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Pastimes : Got A Great Recipe To Share???? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: PatiBob who wrote (4943)	6/30/2001 7:46:21 PM
From: William H Huebl	Read Replies (5) \| Respond to of 25073

Right! And do try some apple - chicken sausage... made some this morning. I have found some things which can save you time... been there, done that (the apple sausage took about 1 1/2 hours which is FAST compared to my first tries): - always have a dishpan at least 1/2 full of warm water. It is so messy, I find I need lots of water to wash stuff with throughout the process. On the last stuffing step, I put cold water in it! - get a large hole large salt shaker. The holes must be at least 1/8 inch... mine is 1/4 inch. It is plastic and will hold about 1/2 cup. Before you even start grinding the meat, mix the spices, salt, pepper and whatever (no liquids, please) and put it in the salt shaker... mine is plastic. - get at least 4 flat covered plastic (tub) containers... I got the 8 cup (1 quart) size... you could go 10 or 12 cups ok. They are invaluable right from the beginning of the process: - when you start, you cut up the meat so your grinder can handle it... I use a tub or 2 for that. I either put spices on THEN, spacing it out over all the meat, or later as below. I usually use regular bowls for other ingredients like onions. - as I grind the meat into the tubs, I fill the tub about 1/4 full then sprinkle some of the spices on it... this is why the spices need to be mixed up at first. - as the tub fills, I continue to add spices at every 1/4th or so until finished. - as I finish a tub, I put it in the freezer, uncovered, immediately. - when I finish the grinding (I usually do 2 grindings with large disk first and then the smaller one 2nd), I have time to clean-up well as the ground meat is in the freezer... just where you want it. - then I get a huge bowl ready (usually the biggest one I have) and take the ground meat from the freezer. Then I layer meat, other ingredients and liquid ( ALWAYS use at least 1 cup of ice cold water with the meat. I usually have some cold stock in the fridge to use) and it may go for 3 or 4 layers. - the fun begins here as you moosh (that is a new technical sausage-making term you need to use) the ground meat and other layers together so it is mixed thoroughly. Unless you are making a Boudin or other paste sausage, DO NOT use an electric mixer here as it will change the final consistency. - finally, I divide the mooshed up stuff into the two or so tubs and put it back in the freezer. Here is the chance to clean up stuff you missed the first time. I clean my grinder thoroughly and re-assemble it. I clean all my work surfaces and also put everything I don't need away or in the dishwasher to run (I may do several dishwashings when I make sausage as there are so many dishes and containers involved). - I fine grind here as above and then clean again. - Next, I set up for the stuffing. If your new unit will handle it, you could actually do the stuffing on the last grind. Mine will not hold both the grinding disks and the stuffer tube. Again, making sure everything is clean, I put the casing on the tube. It is good to count the "waves" you put on there as it will help you figure out in the future how much casing to put on the tube. I put COLD clean water in the dishpan (remember, I ended up cleaning everything each grinding) and then I pull the sausage tube off the machine and hold it to the running water over the dishpan. Slowly I work the casing OFF the tube with water running through it until just a few inches are left on the tube. I turn off the water and carefully slide the casing back on again, now that it is clean and put it back on the machine. - then I stuff the casing according to the directions... BUT I RUN THE SAUSAGE INTO THE DISHPAN. In that way, the water supports the sausage and, unless you have a VERY dry stuffing, it will re-distribute itself throughout the entire casing. When I am almost at the end but have a wave or 2 of casing still on the tube, I stop, tie off the end either close to the meat in the sausage, or further down near the end if the sausage is packed too tightly in the casing. Then, using my hands (who said this wasn't fun?) I redistribute the meat over the entire length. - then I pick up the entire sausage length - I gather it in several loops - and lay it on a huge cutting board I have. Then I turn the various sausage areas to make the sausage links. If it is a Boudin or other paste sausage (like the chicken apple I made this afternoon) I put it into boiling stock and turn it off immediately. Gradually I bring the heat up so it is barely simmering and let the sausage cook for 1/2 hour or so... not too high a temp or it will burst! - then I wash it off, put it in tub(s) and put in fridge. - and clean up! And run the dishwasher. Again. I know this is long, but I just wanted you to know what I do to keep things as clean and short as possible. ENJOY. The chicken-apples is worth it. And so is the Andouille. And so is the Country sausage. And, and, and...