Charcuterie_ The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing - Michael Ruhlman [72]
1⁄2 teaspoon/2 grams ground ginger
1⁄2 cup/70 grams nonfat dry milk powder
10 feet/3 meters hog casings, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed
1. Combine all the ingredients and toss until thoroughly mixed. Chill until ready to grind.
2. Grind on the large die into a bowl set in ice (see Note below). Grind half of this mixture through the small die.
3. Combine the two ground meats and mix with the paddle attachment (or a sturdy spoon) until the meat appears sticky, 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed.
4. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist into 6-inch/15-centimeter links. Hang on smoke sticks and allow to dry for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature, with good ventilation, or in the refrigerator.
5. Hot-smoke the sausages (see page 77) at a temperature of 180 degrees F./82 degrees C. to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F./65 degrees C. Transfer to an ice bath to chill thoroughly, then refrigerate.
Yield: About 5 pounds/2.25 kilograms sausage; about twenty 6-inch/15-centimeter links
[ NOTE: See pages 135–140 for a detailed description of the basic grinding, mixing, stuffing, and cooking techniques. ]
SMOKED ANDOUILLE
This sausage is so flavorful you can eat it plain with no accompaniments. Combining subtle seasonings with some sweet aromatic juiciness from the onion, it’s delicious. Smoked andouille is excellent in bean soups and stews, in gumbo, or as a component of a hearty meat stew.
The variations on andouille are many. Andouille can be fatty and is usually heavily spiced and smoked (as this one is), and it may include pig offal (which this doesn’t). Andouille is often sliced thin and eaten cold. This one is delicious hot as well. And the sausage can be stuffed into sheep casings for skinny sausages.
Andouille shows up frequently in Cajun cooking; this variety is often cold-smoked. In some parts of France, andouille simply refer to any sausage that’s cooked and served with beans.
Andouille should not be confused with andouillettes, especially if you are dining at the bouchons of Lyons and have a timid palate. If you order an andouillette, you will be served a large sausage composed entirely of chitterlings—chopped pig intestine—a revered specialty of the region.
5 pounds/2.25 kilograms boneless pork shoulder butt, diced
1 1⁄2 ounces/40 grams kosher salt (3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons/6 grams cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon/6 grams pink salt
1 teaspoon/1 gram dried thyme
1⁄2 teaspoon/2 grams ground mace
1⁄2 teaspoon/2 grams ground cloves
1⁄8 teaspoon/1 gram ground allspice
3⁄4 teaspoon/3 grams Colman’s dry mustard
1 cup/140 grams diced onion
1 tablespoon/18 grams minced garlic
10 feet/3 meters hog casings, soaked in tepid water for at least 30 minutes and rinsed
1. Combine all the ingredients and toss to mix thoroughly. Chill until ready to grind.
2. Grind the mixture through the small die into a bowl set in ice (see Note below).
3. Mix with the paddle attachment (or a sturdy spoon) until the meat mixture develops a uniform, sticky appearance, about 1 minute on medium speed.
4. Cook 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. Hang on smoke sticks and let dry for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature or in the refrigerator to develop the pellicle.
6. Hot-smoke the sausages (see page 77) at a temperature of 180 degrees F./82 degrees C. to an internal temperature of 150 degrees F./65 degrees C. Transfer to an ice bath to chill thoroughly, then refrigerate.
Yield: About 5 pounds/2.25 kilograms sausage; about twenty 6-inch/15-centimeter links
[ NOTE: See pages 135–140 for a detailed description of the basic grinding, mixing, stuffing, and cooking techniques. ]
CHEF MILOS’S COUNTRY VENISON SAUSAGE
Milos Cihelka, Brian’s mentor, emigrated from Prague to Canada, where he found work at a lodge that allowed him to ski during the day and cook at night. Venison is big in those rustic climes, and