Sausage Meal Question

[Henno]

Ok, I know the purests will not put anything in their sausages except meat, fat and spices but I really quite like the texture of store bought snags. Please don't stone the blasphemer.

I have tried bread crumbs but ended up with a strange wet sandwich kind of texture. I then got given a little bag of meal that a mobile butcher uses in his pork snags but didn't realise it had salt in it. A bloody truckload of salt apparently. Texture good, taste bad. The fact that only God and the creators of this nasty cocktail know what is actually in it so I am defeating the purpose of the home made snag I suppose.

Anyway back to the meal question. What can I use to get that store bought texture? Surely it must be something as simple as corn flour or rice flour or something.

Cheers
H

 

[roylee]

For what it's worth--- my granddad (German) used an old family recipe that includes just a bit of shredded potato. He sometimes mixed in a little beer as well, and used to say the key to texture was ice while mixing/chopping and enough good quality fat to keep it juicy.

 

[Henno]

Just reading a sausage site that is talking about ice but also a thing called rusk, which I thought was just a kind of biscuit you gave to babies. Apparently rusk is traditional in English sausages. Seems to be expensive and I bet I can't get my hands on it round here. Maybe oats or something. My mum used to put rolled oats in her meatloaf and it gave it a nice texture.

 

[tcraig20]

Just reading a sausage site that is talking about ice but also a thing called rusk, which I thought was just a kind of biscuit you gave to babies. Apparently rusk is traditional in English sausages. Seems to be expensive and I bet I can't get my hands on it round here. Maybe oats or something. My mum used to put rolled oats in her meatloaf and it gave it a nice texture.

You can make your own rusk, there is a recipe here:

http://www.sausagesource.com/forum/viewtop...;highlight=rusk

I suspect that the culprit in 'manufactured' sausages is a good whack of soy protein.

 

[Mercs Own]

If you really want to get that store texture in your sausage then well...um...buy them from the store. You love that so nothing wrong with it!

However continue on the journey you are on - which is great - and I reackon you will discover/make/invent a sausage even better than any store bought sausage - so good luck.

I will keeping an eye on this thread.

Just to be a little constructive - have you asked the butcher that makes the particular store bought sausage you like what he puts in them?

 

[tcraig20]

I guess an alternative is just to buy commercial sausage meal. These guys sell some:

http://www.orangefarmhardware.com.au/

See pages 9 and 10 of their catalogue.

 

[Henno]

If you really want to get that store texture in your sausage then well...um...buy them from the store. You love that so nothing wrong with it!

However continue on the journey you are on - which is great - and I reackon you will discover/make/invent a sausage even better than any store bought sausage - so good luck.

I will keeping an eye on this thread.

Just to be a little constructive - have you asked the butcher that makes the particular store bought sausage you like what he puts in them?

Sorry, about the lack of info there, I like the texture from the store bought ones but find them tasteless. I love the flavour of the spices in the sausages I am making now but just want the texture to be smoother, if that makes sense.

I have asked various butchers what meal they use and some of them balk at giving it to me as it contains nitrates or nitrites. I think the problem I have discovered the hard way is the mass produced meal contains a truck load of salt and god knows what chemicals for flavour and preservation. All I want is the ingredient that give you the texture and abililty to hold fat in the sausage itself.

I may try making my own rusk. Whatever the hell rusk is. I'm sure the last time I would have had some was when I was teething.

The search continues.....

 

[AndrewQLD]

Sorry, about the lack of info there, I like the texture from the store bought ones but find them tasteless. I love the flavour of the spices in the sausages I am making now but just want the texture to be smoother, if that makes sense.

I have asked various butchers what meal they use and some of them balk at giving it to me as it contains nitrates or nitrites. I think the problem I have discovered the hard way is the mass produced meal contains a truck load of salt and god knows what chemicals for flavour and preservation. All I want is the ingredient that give you the texture and abililty to hold fat in the sausage itself.

I may try making my own rusk. Whatever the hell rusk is. I'm sure the last time I would have had some was when I was teething.

The search continues.....

