Hi Smoke Wranglers,
Let`s review just a few things and tie up some loose ends, just to make sure we understand them. It`s almost time to move on to the next topic in which you make your own sausage and place it into casings! When you stuff your "secret recipe" into a casing, you`ll need to know a little more about
anaerobic bacteria and
pathogenic bacteria, as oxygen is cut off from the meat by the casing... and the smoke. Within the "danger zone" and having moisture in the sausage mixture (nutrient), the FOUR requirements for optimum pathogenic bacteria growth are met! We MUST learn how to control this process so we don`t injure or even kill someone with the development of a toxin known as
clostridium botulinum.
Soon after, we will learn how to make a frankfurter - a hot dog - by adding mustard to the blend, "
emulsifying" the meat mixture, and then casing it without "
smearing". For the first time, we`ll
"prep cook" the sausage to destroy any possibility of
trichinella spiralis - a live nematode worm sometimes found in pork. Shucks pards, we`ll learn all sorts of little tricks to help you in the future and keep you healthy! So, tip yer` ol` Stetson cady back and pay attention to the FSIS rules as we discuss them. Make some terrific pork sausages
safely. We`ll crush all those bug critters determined to ruin your day!
Before we learn about
casing and
smoking, allow me to include just a few last words about proteins. Looking back, you`ve learned quite a bit about them, discovering that YOUR weight is about 15% proteins - large molecules made of hundreds of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen atoms. Broken down into smaller parts, science identifies specific "amino acids". Some understanding of the development of proteins (made of amino acids) is important when considering the modifications of the texture and other characteristics made within the meat.
There are 3 categories of meat proteins.
1.
Sarcoplasmic (plasma) - water soluble -
myoglobin - belongs to this group (gives meat its color)
2.
Myofibrillar (contractile) - salt soluble -
myosin and
actin - belong to this group (water-holding & emulsifying)
3.
Stromal (connective) - relatively insoluble -
collagen and
elastin - belong to this group (transmit movement)
1.
Sarcopolasmic proteins are found in intracellular fluid and compose 30% of total muscle protein. They contribute only 20% to binding ability and the isoelectric point of its molecules is low, although they do contribute to tenderization through postmortem glycolysis, effecting a pH change. Don`t be too hard on the sarcopalasmic proteins though, because they potentially add flavor contributions from a process known as "protein hydrolysis".
Myoglobin consists of a typical amino acid protein concentration responsible for color intensity in meat. It was biologically designed to hold oxygen, and then release it for energy metabolism, so... it binds oxygen somewhat temporarily, dramatically changing meat`s color. Below are a few typical concentrations:
poultry white muscle .05 mg/g
chicken thigh 1.8-2.0 mg/g
turkey thigh 2.5-3.0 mg/g
pork, veal 1.0-3.0 mg/g
beef 4.0-10.0 mg/g
old beef 15.0-20.0 mg/g
mechanically separated meat 0.08-3.0 mg/g
2.
Myofibrillar proteins are called the "contractile" proteins for the way they act upon muscle e.g. rigor mortis. Myofibrillar proteins are composed of 55% myosin - generally considered the single most important because of their long, highly-charged, "filament" molecule that is present in lean muscle. Actin and myosin are primarily responsible for creating the "sticky gel" that holds mixed, comminuted meat together. Note that these proteins are "salt soluble". When salt is added to the mixture, proteins develop rapidly as the texture becomes "sticky".
3.
Stromal proteins are in connective tissue and are primarily collagen, composing about 20 - 25% total body protein in the skin, sinews, tendons, etc. They are designed to transmit force to hold things together, thus they are generally tough and inert. Stromal proteins are of little or no value in processed meats as they have little binding ability. Further, as an animal ages, its meat becomes tougher due to the stromal protein`s unique make-up of 33% glycine and 10% hydroxyproline - responsible for non-charged or "non-polar" molecules having a minimally low isoelectric point. Stromal protein is generally considered a problem in processed meats and "high collagen meats" are often limited to 15 - 25% maximum, although chopped, ground, powdered collagen which can be dispersed, can be useful in forming a gel when heated. They may also be useful in retaining water and fat.
Spoilage Bacteria
Don`t confuse pathogenic bacteria with spoilage bacteria. Pathogenic bacteria cause illness. They grow rapidly in the "Danger Zone" at temperatures between 40 and 140 °F. and do not always affect the taste, smell, or appearance of food. Food that is left too long at unsafe temperatures could be dangerous to eat, but can smell and look just fine.
Campylobacter, Salmonella, and
E. coli O157:H7 are examples of pathogenic bacteria.
Spoilage bacteria reproduce at specific temperatures and some can grow at the low temperatures inside your refrigerator or even your freezer. Other spoilage bacteria grow well at room temperature and anywhere within the "Danger Zone." Bacteria will grow anywhere they have access to nutrients and water and under the correct conditions, spoilage bacteria may reproduce extremely rapidly in large populations. Spoilage bacteria can actually double their numbers in as little as 20 minutes and it doesn`t take long for a large number of microorganisms and their waste products to cause objectionable changes in odor, taste, and texture. P.U.
