Sausage making question

[Karpos]

Hi All,

I'm interested in learning how to make sausage in the form of meat sticks, sort of looking like a Slim Jim, but tasting a whole lot better. I don't really have a question about the recipe, because I've done a bit of reading and web surfing about that, but my question is more about the process. All of the research I've done the sausage looks like conventional larger sausage. Is the process just like the larger sausage, and just use a smaller sausage casing? (made on the standard sausage making equipment you see for sale in Cabelas?) Or do you have to buy a special piece of equipment to make it the smaller size?

Thanks,

Dave

[docjered]

Well, I have made meat sticks of which you speak, by using a smaller casing, then after completed drying in my dehydrator to "jerk" the sausage into the familiar taste/texture of slim jim and others... particularly like doing this with a pepperoni mix in a small casing!

[Karpos]

Thanks for reply. So, I guess the type of "meat stick" I want to make sounds like the same process as making sausage, you just use a small casing and smaller smaller stuffer nozzle....

[Karpos]

I guess my next question is what size casings do you buy to make meat stick size. The sausage supply websites have oodles of different sizes to choose from....

Karpos

[Karpos]

Ok, I've done a little more research...and have figured out I need a sausage stuffer with 3/8 nozzle to make "snack stick" size. So far, the casing I've seen says 19-21 mm for this application. So which is the best choice casing size for 3/8 nozzle?

Thanks,

Dave

[Bad_Omen]

I can't really help on the question of casing sizes but we have a similar thing in South Africa called Droewors. It's possibly one of my all time favourite snack foods. There are plenty of recipe's out there, just google it. Below are a couple to try if you fancy it.


Traditional Droewors Recipe
INGREDIENTS
· 2 kg venison (no pork or veal)
· 1 kg beef.
· 500 gr sheep tails fat (no pork or spek)
· 25 ml salt.
· 5 ml ground black pepper.
· 15 ml coriander, singed and ground.
· 1 ml ground cloves.
· 2 ml nutmeg powder.
· 125 ml brown vinegar.
· 25 ml brandy (optional).
· 25 ml marsala (optional).
· 200 gr narrow (thin) sausage casings.

METHOD
· Cube all meat.
· Mix together thoroughly and mince coarsely.
· Place meat in large bowl.
· Add all dry spices, vinegar and brandy (if used).
· Mix together lightly with a two pronged fork.
· Place in fridge for +/- 2 hours to blend flavours.
· Soak casings in water during this period.
· Fit casings to sausage maker and fill with mixture.
· Do not over- or under-stuff.

This wors is more suitable for drying than it is for cooking. Due to the absence of pork and spek, and the inclusion of venison, it is not as succulent as normal boerewors and many people find the cooked variety of this recipe a bit to dry for their liking.

Also, hang this wors a bit longer than other types of wors as most people prefer it drier than the rest. It should snap like a twig when bent.




Farm-Style Droewors
· 4.5 kg beef (Use shoulder or chuck)
· 2.5 kg fatty mutton (Use breast or shoulder)
· 15 ml ground cloves
· 15 ml grated nutmeg
· 12 g whole coriander
· 90 g fine salt
· 15 ml brown sugar
· 400 ml vinegar
· 90 g mutton sausage casings

METHOD
Place the coriander seeds in a dry frying pan and heat, stirring constantly until they become light brown. Remove them to a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar and crush the coriander seeds. Pass the crushed seeds through a sieve to remove the husks.
Cut the meat into 50 mm cubes, and mix together with all ingredients except the vinegar and casings. Mince the meat using a grinder with a coarse blade. Sprinkle the vinegar over the minced meat mixture and mix lightly (If you work too much with the meat, it will lose the coarse consistency)
Prepare the casings and stuff the mixture loosely into them.
Dip the sausages in a mixture of 4.5 litres boiling water and 350 ml vinegar, then hang them over wooden rods that are thick enough in diameter to prevent the inner surfaces of the sausage from touching.
Dry the sausage in a cool draughty place for 24 hours, then remove the sausage and flatten by rolling across a cutting board, so that any pockets of air in the sausage or between the sausage and the casing are removed. (These air pockets can cause mould to set in when the sausage is drying). Put the sausage back over the wooden rods and continue to dry to your taste. This will normally take about 2 weeks.