First time Potato Sausage. Worked for the most part: "Asking for Help " Lots of pictures

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DRKsmoking

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Jan 27, 2021
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Middle Sackville, Nova Scotia ,Canada
Morning Folks, as I stated I made Potato Sausage ( it goes by a few names ) But I am giving credit to Victor from Taste of Artisan as this is his recipe and I was asking him some questions before I made it.

First time to ever make any kind of sausage and use any casing , so of coarse I'm a little nervous and Victor says to stuff by hand , or just not with a grinder stuffer as it would make everything too wet ( potatoes )

So here it goes , Followed it to a " T " and made it his way, It tastes very nice . Maybe a little too much salt , but that is my fault as the ground pork ( Johnsonville ) was flavored and I added the extra salt he mentioned if using the optional meat.

I got all the ingredients together cooked the bacon cut the potatoes , onions cup of fresh herbs and the raw ground pork and added some of my Back Bacon. Than steam for 1 hour, than fry on all sides to add some color. That is when I was going to smoke with Hickory to add more flavor. The smoking did not happen as you will see. There was not enough to smoke when I was finished. So when I make again and I will, if it works I will smoke it than.

I had a blow out while it was steaming, I brought the water to a boil turned down so it just kept steaming placed the first big ring in and covered and steamed for 1 hour at about 35 minute mark it started to crack. S not sure why and that ius where I need some help

- Has anyone steamed hog casings before or made this sausage this way.
- Did I maybe have a small hole that i did not notice and it just went like a zipper while cooking
- Was it too hot in the steamer( but the second batch did not break) but it was smaller links

Thanks for any help and now here is the process in pictures

Thanks for looking

David



Here are the ingredients and mixed
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All stuffed and ready for the bath in the steamer, here is what I used to steam with large pot with steamer insert . I did cover while steaming
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Here is what the first coil looked like after the hour in the steamer, maybe a little hole before it went in steamer, or too hot in pot ? Not sure as the links were ok
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The links steamed ok and than I fried them for a little more color They are fine. But next time I might grate the potatoes to give a little better consistency in the mix, as you can see in the close up of the cut link
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When life gives you lemons Make lemonade. So I removed the split casing and just used the mix as a breakfast hash....still good eats , just not what I wanted.
So I fried it up and had Breakfast Supper. Couple eggs and a link and tomato, not bad for supper

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So in closing if anyone has an answer for me about why the casing split I would love to hear it, Thank you
I will be trying this again and I will be changing the recipe to now suit my tastes, ( And Mona did like this cook and also found it just a touch too salty )

And thanks for making it to the end, I will look for the reasons why the casings failed , Thanks

David
 

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I don't believe I've ever heard of these. And they look absolutely delicious. Even the failed ones look great. Nice recovery!
 
Thanks Steve for the like and the comment

Yes I just came across them and the picture looked great so I had to try. Yes and they were tasty and yes also good as just a hash. lol
I will do again once I figure out why they split Will with different fillers for other flavors

David
 
Looks good, most of the time casing will split if over cooked, may also depend on quality if casing used. You could put some pin holes in the casing also to let some grease escape.
 
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Looks good, most of the time casing will split if over cooked, may also depend on quality if casing used. You could put some pin holes in the casing also to let some grease escape.
Thanks Jim for the like and the comment
OK , so a small pine hole will not tear into bigger holes , I was also thinking that maybe the potatoes just expanded too much, but I guess not as the links were fine

Thanks Jim

David
 
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I'm wondering if the steaming process may have caused the potatoes to swell enough to split the casings?

Lol! I was typing the same thing!
 
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I've seen the recipes , but never made any , but I think the potatoes are pre cooked .
Those do look good though . Hash in a tube .
See if JC in GB JC in GB will jump in here . I think he makes it .
 
- Has anyone steamed hog casings before or made this sausage this way.
- Did I maybe have a small hole that i did not notice and it just went like a zipper while cooking
- Was it too hot in the steamer( but the second batch did not break) but it was smaller links
If the temperature of the steam is over 180*, the casing can degraded too much from the heat and rupture. Also, looking at your stuffed casing pictures, couple might have been overstuffed just a tad...

Also, if the potatoes were raw, they will swell with water upon cooking and can stretch the casings.

It is always good to understuff the casings if you are going to twist into links. You can always just twist more to plump the sausages and tighten them up.

As has been mentioned, quality casings do make a difference. Were the ones you used dry and packed in salt or were they packed in a wet brine? The small quantities, or 'home packs' as they are called usually come packed dry in salt and are short ends and cutoffs where a hole was removed sorting casings for hanks.
 
The Sausage looks great. Reminds my of Hog Maw, roasted potato and sausage stuffed Pigs Stomach.
First impression on the blow out was Air in the sausage from the very coarse filling. It may still have been and issue combined with a weak casing. Pricking the sausage in several places releases air.
Seeing the Casing you used is a telling possibility. Many of those little Home Pack bags of casing are made up of Rejects and odd size lengths from the makers of commercial casing. I too can not recommend Syracuse Casing enough. They have a variety of sizes, are top quality and their Tubed Casing saves the aggravation of finding the opening and sliding a couple feet of casing on the horn. The tube slides easily on the horn , hold back the casing and remove the plastic tube. Takes seconds to load...JJ
 
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In his recipe for Swedish Potato Sausage Rytec recommends grinding the meat and taters then mixing all the spices and other ingredients, and grinding it a second time thru a 3/8" plate. Also says to use 35-38mm hog casings. Bigger casing, less air in it, just might work. RAY
 
David, those look really, really good. I'd be all over making a batch of those. Gonna copy and paste this recipe. No work tomorrow and have been wondering what I was gonna do. I think I know now :emoji_wink:

Robert
 
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I would par boil the potatoes then fully cool them.
Also if the water in the steamer was full boil, the temperature was over 200* that’s to hot. Steam was created inside the casing and the pressure built until it split the casing. Much the same as if you grill them over high heat for to long, they split. Lower the temp and try that. You only need 155* IT.
Otherwise those look incredible! I’m hungry now.
 
I make potato sausage all the time. I never steam mine. Just cook them on the grill. Stores sell diced potatoes in a can that are just a perfect size. That's what i use. Maybe your potatoes are too large. Hash looks great.
 
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