High standards of food safety must be maintained at all times. A separate area of the kitchen designated for sausage prep is a good idea to prevent problems with cross contamination and food borne illnesses especially when preparing dry sausages that require no cooking. When preparing dry cred sausages the use of pH strips is recommended to ensure the safe preparation of them.
Food temperatures go hand in hand with sanitation. Chilling the equipment such as grinders and mixing bowls, partially freezing the meats before grinding, and adding ice to the forcemeats, and mixing ingredients over ice all helps the process. Temperature is crucial in creating the correct consistently of the forcemeat. Remember that in all cases emulsions are sensitive to temperature and will the colder they are the better the mix.
Meat – Pork is the most popular type of meat used for sausage production. Other meats that are used include beef, lamb, veal, chicken, venison, duck and even fish and seafood. Best cuts of meat are usually from the shoulder, pork butts, beef chuck, and the neck area. Make sure the meats are free of sinew and gristle which can make the sausage tough and jam up the grinder when grinding meats.
Fat – Pork fat back is considered the best for sausage production. Jowl fat is equal if not superior to fat back and pork belly can also be used. The pork shoulder butt has an almost perfect lean to fat ratio for many sausage recipes. Other fats used include lamb or beet fat.
Salt – Essential in sausage production especially for dry-cured and smoked sausages as a flavor enhancer it also limits bacterial growth. Salt is important because it extracts myofibril proteins in meat needed to bind and emulsify fat. Kosher salt is recommended and should always be measured by weight. Generally, the concentration of salt is 2.5-3.5% of the weight of the ground meat before any ingredients are added.
Curing Salts – Used in the production of various types of sausages, pink salt or tinted curing mix (TCM), also goes by various names including Prague Powder and Insta Cure. Curing salts aid in the prevention of food borne bacteria like botulism. They also add color to the product.
Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) - Dry sausages and for other foods including cheeses, yogurt, beer, and sourdough bread all are the result of bacterial fermentation. The lactic bacteria used in salami making are salt tolerant and produce lactic acid from the glucose (dextrose) in the meatwhich has the effect of lowering the pH, raising the acidity level, and eliminating harmful bacteria.
Starter Cultures – Starter cultures eliminate the guesswork of determining if enough LAB are present in the meat thereby producing more consistent results. Starter cultures are commercially available from a variety of sources and include patented formulas like Bactoferm™ F-LCthat are capable of acidification as well as preventing the growth of food borne illnesses like Listeria.
Sugar - Essential to the process of making fermented dry cured sausages is the presence of sugar in the form of glucose (often called dextrose). Glucose is a sugar that contains carbon hydrogen and oxygen atoms. LAB convert glucose to lactic acid which lowers the pH in the meat mixture thus inhibiting the growth of less desirable bacteria. Meat muscles contain some sugars that are not easily converted in the initial phases of the curing process so other sugars are often added.
Spices & Herbs – Dried spices and herbs are common in sausage making. Be sure that they are fresh and have a pleasant aroma. Grinding whole herbs and spices will provide a better flavor. Fresh herbs can be used but if substituting for dry herbs they will need to be increased by at least three times. Taste-testing the sausage mixture is recommended for taste as well as texture.
Ice/Cold Water – Used to add moisture and to keep the mixture cold.
Secondary Binders & Emulsifiers - Non-fat dried milk , panada, rice, potatoes, eggs, and soy protein are all types of binders, emulsifiers that can also act as fillers in sausage production.
Garnishes – Folded into a forcemeat to add complementing or contrasting flavors and textures, garnishes include fresh herbs, whole spices including peppercorns or fennel seed, diced vegetables, smoked meats, nuts, fruits, truffles, and cheese. Vegetables should be blanched or fully cooked when added to forcemeat. Nuts can be toasted for enhanced texture and flavor. Test the mixture for taste and texture.
The standard for sausage preparation is a 2:1 lean to fat ratio (65-70% lean meat to 30-35% fat). Some ratios are as high as a 1:1 lean to fat ratio (50% lean meat to 50% fat) or lower at a 4:1 lean to fat ratio (80% lean meat to 20% fat).
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