"charcuterie" - preserving meat

[Coppertop]

I have been reading up on making charcuterie. This is making proscuettio (sp), salami, fresh sausages. Has anyone here made any of those? I still fight making the perfect jerky so I don't know why I am trying something new- but what the hell.

The guy I have been reading states you need to make a "chamber" with a heater and a humidifier and purchase a bunch of thermometers etc to do this.
I read another guy who said to hang it up in your basement and let it sit for a year. As long as it doesn't get black mold you are ok? Would a light smoke help - these are big chunks of meat, so you wouldn't ever get smoke to the center.

How strong are hog casings? I know you can't stuff a watermelon through a straw but do you have to be super careful? Any tricks to stuffing them? I am thinking of trying some fresh sausages first, but would love to start doing a salami or proscuettio or something too.

I would love to hear any ideas, failures, successes.... Any place you prefer to get your supplies?

Thanks for your help

[Inor]

I have been making fresh and smoked sausages for about 5 years now.

The absolute best place to buy supplies and equipment is:

https://www.meatprocessingproducts.com/

They are not the cheapest. But they have GREAT customer service and the stuff they sell is commercial quality.

I suggest you get a really good sausage stuffer, I have a LEM 15 pound piston style stuffer. As for the grinder, I just bought a cheap $50 grinder/stuffer attachment for Mrs Inor's KitchenAid mixer. It works great as a grinder and not worth a damn as a stuffer. Although I do have LEM hand mixer as well, that is certainly not necessary for just getting started.

When you are first getting started, I suggest you start with something simple like summer sausage, breakfast sausage and kielbasa. Those are all really easy and almost alway turn out great. Do not be afraid to experiment with the recipes either. I found using a 50/50 mixture of bourbon and water instead of just water for mixing in the spices adds a really nice smoked flavor.

Also, DO NOT start out using natural casings! Natural casings do produce a better final product, but they are a SERIOUS pain in the ass to work with! For your first 5-10 batches, just use the collagen casings. They are MUCH easier to work with until you get a feel for how tight to stuff the sausages.

On salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, etc. those are fermented, not cooked (by heat). They are not difficult to make but you have to be VERY careful to make sure they are fully fermented before you eat them. As far as where you ferment them, it just needs to be dry and dark. Also, I do them strictly by weight. I weigh them when I stuff them and write the weight on the casing. I do not even think of eating them until they have lost at least 18% of their weight.

The website I linked also has the cultures for making fermented meats, but I STRONGLY suggest you get some experience with the easy cooked sausages and then do your own research on fermenting meat before you try the others. But if you have the interest, DO JUMP INTO IT WITH BOTH FEET! It is a hobby, like making beer or cheese that pays huge dividends.

[Infidel]

I've made a bunch of sausage over the years, both smoked and fresh. I enjoy it but usually use seasoning packets from LEM. The packets simplify the process a bit so they're great when you're just starting out. If you go with the packets cut back a bit on the meat (4lbs for a 5lb mix, 20lbs for a 25lb mix) this will give your sausage a better flavor. I went the opposite route Inor did, I bought a good grinder and all the attachments for it to stuff sausage casings, this works fine for what I use it for, I stuff probably 50lbs a year when I actually get to take a deer or 2. Breakfast sausage I don't stuff as I like patties and find sheep casing which are smaller than hog casings to be a royal pain in the ass. I use natural hog casings for everything else, I have never cared for collagen cases although they are a bit easier to work with and require a lot less prep than natural casings. Stuffing cases off the grinder is all about how fast you feed the case off the tube. Go too fast and you'll have air pockets in the sausage, go too slow and the casings will be so tight they'll split when you twist them. You'll split a bunch of casings starting out but once you figure it out you'll get pretty good at it and split almost none of them.

I have never made any of the dry cured stuff like salami or pepperoni, truth is I don't have any place that I could control the climate enough here to make it without molding.

-Infidel

[hawgrider]

I use hawg casings and stuff right from my LEM #8 with the foot switch easy for one man operation with consistent results.

I mostly make fresh sausage and brats.

[Coppertop]

Thanks guys. This is exactly what I was needing

[Inor]

Hawg/Infidel -

Another thing I have taken to doing the last couple years is, rather than twisting off 8 inch links for Polish Sausage, Brats etc., I have been stuffing 3 or even 4 foot long sausages. I roll them into a circle when I grill them, then just chop them off to fit the buns. They look like shit, but they taste better and are juicier.

There is always about a half inch of meat near the twist that gets dry when you grill it. This way, you only get 2 dry ends.

Thoughts/ideas?

[hawgrider]

Hawg/Infidel -

Another thing I have taken to doing the last couple years is, rather than twisting off 8 inch links for Polish Sausage, Brats etc., I have been stuffing 3 or even 4 foot long sausages. I roll them into a circle when I grill them, then just chop them off to fit the buns. They look like shit, but they taste better and are juicier.

There is always about a half inch of meat near the twist that gets dry when you grill it. This way, you only get 2 dry ends.

Thoughts/ideas?

I usually tie off the starting end then twist them. I dont mind the crispy ends. Have you tried the hog nose rings? You could try tying off both ends with butchers string.

[Inor]

I usually tie off the starting end then twist them. I dont mind the crispy ends. Have you tried the hog nose rings? You could try tying off both ends with butchers string.

I have done both the hog rings and the butcher's twine. Both work. I just do not like the dried out ends if I can avoid it. So when you visit us, plan on sausages cut at a perfect 90 degree angle. (Yes, I actually square them.)

[Infidel]

Try par boiling in beer before grilling, throw an onion in if you like. Cheap beer works fine for this and you'll never again have to eat dry sausage unless you get distracted while grilling, they take no time at all to grill up also. I've even been known to use water in a pinch for par boiling although boiling brats in beer & onions is the best way to go.

I've seen your method done with Italian sausage, I actually think that's the traditional way to make it but I could be wrong. Never seen it done with Brats though although I'm sure it has been. I like a crispy, snappy casing so the end doesn't bother me at all.

[Deebo]

I have done both the hog rings and the butcher's twine. Both work. I just do not like the dried out ends if I can avoid it. So when you visit us, plan on sausages cut at a perfect 90 degree angle. (Yes, I actually square them.)

And baddass BBQ Ribs...