Back to basics with Sausage

 

Back to Basics. 

This photo may not be much to look at.  But it demonstrates a basic and very important concept in making sausages.  The bind of the meat. 

The bind refers to how well the meat stays together.  We check it with the farce in a raw stage.  The bind affects the cooked texture.  If you have not built up a sufficient bind the cooked sausage will be crumbly.

We create the bind by “working” the meat.  The action of working the meat is similar to kneading dough.  We are working a particular protein in the meat, myoglobin.  When we “knead” myoglobin it becomes sticky.  That stickiness is what binds the meat together. 

The farce in the picture is from a coarse ground pork and beef sausage that was hot smoked.  I am demonstrating; checking the bind by holding a small amount of farce in the palm of my hand and turning my hand so my palm is facing the down.  The farce needs to stay on my hand by itself, as you see in the photo, for at least 10 seconds.  This one passed the test easily!  If it had not, a little more “kneading” would have corrected the issue.

#Sausage, #Smoked_Sausage, #Pork_and_Beef, #Bind

 As always, your questions or comments are welcome.

Until next time, Bon Appetit Y'all!

Chef Leslie Bartosh