Brochotrix thermosphacta and
Pseudomonas spp. are examples of spoilage bacteria.
It`s All About The Temperature
Mesophilic bacteria (the largest and most common group) are those that grow best in moderate temperatures - about 70° to 98° F. but
mesophiles can also grow at only 45° degrees and up to 110° degrees, but they do so more slowly.
Some like it hot!
Thermophilic bacteria live and multiply best at approximately 130° degrees F. but can grow anywhere between 110° and 190° degrees F.
Psychrophilic bacteria grow from 32° to 90° degrees F. Most thrive at 50° to 70° degrees. Because they grow better NOT best than the
mesophilic bacteria at refrigerated temperatures--32 to 45 degrees--,
this group is most often responsible for spoilage in refrigerated foods.
Contrary to the belief of many people, cold or freezing does not always kill bacteria. Make no mistake! In most cases it just stops or slows down their growth. The FSIS rules require "extended freezing" with prescribed lengths of time at precise temperatures to slowly kill them. Also, bacteria need water to grow and even though some of them have the ability to resist long drying out periods, keeping things dry will stop growth and in some instances will kill them. Generally, bacteria responsible for spoilage of foods (
mesophilic and
psychrophiles) can be killed by hot water. Ten minutes at 150 degrees F. will be sufficient. However, there are some strains so resistant that germicides such as chlorine and quaternary ammonium compounds are required to control them.
Making your own sausage recipe
It really doesn`t take long to discover that the best sausage is made of meat, salt, and pepper only. Yet, just one or two favorite spices may add just the right personal touch to your project. Believe me, if you get carried away adding all sorts of spices and herbs, you`ll just have ten pounds of sausage you don`t want to eat and can`t give away! Why not fry up just a sample "test" paddy and keep meticulous notes?
Your recipe will need a bit of salt - un-iodized salt that is! About 1-1/2 to 2% in fresh sausage. It`s there to hold water, bind proteins, flavor the meat, firm the meat, and prevent loss of water when it is cooked. How much do you need? Weigh the meat in grams - for every 100 grams of meat, simply add 2 grams of salt.
Next, you may need to add some backfat to your sausage. Put in a total amount of about 25% for best results. Thirty percent is alright if you want just a bit more for smooth chewing texture, but I suggest avoiding two things - beef fat and fat content above 30%. By the way, did you know that your local grocery store butcher can legally put 50% fat in his sausage. (And we wonder where all the grease comes from in the bottom of the frying pan.)
Here are a few details you`ll appreciate as you consider making your own "soon to be famous" sausage:
- Mother nature made a curious occurrence by placing the hardest fats near the interior of the piggy. The further the distance from the center of the animal, the softer it becomes. Backfat is ideal. And, please use pork fat - that`s where the flavor is, believe me.
- Piper nigrum is pepper. Both white pepper and black pepper are grown by the same plant although black pepper is mostly used in fresh sausage. It is added in amounts varying from .1% to .4% in meat.
- Spices are the most controversial ingredients in sausage. The choices are actually more limited than you may believe as many spices just do not do well in sausage. An excellent guideline for their use is given in chapter 12 of "Home Production Of Quality Meats And Sausages" by Stan Marianski. Various cultures over time have given us "signature spices". For instance, the addition of marjoram and garlic are common in Polish sausages, while Italian sausage uses fennel. The addition of cayenne gives us hot Italian sausage, while Hungarian sausage uses sweet Hungarian paprika. Andouille is distinguished by the addition of thyme with garlic, and our delicious kabanosy is made using nutmeg and caraway. Which spice will be your secret ingredient? Or will you even have a secret ingredient?
In the next section, we`ll learn how to add the proper sodium nitrite cure in the right amount and then even smoke it. We`ll take your same recipe, add the cure, stuff the sausage into casings, and find that it changes the entire character of your sausage. Perhaps you`ll grill it, boil it, broil it or even bake it in smoke.
For now, make a "fresh" sausage. Your own! You can case it only if you cook it right away. Remember not to smoke it (without a cure being added). Please keep good notes and write down all the details. Take photos too. Show us some preparation steps as well as some finished on the plate. And give your sausage an original name! Who can tickle the taste buds with this project? Go team, go!
Right now, let's get ready to make our own by first reading some material. Please read the following pages about "smoking sausages and meat" by Stan Marianski. These articles contain pertinent and significant information.
http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage ... oking-meat
http://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage ... ed-sausage
http://www.meatsandsausages.com/meat-smoking
(to be continued)...
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon