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cab

Sausage Time!

(pre-empting Bagpuss here, without whose invitation this wouldn't be something I'd need to ask)

Planning on making sausages for the first time next weekend. Anyone fot any tried and tested recipes?
jema

I'd be quite interested in the case of pork sausages in knowing exactly what to ask the Butcher for. We have been doing 2/3 pork belly, 1/3 pork fat. But I rather think this is much too fatty.

jema
beth

A bit of pork belly makes nice sausages, so does a mix of shoulder and belly. We made two lots, just shoulder and sage/salt/pepper. They were superb. And shoulder and bacon with salt/pepper. They were pretty good too.

I definately wouldn't put more fat with belly, IMHO.
Beth
Fullup

We used 1/2 lean and 1/2 belly pork (1kg in total), with 1 cup bread crumbs, pepper, big dollop of mustard and some dried mixed herbs. The butcher gave us the casing (which was nice of him).

Had them for tea on Friday they were yummy.

Let us know what you decide on

Phill
cab

Cool, so we want something like half lean pork and half fatty pork, maybe with some breadcrumbs and plenty of seasoning (mustard looks like a good option, although I've a penchant to try apple, any thoughts?).

Pork looks like the classic sausage to do, but I also used to really enjoy beef sausages before moving to the un-civilised Southern half of the country where you simply can't get beef sausages. What's a good recipe for those?

And how about mixing fatty pork with, say, rabbit?
Fullup

The rabbit idea sounds good thumbup

I thought of using apple in my last batch but the butcher said they might make the mix to watery and that we should use dried apple pieces instead. I was going to cut some apple and dry in the oven, but I never got round to trying it.

Beef sounds good but might be a bit dry unless you can get some fat in with it..not tried though..might have a go with it.

Happy sausage making.
Phill
Fullup

Oh..another thought. Sun dried tomatoes are really nice in the pork mix too.

Looks like another batch of sausage making is needed...yummy.
Silas

I use just belly pork, I cut the tough skin off first. Try adding Leek, very nice!. For the cerial I use medium ground oatmeal ( mornflake) and I find that I use a LOT more salt than in the RC book, about twice as much!
Guest

Silas wrote:
I use just belly pork, I cut the tough skin off first. Try adding Leek, very nice!. For the cerial I use medium ground oatmeal ( mornflake) and I find that I use a LOT more salt than in the RC book, about twice as much!


pork and leek sausages I buy sometimes can be nice might have to try that

I do like pork and apple aswell, perhaps dried out in the oven then shredded might work well

perhaps cab we will have to get enough to make a selection so we can have toad in the hole on saturday and them some for the freezer for over christmas
twoscoops

Cab, I'm also new to the game so have only made a few varieties. I have been using loin chops and belly, but this is proving expensive so will start using shoulder and belly, about 2/3 - 1/3 ratio. I use 1 cup of rusk per kilo of meat, but I just guess quantities for seasonings etc. BTW, I'm not sure exactly where you are but Barker Bros in Great Shelford is the best butcher I have been to in East Anglia. I hate going there because I always spend far more than i intend to! Let me know if you want any more detail on the following:

Pork & Bacon (with sauteed onions)
Pork & Leek (with sauteed leek)
Game (using breast of lamb for fat and juniper berries)
Merguez (good mutton and harissa)
Italian (with tomato, chilli, garlic and oregano)

Game was undoubtedly the best, with pork & leek a close second. I always prick the sausages before doing them in the oven, this lets the fat escape leaving the meat lovely and moist.
bagpuss

twoscoops, what sort of game do you generally use?

I have had venison sausages and wild boar sausages both very nice I wasn't terribly convinced by the pigeon ones though
twoscoops

I used mixed game, bought from the butcher mentioned above.
bagpuss

hmm, may have to give the butchers a try, not far from work or from home that matter

I work in hinxton
twoscoops

Do, they are great. If you phone them they will get the British mutton in for you, and they boned-out four pheasant for me the other week. They also smoke thier own hams and brine thier own salt beef. They will also do bacon ribs for you if you order them. There is a good cheese counter and they also sell fresh fish.
cab

Twoscoops wrote:
BTW, I'm not sure exactly where you are but Barker Bros in Great Shelford is the best butcher I have been to in East Anglia.


