Mastering the Craft of Making Sausage by Warren R. Anderson Page B
Authors: Warren R. Anderson
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At 160° F (71° C)—or at 165° F (74° C) if the sausage contains bird meat—cooking should stop. Cooking beyond this point will cause the sausage to become increasingly dry and mealy. If excessive heat builds up in the casing, the casing might split open.
The information above provides a wealth of hints about the proper techniques for cooking. We can see, for example, that an important concern is the shrinkage of the meat that occurs from 140° F (60° C) until the cooking is finished; shrinkage is the primary cause of fluid loss. We can also see that overcooking will make the sausage dry and mealy, and may even cause the casing to split.
Another point that is perhaps less obvious is that the cooking heat surrounding the sausage should be as low as possible (just a little above the target temperature) to prevent overcooking of the sausage mixture just under the casing.
There is an important phenomenon related to the temperature of the cooking heat: The temperature at the center of the sausage will continue to rise even after it is removed from the heat source. This is caused by the fact (mentioned above) that the temperature of the sausage mixture just under the casing is higher than that at the center, and some of this heat will migrate to the center after the sausage is removed from the heat source.
The culinary jargon for this phenomenon is afterheat. What this means to us is that the sausage should be removed from the heat source before the internal temperature reaches the target temperature of 160° F (71° C)—or 165° F (74° C). The temperature at which the sausage should be removed from the heat source is dictated by many factors, so there is no formula to help make this decision. Two of the important factors are the temperature of the cooking heat and the diameter of the sausage. The higher the cooking heat temperature and the larger the diameter of the sausage, the greater the afterheat will be. For small-diameter sausages cooked with low heat, afterheat is so slight that it may be ignored.
Experience with your preferred cooking method and your favorite casing diameter for a particular sausage will allow you to make accurate predictions of the afterheat effect. In the beginning, record the sausage diameter. When the cooking temperature is known (when poaching, steaming, or roasting), record that as well. Remove the sausage from the heat when the internal temperature is between 155° F (68° C) and 160° F (71° C)—if your target is 160° F (71° C). The afterheat will likely bring the internal temperature to at least 160° F (71° C). If it is a little less than this target temperature, it is still safe to eat. If it begins to exceed the target temperature, try to arrest the afterheat with ice water if the casing is water resistant (unless it is to be eaten right away). The ice water helps to arrest afterheat, but it will not stop it immediately. The next time you cook the same diameter of sausage in the same way, you will be able to get closer to the target temperature.
Even if sausages are to be eaten soon after cooking, it is best to wait a few minutes after they are removed from the heat. When the sausages cool a few degrees, the muscle meat in the casing will begin to absorb some of the juices that had been squeezed out of the meat, but remain in the casing. As you probably know, roasted chickens, for example, should cool for 15 minutes or more before carving so that more juices will be retained; it is the same principle.
The method of cooking any specific kind of sausage is largely based on custom and personal preference. The various sausage-cooking methods are explained below. Cooking sausage by hot smoking will be discussed in Chapter 7.
Note: Sausage casings should never be pierced with a fork, or the like, before cooking.
COOKING BULK SAUSAGE
Bulk sausage is often used as an ingredient for pasta, rice, and potato dishes. It is also used in soups, stews, and sauces.
Place the bulk sausage
The information above provides a wealth of hints about the proper techniques for cooking. We can see, for example, that an important concern is the shrinkage of the meat that occurs from 140° F (60° C) until the cooking is finished; shrinkage is the primary cause of fluid loss. We can also see that overcooking will make the sausage dry and mealy, and may even cause the casing to split.
Another point that is perhaps less obvious is that the cooking heat surrounding the sausage should be as low as possible (just a little above the target temperature) to prevent overcooking of the sausage mixture just under the casing.
There is an important phenomenon related to the temperature of the cooking heat: The temperature at the center of the sausage will continue to rise even after it is removed from the heat source. This is caused by the fact (mentioned above) that the temperature of the sausage mixture just under the casing is higher than that at the center, and some of this heat will migrate to the center after the sausage is removed from the heat source.
The culinary jargon for this phenomenon is afterheat. What this means to us is that the sausage should be removed from the heat source before the internal temperature reaches the target temperature of 160° F (71° C)—or 165° F (74° C). The temperature at which the sausage should be removed from the heat source is dictated by many factors, so there is no formula to help make this decision. Two of the important factors are the temperature of the cooking heat and the diameter of the sausage. The higher the cooking heat temperature and the larger the diameter of the sausage, the greater the afterheat will be. For small-diameter sausages cooked with low heat, afterheat is so slight that it may be ignored.
Experience with your preferred cooking method and your favorite casing diameter for a particular sausage will allow you to make accurate predictions of the afterheat effect. In the beginning, record the sausage diameter. When the cooking temperature is known (when poaching, steaming, or roasting), record that as well. Remove the sausage from the heat when the internal temperature is between 155° F (68° C) and 160° F (71° C)—if your target is 160° F (71° C). The afterheat will likely bring the internal temperature to at least 160° F (71° C). If it is a little less than this target temperature, it is still safe to eat. If it begins to exceed the target temperature, try to arrest the afterheat with ice water if the casing is water resistant (unless it is to be eaten right away). The ice water helps to arrest afterheat, but it will not stop it immediately. The next time you cook the same diameter of sausage in the same way, you will be able to get closer to the target temperature.
Even if sausages are to be eaten soon after cooking, it is best to wait a few minutes after they are removed from the heat. When the sausages cool a few degrees, the muscle meat in the casing will begin to absorb some of the juices that had been squeezed out of the meat, but remain in the casing. As you probably know, roasted chickens, for example, should cool for 15 minutes or more before carving so that more juices will be retained; it is the same principle.
The method of cooking any specific kind of sausage is largely based on custom and personal preference. The various sausage-cooking methods are explained below. Cooking sausage by hot smoking will be discussed in Chapter 7.
Note: Sausage casings should never be pierced with a fork, or the like, before cooking.
COOKING BULK SAUSAGE
Bulk sausage is often used as an ingredient for pasta, rice, and potato dishes. It is also used in soups, stews, and sauces.
Place the bulk sausage
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