Henno, not sure the process you are using or your recipe. Assuming you use bread crumbs a good way to smooth the texture of your sausage is to mix the meat after mincing and adding the rest of your ingredients, a good mix by hand or machine will emulsify your mix and blend it into a smoother paste that will resemble the texture of a store bought sausage.
HOWEVER be aware that it makes it very difficult to stuff your skins if using a grinder with a stuffing tube but it works really well if using a proper sausage filler.

Andrew

 

[Henno]

Thanks Andrew. I actually mince all meat then add my dry ingredients then stuff. Maybe when I used breadcrumbs in the past I just used too many. Can't remember it making it harder to stuff though. We did have a hell of a time with my grinder and the tube using the premix meal though. I ended up with a right arm like popeye!

Do you have a filler as well as the grinder? I may have to source one for meself methinks.

 

[Mercs Own]

Yes I would agree with Andrew regarding the texture, if after mincing on your finest setting you either blitzed it in a food processor or put in your cake mixer and gave it a beating whilst adding your other ingredients I would imagine you will get a paste like consistency much like the commercial bangers. I havent done it though so am guessing.

Cake mixer would be best as you can adjust speed setting a food processor may heat the meat up too much.

Let us know.

 

[riverside]

Ok, I know the purests will not put anything in their sausages except meat, fat and spices but I really quite like the texture of store bought snags. Please don't stone the blasphemer.

I have tried bread crumbs but ended up with a strange wet sandwich kind of texture. I then got given a little bag of meal that a mobile butcher uses in his pork snags but didn't realise it had salt in it. A bloody truckload of salt apparently. Texture good, taste bad. The fact that only God and the creators of this nasty cocktail know what is actually in it so I am defeating the purpose of the home made snag I suppose.

Anyway back to the meal question. What can I use to get that store bought texture? Surely it must be something as simple as corn flour or rice flour or something.

Cheers
H

99% of store/suppermarket sausages have meal in them, the trick is getting the quantities right. Diff meat mixtures will reqire more or less meal and water. If you are looking to make a suppermarket snag this is the go. Mince your meat with a medium blade., add 70% of recomended meal (that is on packet) add water slowly while mixing (making sure not to over do the water) then put back through mincer with fine blade. Consistancy of meat should be nearly a fluffy texture. Fill into skins/castings and hang in fridge for 48hrs prior to eating/freezing. ENJOY !

 

[Henno]

99% of store/suppermarket sausages have meal in them, the trick is getting the quantities right. Diff meat mixtures will reqire more or less meal and water. If you are looking to make a suppermarket snag this is the go. Mince your meat with a medium blade., add 70% of recomended meal (that is on packet) add water slowly while mixing (making sure not to over do the water) then put back through mincer with fine blade. Consistancy of meat should be nearly a fluffy texture. Fill into skins/castings and hang in fridge for 48hrs prior to eating/freezing. ENJOY !

Thanks but my question isn't really answered here mate. I know supermarket snags have meal. I have tried adding a meal given to me buy a butcher and it turned out salty. I want to add my own salt and spices and just get the fluffy texture of a store bought snag so want to know what the meal is so I can just purchase the base ingredient only.

What's the secret base ingredient?

 

[riverside]

cereal grain and spices

Cheers

 

[I like beer]

Sorry, about the lack of info there, I like the texture from the store bought ones but find them tasteless. I love the flavour of the spices in the sausages I am making now but just want the texture to be smoother, if that makes sense.

I have asked various butchers what meal they use and some of them balk at giving it to me as it contains nitrates or nitrites. I think the problem I have discovered the hard way is the mass produced meal contains a truck load of salt and god knows what chemicals for flavour and preservation. All I want is the ingredient that give you the texture and abililty to hold fat in the sausage itself.

I may try making my own rusk. Whatever the hell rusk is. I'm sure the last time I would have had some was when I was teething.

The search continues.....

I have just watched 'The Cook and the Chef'.
Simon made some 'fritz' but to get the fine texture, after mincing he pushed/ scraped the meat through a drum sieve. This would probably achieve the fine texture you are after. The web site doesn't really mention this so if you could catch the repeat of the show on Saturday where he shows how to do it.

There is also a good segment on Linke Butchers in Tanunda when they make their own smallgoods ( which are fantasic) using traditional Prussian recipes and wood smoking.

Mrs I like beer