Hmmm... Whereabouts in Great Shelford? I cycle down to Shelford not unfrequently. Is it on Shelford Road?
twoscoops

It is on the high street, close to the junction of woollards lane, where the little deli is. See link to mape below.

http://tinyurl.com/68usm
tahir

D'you reckon he'd like a free ad in return for a little article on charcuterie or butchery?
twoscoops

Don't know, might be worth asking. i get the feeling they may look at it as witchcraft though.
tahir

Laughing
cab

Ta muchly. I have to cycle down to Scotdales this week some time, might go down a bit further to the butchers to check him out.
twoscoops

If you go there and decide he's not as good as your regular butcher then I'd genuinely like to know where he is!
cab

Oh, I use three or four butchers. The guy on Burleigh Street for lamb and game, the guy on Mill Road for beef (although not since the freezer was filled with beef from a local producer), the guy on Mitchams Corner for other game sometimes, and the guy on Cambridge Market for pork and bacon. I've been planning to explore the one out Newnham way, which has a good reputation, but I haven't been yet.
jema

Cab wrote:
Oh, I use three or four butchers. The guy on Burleigh Street for lamb and game, the guy on Mill Road for beef (although not since the freezer was filled with beef from a local producer), the guy on Mitchams Corner for other game sometimes, and the guy on Cambridge Market for pork and bacon. I've been planning to explore the one out Newnham way, which has a good reputation, but I haven't been yet.


Twisted Evil I use one, its bloody miles away, and even there I don't think it really parts muster with what people here would by and large want Sad

jema
cab

jema wrote:

Twisted Evil I use one, its bloody miles away, and even there I don't think it really parts muster with what people here would by and large want Sad



I'm simply far too stupid to get by with one butcher when I can cycle an insane distance to go to four. I seem to be doing more and more miles on the bike every week, just getting food in.
jema

Cab wrote:
jema wrote:

Twisted Evil I use one, its bloody miles away, and even there I don't think it really parts muster with what people here would by and large want Sad



I'm simply far too stupid to get by with one butcher when I can cycle an insane distance to go to four. I seem to be doing more and more miles on the bike every week, just getting food in.


Now you are trying to piss me off Evil or Very Mad 4 useable butchers in cycling distance Shocked

jema
anneka

how far are you prepared to cycle?.... Wink
jema

anneka wrote:
how far are you prepared to cycle?.... Wink


Rolling Eyes round here Rolling Eyes not very far at all, and certainly not anywhere I actually want to go Rolling Eyes

jema
alison

So you don't want to go to the butchers then Wink
jema

alison wrote:
So you don't want to go to the butchers then Wink


Swindon is one of those places with a lot of cycle tracks by milage, but they are not going anywhere useful Sad

A few months back, I decided to ride to the town centre, and got my bike ready, and then frankly chickened out Embarassed I have been in 3 two wheeled crashes that wrote off my bike/motorcycle each time and a friend on a bike died in a hit and run, and the roads round here are now even worse for bikes.

jema
cab

I'm an aggressive cyclist; I maintain a strong primary road position in all but the most unusual situations, which allows me to ride fast and safely. By doing so I can reduce incidents of people overtaing dangerously to almost none, I really only have to worry about the people who are willing to assault me, try to bully me out of the way, or who have no concept of comparative speeds. So that's only three or four idiots per day Smile

Basically, I'm too pig-headed to give in to traffic.

Within cycling distance we have more than four butchers. There's at least another one down in Cherry Hinton, another in Fen Ditton, at least a couple in Newmarket, etc. It's all about how far you're happy to cycle.
jema

So Cab did you make them?

I'm off (by car) today to the Butchers to get the Pork for sauasge and bacon making Smile

jema
bagpuss

we try to make sausages tommorrow the plan is to make sausages and have toad in the hole
cab

I reccomend that we get to the Butchers -early- on Saturday, before town becomes Hell on Earth.
jema

Well I have streaky and back bacon curing with my new salt petre and a few pounds of minced belly for some sausages, the casing are soaking to remove the salt.

jema
bagpuss

Cab wrote:
I reccomend that we get to the Butchers -early- on Saturday, before town becomes Hell on Earth.



definitely, I guess we want to be in for 9ish

what will we need

say

1kg shoulder
1kg belly pork
sausage casings
bones to make stock for gravy

are we going to add bread crumbs or something like that

for flavouring, we have plenty of leeks, apples and mustard powder depending on which way we want to go

I may need more plain flour but I have a suspect feeling I may have mixed up my SR flour with my plain but I don't know how best to figure that one out
tahir

Did anybody see the cheesy sausage on Full on Food the other night?
cab

Bagpus, we'll have at least some breadcrumbs in our house, we always have some stale bread left over. On Saturday that means that the starlings and the sparrows will just have to go hungry!

