Sausage Making (14 page)

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1.60 lb
  
• GRAMS: 748
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 54.95
  

Boneless beef round or sirloin (or a combination of cuts, about 95% lean, 5% fat), cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 0.80 lb
  
• GRAMS: 371
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 27.23
  

Finely chopped fresh parsley

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 35
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 2.60
  

Finely chopped fresh cilantro

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 35
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 2.60
  

Jalapeños, stemmed and finely chopped

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 30
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 2.21
  

Finely chopped fresh basil

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 28
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 2.08
  

Fine sea salt

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 25
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 1.82
  

Brown sugar

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 20
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 1.45
  

Thinly sliced green onions, both green and white parts

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₃
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 17
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 1.22
  

Finely chopped pineapple

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 14
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 1.04
  

Coarsely ground black pepper

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 8
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.62
  

Dried ancho chile, stemmed, torn into small pieces, and pulsed in a spice grinder until finely ground

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 7
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.52
  

Ice water

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 7
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.52
  

Finely chopped yellow onion

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 5
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.36
  

Habañero chile powder

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tsp
  
• GRAMS: 3
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.21
  

White vinegar

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tsp
  
• GRAMS: 2
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.18
  

Ground nutmeg

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 1
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.10
  

Sheep casings, rinsed

This recipe is loosely based on a jerk shrimp recipe I used to make at a restaurant I worked at early in my career; I slather a similar spice paste on roasted pigs. It gets its spiciness from three different varieties of chile (jalapeño, habañero, and ancho), balanced by the sweetness of brown sugar and pineapple. The fresh herbs give it a brightness of flavor that's often missing in jerk.

1.   
   1.
   Place the pork and beef on a rimmed baking sheet, transfer to the freezer, and chill until crunchy on the exterior but not frozen solid
   (see page 23)
   .
   
2.   
   2.
   In a medium bowl, add the parsley, cilantro, jalapeños, basil, salt, brown sugar, green onions, pineapple, black pepper, ancho chile, ice water, yellow onion, habañero chile powder, vinegar, and nutmeg and stir to combine.
   
3.   
   3.
   Nest a large mixing bowl in a bowl filled with ice. Grind the meat through the small die of the grinder into the bowl set in ice
   (see page 24)
   .
   
4.   
   4.
   Add the spice mixture to the meat and stir with your hands until well incorporated; the mixture will look homogenous and will begin sticking to the bowl
   (see page 25)
   .
   
5.   
   5.
   Spoon 2 tbsp of the meat mixture into a nonstick frying pan and spread into a thin patty. Cook the test patty over low heat until cooked through but not browned. Taste the sausage for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
   
6.   
   6.
   Press a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the meat to prevent oxidation, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, you can vacuum-seal the farce.
   
7.   
   7.
   Stuff the sausage into the sheep casings
   (see page 31)
   and twist into links
   (see page 36)
   .
   
8.   
   8.
   Eat the sausages right away, or freeze them for longer storage
   (see page 46)
   . Jerk dogs are best cooked in a sauté pan or griddle over medium-high heat to an internal temperature of 145°F/63°C
   (see page 45)
   . If you want, after the sausages have been cooked and removed from the pan, you can cook vegetables in the accumulated fat. They can also be grilled over indirect heat
   (see page 38)
   , but beware of the dripping fat, which can result in flare-ups and cause the sausage to become dry.
   

YIELD: 3 LB/1.4 KG

Boneless pork shoulder (or a combination of cuts, about 75% lean, 25% fat), cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1.80 lb
  
• GRAMS: 846
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 62.12
  

Boneless lean pork, such as loin or leg (about 95% lean, 5% fat), cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 0.80 lb
  
• GRAMS: 376
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 27.61
  

Diced bacon

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₃
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 60
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 4.43
  

Fine sea salt

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 19
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 1.41
  

Ice water

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tbsp +
  ³
  /
  ₄
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 15
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 1.09
  

Finely chopped fresh mint

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 6
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.43
  

Finely chopped fresh basil

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 6
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.43
  

Minced lemongrass

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 6
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.43
  

Finely chopped fresh cilantro

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 6
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.43
  

Peeled and minced galangal

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 4
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.33
  

Minced shallot

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 4
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.33
  

Minced garlic

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 4
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.33
  

Minced Thai chile

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ³
  /
  ₄
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 4
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.33
  

Fish sauce

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1 tsp
  
• GRAMS: 2
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.17
  

Minced kaffir lime leaves

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ³
  /
  ₄
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 2
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.13
  

Hog casings, rinsed

This pork sausage is flavored with some quintessentially Southeast Asian ingredients, including lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime, and fish sauce. Lemongrass is woody and fibrous, so peel away the outer leaves of the stalk and trim to a length of 3 in/7.5 cm, then mince. At the market in the summertime, we grill uncased patties of this sausage and serve it with a watermelon-basil-mint salad alongside.

1.   
   1.
   Place both porks and the bacon on a rimmed baking sheet, transfer to the freezer, and chill until crunchy on the exterior but not frozen solid
   (see page 23)
   .
   
2.   
   2.
   In a medium bowl, add the salt, ice water, mint, basil, lemon-grass, cilantro, galangal, shallot, garlic, Thai chile, fish sauce, and lime leaves and stir to combine.
   
3.   
   3.
   Nest a large mixing bowl in a bowl filled with ice. Grind the pork and bacon through the small die of the grinder into the bowl set in ice
   (see page 24)
   .
   
4.   
   4.
   Add the spice mixture to the meat and stir with your hands until well incorporated; the mixture will look homogenous and will begin sticking to the bowl
   (see page 25)
   .
   
5.   
   5.
   Spoon 2 tbsp of the meat mixture into a nonstick frying pan and spread into a thin patty. Cook the test patty over low heat until cooked through but not browned. Taste the sausage for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
   
6.   
   6.
   Press a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the meat to prevent oxidation, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, you can vacuum-seal the farce.
   
7.   
   7.
   Stuff the sausage into hog casings
   (see page 31)
   and twist into links
   (see page 36)
   .
   
8.   
   8.
   Smoke the links
   (see page 43)
   until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the sausage registers 145°F/63°C. The smoked sausages can be eaten immediately, or chill them fully in an ice bath and refrigerate, or freeze them for longer storage
   (see page 46)
   . When you're ready to eat them, grill the links over indirect heat
   (see page 38)
   or cook in a pan over medium heat until browned and heated through
   (see page 45)
   .
   

YIELD: 3 LB/1.4 KG

Boneless pork shoulder (or a combination of pork cuts, about 75% lean, 25% fat), cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1.60 lb
  
• GRAMS: 716
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 52.60
  

Diced bacon

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 0.75 lb
  
• GRAMS: 341
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 25.07
  

Boiled pork skin
(see page 19)

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₃
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 68
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 5.00
  

Port wine

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tbsp
  
• GRAMS: 20
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 1.50
  

Cure No. 1
(see page 15)

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 3
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.22
  

Cold water

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  cup
  
• GRAMS: 123
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 9.00
  

Fine sea salt

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 2
  ¹
  /
  ₄
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 18
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 1.30
  

Red wine vinegar

• U.S. MEASUREMENT: 1
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 7
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.50
  

Granulated garlic

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ¹
  /
  ₂
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 1
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.07
  

Finely chopped fresh oregano

• U.S. MEASUREMENT:
  ³
  /
  ₄
  tsp
  
• GRAMS: 1
  
• % OF TOTAL (100%): 0.07