Charcuterie_ The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing - Michael Ruhlman [57]
1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters red wine vinegar, chilled
10 feet/3 meters hog casings, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed
1. Combine all the ingredients except the water and vinegar and toss to distribute the seasonings. Chill until ready to grind.
2. Grind the mixture through the small die into a bowl set in ice (see Note below).
3. Add the water and vinegar to the meat mixture and mix with the paddle attachment (or a sturdy spoon) until the liquids are incorporated and the mixture has developed a uniform, sticky appearance, about 1 minute on medium speed.
4. Sauté a small portion of the sausage, taste, and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings, and twist into 6-inch/15-centimeter links. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.
6. Gently sauté or roast the sausage to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F./65 degrees C.
Yield: About 5 pounds/2.25 kilograms sausage; about twenty 6-inch/15-centimeter links
[ NOTE: See pages 107–116 for a detailed description of the basic grinding, mixing, stuffing, and cooking techniques. ]
CHICKEN SAUSAGE WITH BASIL AND TOMATOES
This recipe, one of our favorites in the book, reaches into the realm of the artisanal-style sausage because of the balance of ingredients and the complexity of flavors (this uses vinegar to accentuate them, as well as an additional fat for seasoning in the form of flavorful olive oil). But all it really does is combine flavors we all know go great together. If you were to combine the seasonings listed here, puree them, and then sauté, that would work beautifully as a sauce for grilled chicken. All sausages can be invented this way.
This sausage is particularly good gently grilled, but it can be roasted or sautéed. Serve it traditionally, as a sandwich or sliced with mustard, but look again at the ingredients—it would work beautifully, in casings or loose, with a simple pasta, along with garlic, oil, and Parmigiano-Reggiano.
3 1⁄2 pounds/1.5 kilograms boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed
11⁄2 pounds/675 grams pork back fat, cubed, diced into 1-inch pieces (see Note 1 below)
11⁄2 ounces/40 grams kosher salt (about 3 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon/3 grams freshly ground black pepper
11⁄2 teaspoons/9 grams minced garlic
4 tablespoons/24 grams tightly packed chopped fresh basil
1⁄2 cup/100 grams fresh diced Roma (plum) tomatoes
1⁄4 cup/60 grams diced sun-dried tomatoes (see Note 2 below)
1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters red wine vinegar, chilled
1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters extra virgin olive oil
1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters dry red wine, chilled
10 feet/3 meters hog casings, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed
1. Combine the meat, fat, salt, pepper, garlic, basil, and tomatoes and toss together until evenly mixed. Chill until ready to grind.
2. Grind the mixture through the small die into a bowl set in ice (see Note 3 below).
3. Using the paddle attachment of a standing mixer (or a sturdy spoon), mix on low speed (or stir) for 1 minute. Add the vinegar, oil, and wine, increase the speed to medium, and mix for 1 more minute, or until the liquid is incorporated and the sausage has a uniform, sticky appearance.
4. Fry a bite-sized portion of the sausage, taste and, adjust the seasoning if necessary.
5. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist into 6-inch/15-centimeter links. Refrigerate or freeze until ready to cook.
6. Cook the sausage to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F./71 degrees C.
Yield: About 5 pounds/2.25 kilograms sausage; about twenty 6-inch/15-centimeter links
[ NOTES: 1. To make this without pork, omit the pork fat but retain as much chicken fat on the thighs as possible. 2. Any sun-dried tomatoes will work as long as they are pliable. Those not packed in oil or some kind of liquid, though, may be hard. If this is the case, pour boiling water over them and allow to soak until soft. 3. See pages 107–116 for a detailed description of the basic grinding, mixing, stuffing, and cooking techniques.