⚠️Sausages⚠️ Flashcards
What and when is the first recognizable mention of sausage?
In a Greek play called “The Orya” or “The Sausage” written in 500 B.C
Word for sausage frequently occurs in Greek writings
What other Empire had sausage as a favorite?
A favorite of the Romans at one time, so much so that it had to be banned by the early church
Where does the word “sausage” derive from? What did the word originally apply to?
From the Latin word “salsus” meaning salted
Originally applied to cured or salted meat generally
What problem did sausage solve?
In older times, there were no refrigerators to preserve meat so making sausage overcame this problem
Dry sausage was born as a result of what?
Dry sausage was born as a result of the discovery of new spices which helped enhance flavor and preserve the meat
Why do different countries make different types of sausages? Give two examples.
Different countries and cities produce their own distinctive types of sausage (fresh and dry) due to the availability of ingredients and the climate
ex: parts of world with colder climates like Northern Europe can keep fresh sausage without refrigeration during cold months and found a way to smoke it for warmer months
Ex: parts of the world with warmer climates like Southern Europe developed dry sausage so it didn’t need to be refrigerated
What are the 5 different types of sausage?
Cooked sausage Cooked smoked sausage Fresh sausage Fresh smoked sausage Dry sausage
What is cooked sausage? (2) Give examples.
Sausage that is made with fresh meats then fully cooked
It is either eaten immediately, or refrigerated then reheated
For example: veal sausage, liver sausage
What is cooked smoked sausage? (3) Give examples.
Similar to cooked sausage, but it is cooked then smoked, or smoke-cooked
It is eaten hot or cold
To be stored in the fridge
For example: kielbasa, bologna
What is fresh sausage? (2) Give examples.
Sausage made from meats that haven’t been cured
Must be refrigerated and thoroughly cooked
For example: Italian pork sausage, the British banger
What is fresh smoked sausage? (2) Give examples.
Fresh sausage that is smoked
After smoking, it can be refrigerated and cooked thoroughly before eating
For example: mettwurst, roumanian sausage
What is dry sausage? (3) Give examples.
Sausage made from a selection of meats
It is the most complicated to make as the drying process has to be carefully controlled
Can be readily eaten, or kept for long periods of time under refrigeration
For example: salami’s, summer sausage
What are the two categories of sausage?
Fresh and cured
What is fresh sausage? How is it stored? Give some examples.
Sausage that is made up of minced meat and spices and cooked just prior to serving, traditionally stuffed into casings but can be formed into patties
It will only keep for a few days in the fridge but can be frozen for future use
Examples: Italian breakfast sausage, English sausages
What are the two kinds of cured sausage?
Semi dry and dried sausages
What are semidry sausages? (2) Give examples.
Sausages that are cooked in hot water or a smokehouse
Will keep under refrigeration for months
For example: hot dogs or Summer sausage
What are dry sausages? (2)
Sausages that aren’t cooked but dried to about 75% of their stuffed weight over a period of several months
They will keep for years at room temperature
What can cause fermentation in both dry and semidry sausages? (2)
The addition of lactic acid can cause fermentation which produces bacteria culture that provides a wonderful tang to the sausage
It also enhances the long-keeping qualities
Which food borne illness requires you to take precautions when making sausages? Why is it deadly?
Botulism, a food poisoning caused by the bacterium Clostridium Botulism
The bacteria is deadly because it can occur in food products before the first hint of a foul odor or other forms of food spoilage occurs
Why must you take extra precautions when making cured sausages? (2)
The botulism bacteria can be easily destroyed by boiling but their toxin producing spores are not so easily destroyed at 100 degrees Celsius (boiling point of water)
They thrive in low acid, moist environments that are lacking oxygen, and when the sausage is between 4 and 60 degrees Celsius, which is where semidry and dry sausages fall
What does cured mean?
An agent or process was used to provide long term keeping properties to the sausage
the use of salt, drying and fermentation are all common curing techniques
What do modern public health practices demand the use of?
Demands the use of chemical agents in the form of nitrites and/or nitrates to assure the destruction of pathogenic organisms like those that cause botulism
What are the seven steps to cleanliness?
- Use bleach or sanitizer and water to clean counter surfaces before and after use
- Use hot soapy water to clean all tools before washing a second time with sanitizer
- Rinse all tools before using them (no dust or hair)
- Wash hands frequently
- Use surgical gloves
- Keep everything not in use in plastic zip-lock bags to keep as fresh as possible
- When playing with foods cooked in the botulism zone, take as many precautions as possible
What are sausages made from?
Minced/ground meat which can be bought ground from a butcher or ground in the kitchen with a meat mincer
How do all mincers operate? (3)
An auger pushes the meat into a rotating blade that chops the meat as its forced through the stationary output plate
The size of the holes in the plate determine the coarseness of the meat
Real sausages are stuffed into casings which requires a stuffer which can be added to the same mincer
What are the 2 classes of casings?
Natural and man-made
What are natural casings made of?
The intestines of animals, specifically cows, hogs and lamb or sheep
What are man-made casings?
Those made from anything other than animal intestines (cellulose, collagen, synthetic)
What preparations are required for casings? (2)
Man made requires like or no prep, except fibrous which needs to be soaked
Natural casings come in a package of brine or heavily salted brine/water paste, sometimes in a cake of salt, so they need to be pre-treated before use to dilute the salt and prevent them from getting tough
How, specifically, do you prepare natural casings? (6)
- Place the casings in a large bowl, spread out.
- Separate the amount you need (be excessive).
- Place the casings to be used in a second bowl and fill it with as much water as possible
- Allow to soak for a few minutes then drain and refill
- Drain casings again, then take one, opening one end and fill the entire casing with water from the tap
- Repeat
What are the four steps of the basic sausage making process?
MASS
- Mincing the meat
- Adding spices and flavorings
- Stuffing the casings
- Storing
What is one extremely important thing?
KEEP THE MEAT COLD
Refrigerate throughout the process and keep it as stiff as possible
What is the process of mincing the meat? (5)
- Cut your meat to fit the size of the mincer
- Refrigerate the cubed meat
- Get the mincer and dishes set up
- Take the meat out and mince
- Cover minced meat and return to fridge
What is the process of adding spices and flavorings? (5)
- Add the spices to minced meat
- Mix spices throughly
- Don’t compact the meat too tightly
- Keep meat cold prior to mixing
- Return meat to fridge
What is the process of stuffing the casings? (5)
- Keep casings in a bowl of cold water to keep lubricated
- Find end of casing and slip this over stuffing horn, then push it all over the stuffing horn like an accordion (keeping wet)
- Leave some casing hanging over stuffing horn and tie a knot
- Start stuffing casings, controlling the flow of sausage to not over stuff (will burst) by holding the casing with you thumb and forefinger (increasing and decreasing pressure as needed)
- As the sausage comes out, you can tie the ends or make links by twisting the sausage
What is the process of storing? (2 for drying, 2 for freezing)
For dried sausage:
- hang the sausage over a broom handle covered with aluminum foil between two chairs in a cold environment
- Keep sausage cool to prevent bacterial growth
Freezing sausage:
- Place sausage in a ziplock bag, using a straw to suck out as much air as possible
- Seal bag and freeze quickly
