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TOOLS

You’ll need basically the same tools for emulsified sausage as for fresh sausage, with the addition of a food processor with a standard 11-cup bowl or larger; see the list on page 107. But Brian and I don’t recommend using the stuffer attachment for the mixer because of the risk of the mixture’s breaking and the mess of feeding a paste through the tube. If you don’t have a sausage stuffer, use a canvas pastry bag.

CHILLING

Place the grinder, mixing bowl and food processor bowl and blade in the freezer for 1 hour before using.

SEASONING

Season only the meat with the salt (as well as sugar and/or pink salt in recipes using them) as you would for fresh sausage. Do not season the fat, which should be kept separate from the meat.

GRINDING

Remove the grinder from the freezer. Grind the meat and fat into separate bowls set in ice. Store in the freezer until ready to use. The meat can go as far as crunchy on the exterior but should not be frozen solid.

EMULSIFYING

In order to ensure a stable emulsion, you must keep the sausage mixture at the temperatures recommended here. It’s the best way to prevent winding up with broken sausage; there’s not much you can do with a broken sausage emulsion. (These formulas, based on those used in the commercial meat industry, are taught at the Culinary Institute of America.)

Add the ground meat to the food processor. Next add the crushed ice, then the remaining seasonings. Process until the mixture is smooth and the ice has been thoroughly incorporated, about 2 minutes. Check the temperature with an instant-read thermometer; the meat should be below freezing. (Typically it will be at about 25 to 28 degrees F./-3 to -4 degrees C. at this point. If it’s not below freezing, immediately spread it on a baking sheet and put it in the freezer until it reaches 32 degrees F./0 degrees C.)

Continue to process the meat until the temperature, which will be rising due to the friction of the whipping blade and the ambient temperature, reaches 40 degrees F./4 degrees C. This will take about 5 minutes (and will seem longer); take the meat’s temperature with the thermometer every few minutes. When it reaches 40 degrees F./4 degrees C., add the ground fat and continue to puree. Depending on how cold your fat is, the temperature may drop again; this is good and will result in a smoother texture.

When the temperature reaches 45 degrees F./7 degrees C., add the dried milk powder. (The powder both strengthens the emulsion and will help the finished sausage retain moisture. While this step is not critical to the emulsion, it’s easy and improves the sausage.) Continue to puree the mixture until it reaches a temperature of 58 degrees F./14 degrees C. If you add room-temperature milk powder, the temperature of the forcemeat will rise very quickly. At around 60 degrees F./15 degrees C., the fat would separate from the meat and liquids, so 58 degrees F./14 degrees C. is as close as you can safely take it.

At 58 degrees F./14 degrees C., stop processing and refrigerate the sausage in the food processor bowl till you’re ready to stuff it into the casings.

Do a quenelle test as described on page 136 and then proceed as in the standard mixer method.

Emulsified Sausage Master Ratio

1 pound/450 grams lean meat, diced

12 ounces/335 grams pork back fat, diced

3/4 ounce/20 grams kosher salt (11/2 tablespoons)

8 ounces/225 grams crushed ice

1 ounce/25 grams nonfat dry milk powder (2 tablespoons)

EMULSIFIED SAUSAGE MASTER RECIPE: WEISSWURST

This is a classic 5-4-3–style forcemeat in which the fat equals 50 percent of the total meat and water, resulting in a delicate, finely textured sausage. This weisswurst is very juicy, and made vibrant by the lemon zest and fresh herbs.

1 pound/450 grams boneless lean veal shoulder, diced

12 ounces/350 grams pork back fat, diced

3⁄4 ounce/20 grams kosher salt (11⁄2 tablespoons)

8 ounces/225 grams crushed ice

1 teaspoon/3 grams ground white pepper

1 teaspoon/3 grams Colman’s dry mustard

1⁄4 teaspoon/1 gram ground mace