You know the old saying: "No one wants to see how the sausage gets made?" Well, get ready. A new book, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Sauage Making, shows people how to make the tasty meats in their homes. One of the book's authors, Jeff King, joins us on Chicago Tonight at 7:00 pm to show us how it's done. Check out a few of the recipes from the book below.
All-American Hot Dogs
Meaty and fresh, this tastes like an upscale version of what you get at the ballpark.
Yield: 12 (5-ounce) links; Prep time: 60 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes; Serving size: 1 link4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. cure powder #1
2 TB. dry yellow mustard
1 TB. paprika
1 tsp. ground black pepper
2 tsp. ground mace
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. ground celery seeds
5 lb. boneless beef chuck, with all visible fat removed
2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 cup ice water
20 ft. sheep casing or 24 mm hot dog collagen casing1. In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, cure powder #1, dry yellow mustard, paprika, black pepper, mace, garlic powder, coriander, and celery seeds. Set aside.
2. Cut beef into cubes for grinding. Grind mixture through a fine plate twice (see Chapter 4). Store in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer until you're ready for the next step.
3. Add spice mix and liquid smoke to ground meat and mix with your hands until spices are evenly dispersed. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer until you're ready for the next step.
4. In small batches, puree mixture in a food processor for about 3 minutes or until smooth, adding ice water in small amounts as needed. The consistency should be completely uniform when finished.
5. Mix together all batches in case there is any variation between batches.
6. Make a test patty, cook it, taste it, and adjust seasonings as necessary.
7. Chill mixture in a covered container in the refrigerator until you're ready for the next step.
8. Stuff mixture in natural or collagen casing (see Chapter 4). Refrigerate in a covered container for 2 hours to cure.
9. Place hot dogs in a large pot over medium-low heat and completely cover with water. Simmer in 200°F water until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Refrigerate hot dogs until you're ready to reheat and eat.Variation: If you want to smoke the hot dogs to create a traditional frankfurter, omit liquid smoke and follow your smoker's instructions.
Sweet Italian Sausage
Although fennel seed is used in many Italian sausage recipes, the larger quantity in this recipe, along with sugar, teases out the sweetness in the pork.
Yield: 15 (5-ounce) links; Prep time: 60 minutes; Cook time: 30 minutes; Serving size: 1 link2 ½ TB. kosher salt
1 TB. sugar
1 ½ TB. ground black pepper
2 TB. fennel seed, whole or cracked
1 tsp. sweet Spanish paprika
½ tsp. garlic powder
5 lb. boneless pork shoulder with
up to ½ lb. additional fat
¾ cup ice water
10 ft. hog casing or 32 mm collagen casing1. In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, sugar, black pepper, fennel seed, sweet Spanish paprika, and garlic powder. Set aside.
2. Cut pork into cubes for grinding and place in a large mixing bowl or hotel pan.
3. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer until you're ready for the next step. Chill mixture for at least 30 minutes to improve grinding quality.
4. Grind mixture through a medium plate (see Chapter 4).
5. Add ice water to ground meat. Using your hands or a tabletop mixer, mix until the texture is consistent, about 5 minutes.
6. Make a test patty, cook it, taste it, and adjust seasonings as necessary.
7. Chill mixture in a covered container in the refrigerator or freezer until you're ready for the next step.
8. Stuff mixture in hog or collagen casing (see Chapter 4).
View the map below to find local stores that sell natural casing in the area.
Map created by Callaway Fellow Michell Eloy
