You already know that sausages are tasty and go well on sandwiches with a lot of your favorite sauce. They also taste great with mashed potatoes and gravy. But do you know what sausages are made of?
Im sure youve heard the horror stories, right? Theres eyeballs, and feet, and all-sorts in sausage, you know?. Absolutely WRONG. Lets clear up this misinformation.
First of all, lets define what exactly a sausage is, for anyone whos unaware. A sausage is a cylinder-shaped piece of ground pork or other meat wrapped in a skin that is usually sold raw so that it can be grilled or fried before eating. “.
Sausages are a beloved staple in many cuisines around the world While pork and chicken are commonly used, did you know that beef can also be made into tasty sausage? In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what cut of beef is used to make sausage, and why it’s a good choice
Chuck and Brisket – The Most Common Cuts for Beef Sausage
The most common cuts of beef used for sausage are chuck roast and brisket. Chuck comes from the cow’s neck and shoulder area. It contains a good amount of fat, around 15-20%. Brisket comes from the chest area and also has a decent fat content.
When making sausage, you want a nice balance of fat and lean meat. Too much fat can make the sausage greasy, while too little fat can make it dry and crumbly. The marbling of fat and muscle in chuck and brisket provides an ideal ratio for juicy, flavorsome sausage.
Why Use Chuck and Brisket for Sausage?
There are a few reasons why chuck and brisket work so well:
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Fat content – As mentioned, these cuts have just the right amount of fat for sausage making. This ensures a moist texture and allows the meat to retain moisture during cooking.
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Flavor – Chuck and brisket come from hard-working areas of the cow, so the meat has a bold beefy flavor. This comes through beautifully in the sausage.
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Cost – Chuck and brisket are less expensive cuts. Using them for sausage helps reduce costs compared to pricier cuts like ribeye or tenderloin.
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Texture – When ground, the meat has an ideal, sausage-like texture. It’s not too tough or too mushy.
Grinding and Mixing the Meat
Chuck and brisket are naturally tougher cuts due to their extensive exercise during the cow’s life. This makes them perfect for ground and processed meats like sausage.
The meat is run through a grinder to break down the muscle fibers into a loose mix. Seasonings like salt, pepper, sage, and other spices are blended in. Some recipes also include a small amount of beef fatback to enrich the sausage.
The ground meat mixture is stuffed into casings, twisted into links, and cooked. The cooking process helps melt the fat and further tenderize the meat.
The Benefit of Blended Sausage
Many sausage makers use a blend of brisket and chuck. The chuck provides beefy flavor while the brisket contributes tenderness.
About 75% chuck to 25% brisket is a good mix, but ratios can be adjusted according to taste. Some recipes also blend in a small portion of sirloin or round for a leaner sausage.
Trying Beef Sausage at Home
If you’ve only had pork or chicken sausage before, trying a beef sausage variety can be an exciting new experience. Chuck and brisket sausage has a hearty beef flavor that is satisfying.
Look for beef sausage at your local butcher shop or make your own at home. Grinding and seasoning the meat yourself lets you control the flavors and quality. Beef sausage can be enjoyed for breakfast, in casseroles, atop pizza, and more.
So next time you’re looking for a change from regular breakfast sausage, give beef a try. With its bold flavor and juicy texture when cooked properly, you may just find a new favorite.
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Meat content of sausage
A good breakfast sausage should have around a 55% pork content or more. This is how sausage has always been made to keep costs low because it is a cheap food item. This is ideal as is produces a nice texture thats not too heavy or gritty. This kind of sausage is usually put inside collagen casings, which help make sure that the size and shape are all the same. This is great for making a lot of them at once and keeping track of costs, etc.
A premium sausage should be around 75% pork or more. This makes a nice, meaty sausage that is great for bangers and mash, a fancy breakfast, or great hotdogs on the grill. This style of sausage would usually be filled in to natural skins and hand linked into portions. Just like the sausage you see hanging in butchers shops etc. These are much thicker, and thus take much longer to cook. Share Link.
What is a binder?
A binder is something used in the recipe to help bring the meat, and other ingredients together. Without a binder, the sausage is likely to break apart, leaving it with a rough, gritty texture that would be unpleasant to eat. Most sausages are bound with rusk, but gluten-free sausages are often bound with other things, like rice flour.
Rusk is mainly made up of wheat flour, which is fortified with calcium carbonate, iron, niacin, and thiamin. It also contains salt, and ammonium bicarbonate, which is used to aid the production process.
Eggs Bacon Grits SAUSAGE
FAQ
What part of the body is sausage?
What is sausage meat made of?
Is sausage made with pig intestine?
What makes up a beef sausage?
Of course, beef is only one part of what makes up a beef sausage. The next element to consider is the sausage skin, which can come in the form of natural casings (made from the lining of sheep, cow or pig intestines) or edible collagen casings (derived from processed cow and pig hides).
Is sausage casing healthier option to eat?
Cellulose casings and some natural casings are perfectly fine to eat. Sausage casings are used to hold and shape filling inside so that it can be cooked. There are natural sausage casings and synthetic varieties, and most of them are edible. The healthiest way to cook them is by boiling or baking. Sausages provide high levels of vitamin B12 and iron, both of which are essential for healthy red blood cells and hemoglobin production.
What are the different types of sausages?
Italian sausage: a spicy sausage made with pork, fennel, and red pepper flakes. Bratwurst: a German sausage made with pork, veal, or beef, and flavored with caraway seeds and nutmeg. Chorizo: a Spanish sausage made with pork, paprika, and garlic. Andouille: a Cajun sausage made with pork, garlic, and spices.
What kind of beef is used in Australian sausage?
Australia produces some of the finest beef in the world, including highly marbled, melt-in-your-mouth Wagyu and Angus beef, which can make for tender and delicious beef sausages. Whether the beef that makes up your sausage comes from cattle that were grass-fed or grain-fed will also affect its texture and flavour.