I might see what cuts of game he also has; the idea of bunny and fat belly pork appeals to me, as does the idea of maybe doing some beef sausage.
twoscoops

Now I'm really hungry, especially seing as I had a load of wine last night (and watched Ned Kelly - now there's a couple of hours of my life I'll never get back. Wish I'd watched The Price of Prawns instead). I feel some game sausages coming on over the weekend.
tahir

Right, I fancy a go at sausages, obviously no pork. Where do I start? Can i get veggie skins? And what can I knock up using chicken, lamb, beef or a combination?
sean

You can get ox runners, but they're huge. Lamb or mutton would be good for merguez with harrissa. I've never had a beef sausage that I really liked, but maybe I've never had a good one. Someone must make veggies skins out of cellulose or something.
tahir

What about beef chicken and mushroom or something?
twoscoops

As far as I am aware there are no vegie skins. Even the collagen ones that Ascot sell as veggie are not, so I have been told. You can get sheep's casings, so ask your normal halal butcher. For rusk you can use breadcrumbs or oatmeal, and then the world is your oyster. Start with some simple combinations, like plain beef, merguez or tarragon chicken, and then start experimenting.
scarecrow

I'm after a sausage stuffer. I've looked all over the place and a decent piece of kit seems to cost hundreds.

I've seen something from Ascot
http://www.ascott-shop.com/item3221.htm at 42 quid but it looks a little plasticy and flimsy to me.

Anyone treid this one, or know of alternatives.

And before anyone come up with a smart alec answer of how they use a funnel or something, I reckon I'd split more casings than I filled!
tahir

So what would i use for plain beef? What cut and what additions? Oh and can i get a sausage attachment for my chef?
twoscoops

Scarecrow - I have a Eko FW2684 mincer and stuffer from

www.sausagemaking.org

Which does the job. It isn't cheap (it has just gone up to about eighty quid) but I like it. Nice and simple, though I wouldn't say that if I didn't have a dishwasher!

Tahir - Just a cheap cut, maybe braising steak, but half as much again (so 30%) of a nice fatty cut. Can't think of a fatty beef cut off the top of my head. Add some spices of your choice and away you go.
sean

You need some fairly fatty meat, skirt maybe? Horseradish might be good. Yes to the attachment question.
tahir

Better get ordering
scarecrow

Twoscoops wrote:
Scarecrow - I have a Eko FW2684 mincer and stuffer from www.sausagemaking.org Which does the job. It isn't cheap (it has just gone up to about eighty quid) but I like it.


You had me until the 'its not cheap' bit. I'm a tight fisted mancunian don't you know! Wink

Had a look at it though and it does look a good deal more robust than the ascot thing. And it minces as well (my wife says I'm the only one who minces in our kitchen!! Very Happy ) so looks much better value.

Is it too late to get my letter of to Santa do you think?
twoscoops

beef & stilton might be nice, or tomato, pickled walnut (never tried them meself), or plain with black pepper and onion.
tahir

Twoscoops wrote:
plain with black pepper and onion.


Think I'll start with that, what's a fatty cut of beef then? (Don't know much about beef)
twoscoops

scarecrow wrote:
[
Is it too late to get my letter of to Santa do you think?


You'll need to get on the phone. Franco isn't very good at returning emails, even if they contain an order, so pester him on the blower and if he's got one in stock you should have it in time to play with it over the holidays.
sean

tahir wrote:
Twoscoops wrote:
plain with black pepper and onion.


Think I'll start with that, what's a fatty cut of beef then? (Don't know much about beef)


Could you just add some suet? I think it would work, not sure about the Halal rules.
tahir

Dunno where I'd get halal suet from, will my rib of beef have surplus fat on it?
sean

Probably not in my experience, cows just aren't that fatty. Could you ask the Welsh hook people? If you tell them what you want it for they might sort you out.
twoscoops

You could always pop some breast of lamb in there.
Northern_Lad

A good rib should have plenty of fat on it, but it may be tricky to get at without cutting up the joint.

You can now get 'vegetarian' suet Shocked - how much of an oxymoron is that!?

Scarry - I got a mincer from Lakeland (about £25 I think) and it comes with a sausage nozzle. Not had any time to play with the sausage bit yet as I'm re-building to ground floor of my house at the moment.
scarecrow

What about some duck or goose, plenty of that nocking around at this time of year!
tahir

I'll speak to Welsh hook
alison

Tahir, on the Kenwood chef you can use the mincer with a sausage stuffing attatchment.
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