Sausage Braiding

[salchichero]

Hello,

I'm new to the sausage braiding idea and would like to know what it is really for. Can sausages be smoked while in their braid? Or is the woven triple link just a space saver in cold storage?

 

[DanMcG]

Don't braid them if they are going to be smoked. When smoking sausage you don't want the sausages touching each other, any area touching something won't get smoke.

 

[salchichero]

Thanks for the reply. I'm working on some snak stix. Using 19mm edible collagen casings. I guess I could leave them in ropes to smoke and then cut them to size when they are cooled, right?

 

[pipesdaddy]

At first think that whether you want to braide or smoke them. if you want to smoke them, it is necessary to set them apart.
 

 

[salchichero]

Thanks for the advise. I still wonder what good braiding does then. Must be for steaming or poaching or something. That seems like a lot of work if its only for looks!

 

[DanMcG]

Actually braiding is a fast and simple way to link them. Well once you get the hang of it.

 

[DanMcG]

Check out the video Ross posted in this old thread.
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/103413/linking-in-threes

 

[vargard]

When I stuff "prinskorv" a Christmas sausage here in Sweden. I have to braid them. Normaly I do 250 of them (5kg)  if I dont braid them they will take to much space in the smoker.

IMG_0043.jpg

• vargard
• Dec 21, 2012

The size of each sausage is 7cm long and stuffed in 19mm casing.

I made 20 kg of them this weekend so I do not think they will run out before Christmas.

Merry Christmas and a happy new year from Sweden

 

[mike johnson]

Wow those look GREAT..

 

[salchichero]

Wow Vargard, Those look awesome! So you go ahead and smoke them while they're braided? Do you have any problems with uneven smoke where the sausages touch each other? Also, are you willing to share the recipe? I've never heard of "prinskorv", but they look tasty!

 

[vargard]

Many thanks!
Yes. You allways braid "prinskorv" before smoking as this is the only way to tie so many small sausages. A big advantage is that you do not need to use a string instead using casings to link with. Although commercial "prinskorv" are braided and smoked in this way.

IMG_0431.jpg

• vargard
• Dec 22, 2012

A picture from the newspaper this morning. You see that prinskorv is a big issue in Sweden around christmas :-)

There are spaces between the sausages that are not smoked, but it is not a problem, a "prinskorv should look like this.
I am happy to share the recipe, 'll just translate it correctly using the goggle translation ;-)
I will return as soon as I am satisfied with the translation.

 

[DanMcG]

thanks Vargard!

 

[diggingdogfarm]

I sometimes do just a double 'braid' when smoking wieners. To save space in the smoker.
It's real easy.......

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

~Martin

 

[vargard]

I know it's not the season for "Prinskorv" but it was a while since I stuffed sausage, so yesterday it was time.

IMG_0566.jpg

• vargard
• May 19, 2013

Finally I also have completed translating the recipe so here goes.
to 5kg sausage you need.
1.2 kg minced pork
1.0 kg minced backfat
0.4 kg minced veal
0.4 kg minced beef
217gr potato flour
80gr salt with nitrit
50gr sugar
145gr milk powder
1.4 liters of ice-cold water
2 pinches of ground dried ginger
2 pinches of ground white pepper
1 pinch of ground nutmeg

Mix all the meat with salt, potato flour and spices. Dilute with milk powder and add the backfat. Mix everything in 10 minutes before diluting with the cold water. Just pour in a little water at a time, imagine that you should make mayonnaise. It will not be good if you pour in all the oil at once, just take it easy.
Fill the mixture into 19-21mm casings, braid as it looks in the picture. smoke the sausages for 1-2 hours until they are nicely browned at 80-85°C, and then simmer them for 20 minutes in 80°C salted water with whole white peppercorns and bay leaf.
I guess this recipe is very similar to ordinary frankfurter and it probably is too.

 

[rexlan]

Does not add up to 5kg .... ?

 

[vargard]

Ok. 4,892kg :-)

And the weight also decreases after you have simmer the sausage, you dont get more then 4,3-4,5kg prinskorv. 250-280st

 

[rexlan]

So you have 3kg of meat and 2kg of inert ingredients (mostly water)?

 

[black]

-

 

[rexlan]

What ?????

So when you make sausage your ingredients are 100% meat and that's it????
 

Nope ... do the math ... it only adds up to 3kg of meat ~ 60%.  Most sausage will add up to ~ 95% or more on the meat end of things ... at least the sausage I make and hopefully eat.

However, if you take that 3kg of meat and add 12 kg of hay or straw to it then you have 19.66 kg of sausage ... which works out to roughly 133% meat ...............

 

[vargard]

yes.

It is not an exclusive sausage. only tasty.