for longer curing of hams, etc.

TQ has a combination of both forms, making is suitable for both short and medium length curing duties.

[mikhon]

Hi,

You can try this Smoked Sausage Stew Recipe

Ingredients:

* 1 light or turkey kielbasa, sliced
* 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
* 3 cans low fat low sodium chicken broth
* 2 cups water
* 1 cup barley
* 2 bay leaves
* 1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1 tsp thyme

Cooking Direction:

1. Put all ingredients into the crock pot
2. Stir, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours
3. Remove the bay leaves before serving

Hope this is the best recipe I had for you. GoodLuck!

[Norm]

I tried my first sausage recipe: weiners. I simmered them then I thought I turned off the heat but it was on low and they over cooked and are really dry. However now I am ready to try some cured sausage next... maybe before Thanksgiving.

[Norm]

I have another question. How long after I open the hog casings packed in salt should I wait before I move them from the refrigerator to the freezer?

They came in a vacuum pack and were not refrigerated at the butcher shop. I have resealed them in a vacuum pack and placed back in the refrigerator after using only a few.