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Bagged Sausage

Category: Main Course

Author: The Savvybearcat

Date: 1/1/2007

Rating:

(3.0) by 1 users

Ingredients:

SEE DIRECTIONS:

Instructions:

I love the unique flavor of aged pork sausage. I have even put the 2
pound plastic wrapped bags of store sausage in the refrigerator for
about 3 weeks to let them age. This is probably a risky practice but
it has worked in a pinch. The risk with any aged sausage is botulism
(literally "sausage sickness", if that gives you a hint). By sealing
the casing with fat, anearobic conditions are created. During natural
aging, it is not unusual for meat to be in the "danger zone" at least
part of the time. If botulism organisms are present and can out grow
the benign aging organisms, a lethal product results. The good news
is that both the organism and the toxin are destroyed by ordinary
(160 deg. F.) cooking temperatures.

Many years ago, my father and grandmother taught me how to make and
age bagged sausage. It is hung in the garage or shed or smokehouse
for several weeks and the aging conditions are dependent upon the
weather, therefore, every batch is a different experience. The trick
is to get the full flavor without letting it get too strong. I have
never had any spoil. This past winter I accidently re-discovered the
value of smoke as an effective preservative.

Usually, we let the bags hang without smoking. We keep sampling until
we like the flavor then freeze what we won't eat within a couple of
weeks. Last winter we put up 66 bags weighing 2.5 pounds each! Before
they attained a real good flavor, we had a serious cold snap with
lows in the single digits. Afraid that the sausage and the meat in
cure would freeze, I cut a green hickory tree and built a smoking
fire on the dirt floor of the smokehouse. I had a lot of trouble
getting the kindling started and threw a few extra oak slabs on to
get things hot enough for the hickory to catch. It was too cold to
hang around and watch the fire. When I checked on it about three
hours later, thick smoke was pouring from the eaves. On opening the
doors I found a lively fire, heavy smoke and the temperature was up
to 120 deg. F. The sausage was dripping fat and condensate was
dripping from the roof. I managed to keep the fire smouldering for
the next two days but I was afraid I had oversmoked during that first
day. The sausage had a strong (not unpleasant but definitly dominant)
smoke flavor). I sampled sausage over the next month and it was not
getting that familiar aged flavor; nor was it going bad. It was very
good but not what I was used to. In addition to being an excellent
breakfast sausage, it was fantasic on pizza (even dominating
anchovies) and made a killer spaghetti sauce. I finally froze most of
the bags but kept a few back to see what would happen. It is now
June; twenty weeks after we hung the sausage. I still have one bag
hanging and one that I am using! There is no sign of spoilage and the
taste and aroma is indescribable. I just fried some up to make sure
it was still good - it's wonderful; kinda like the best lebanon
raised to the third power! Next year I will try stopping the aging
process with smoke after it is ripe.

Bagged Sausage:

25 lb Fresh pork sausage, seasoned
10 Sausage bags

Use only freshly ground seasoned pork sausage. If seasoned with a
commercial mix, add extra sage to taste (we test fry samples as we
season). Make bags of cotton feed bags or unbleached muslin. Cut
rectangles 8" X 16" and stitch bottom and side allowing 1/4" for
seams resulting in a 3 3/4" finished bag. Soak bags in water. Stuff
sausage by hand and squeeze down hard so as to eliminate air and
squeeze fat through bag (some people waxed them). Twist end tight,
tie and hang in cool place (smoke house or garage) until distinctive
aged flavor develops. Do not allow to freeze during aging.
Temperatures should average in mid 30's; 38 is ideal. Weather with
lows in upper 20's and highs in low 40's will age sausage in 3 to 4
weeks. If warm, check to see that sausage is not getting too strong
or spoiling. May be cold smoked for 24 hours or longer at less than
100F using hickory or apple wood. Always cook aged sausage to well
done. Do not wrap in plastic to store in refrigerator because of
mold. Seal cut end with grease and store uncovered or hang.

Recipe By : dgill@ccsinc.com