Dry Sausage Help!

[gooden123]

Hey all,

Are there any remedies for cooking homemade sausage in sheep casings that are dry? Wrap in fatty bacon, maybe? I tried sous vide 150* for 45 mins to sample and it's pretty much chalk. Going to be made appetizer style. Thanks!

*I think I know where I went wrong making the sausage itself. Pork shoulder wasn't fatty enough and didn't add any backfat. Other than that for 5# meat I had 1/2 c + 2 tbsp liquid (50/50 lime juice/ice water and 2 tbsp fish sauce). 6mm grind stuffed in sheep. Everything kept about 36* start to finish.

 

[archeryrob]

Most pork butt should have 25 - 30% fat on it and be perfect. Did you buy it trimmed first? Is so, that is the problem. I made some that was 13% once and it was clumpy and dry.

 

[TomKnollRFV]

Well I'm going out on a limb here for an idea but..

Why not just do it up like cocktail weenies if it's for an App? Serve them in some sauce. Nothing to elaborate, just enough to add a little more flavour and help keep them moist? Otherwise, I'd say save the batch that is to dry for stew..

Oh! Why not use it in a sausage dip?

 

[chopsaw]

Did you buy it trimmed first? Is so, that is the problem.

I would agree with that , but also thinking the liquid may have hurt the out come .

 

[gooden123]

Archeryrob yes it was trimmed. That is the most probable problem but I'm just trying to save it.

Thanks TomKnollRFV. Yeah I had no actual plans as to how I was going to serve it so that will all probably work!

 

[BGKYSmoker]

The lime juice is the culprit here. It pretty much made the fat dry out.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Look for an Asian Market. Mae Ploy makes a tasty Thai Sweet Chile Dipping Sauce. In the Asian section of grocery store you may find the Thai Kitchen brand. Not bad but the Mae Ploy is better. Add a side of Hot Mustard too. Mix equal parts Mustard Powder, Cole man's is best but McCormick is ok, and Water. Let rest to develop full heat. Warn guests, a little goes A LONG WAY!...JJ

 

[smokininthegarden]

Nepas, is right, adding an acid to raw meat can cause all kinds of undesirable things to happen.
And of course keep the fat level 20% or more and maybe consider a binder. If you want the flavor of
the lime in your sausage consider marinating the links after they have been cooked.

Cal

 

[gooden123]

Wow thanks everyone for your suggestions. Love this forum. This is the recipe for the sausage. Followed it perfectly only used sheep casings and not hog. His sausages usually kick ass although I'm not surprises the acid and lack of fat is the culprit. Just didn't even think anything of the lime juice

https://honest-food.net/wild-game/w...oar-charcuterie/hmong-sausage-with-wild-boar/

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Hank makes some dang good sausages.
IMHO i would have used the lime juice with the soaking water for the casings, but that just me.

 

[gooden123]

Nepas that is a great idea! Flavor wise this is one of my favorites from Hank. I like ginger, garlic and chilies. So next time if I were to do as you said, would you just replace the 1/4 c lime juice in the grind with some other liquid (all ice water for that matter)?

 

[indaswamp]

Nepas that is a great idea! Flavor wise this is one of my favorites from Hank. I like ginger, garlic and chilies. So next time if I were to do as you said, would you just replace the 1/4 c lime juice in the grind with some other liquid (all ice water for that matter)?

I would say yes, just replace the liquid with either cold water or ice.