new to sausages

sandyw · Jul 25, 2011

Just looking for any info possible to help with when I attempt to make sausages. My grandmother is Hungarian, I was able to get her recipe for her Csabai. They used a homemade smokehouse as they made lots at a time. I will however have to buy a small smoker, or I have heard you could use just your barbq like a smoker. Anyway I have no idea about coldsmoking, I know they used heat when they smoked and used no "cure" in their sausages. Why would you use a cure if you can make them without? She gave me her grinder and it has an attachment for filling the casings, so I think I am good there. I appreciate any info anyone is able to help me with, I would love to be able to continue their recipe (actually it was passed probably from generation to generation in my family) and I seem to be the only one now who would love to keep this going and pass it down further. Thanks everyone

fpnmf · Jul 25, 2011

Welcome..

This site has tons of info.

I would suggest you spend some time reading all the different forums and the WIKIs.

Then use the handy dandy search tool for specific interests!!

Take the awesome free E-Course!!!

Have a great day!!!

Craig

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/about-jeffs-5-day-ecourse

Make bacon the easy way!!
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/109368/more-easy-made-bacon-with-q-view#post_666451

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/basic-pulled-pork-smoke

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/finishing-sauce-for-pulled-pork-by-soflaquer

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/wiki/tips-slaughterhouse-recipes-for-poultry

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/82034/how-to-post-qview-to-smf

http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?736-Curing-Salts

http://www.educationbug.org/a/marinate-vs--Amarinade.html

roller · Jul 25, 2011

Welcome there are some good sausage guys on here....

DanMcG · Jul 26, 2011

sandyw said:
Anyway I have no idea about coldsmoking, I know they used heat when they smoked and used no "cure" in their sausages. Why would you use a cure if you can make them without?

Welcome to SMF Sandyw. Cold smoking without a cure is not recommended, but as you mentioned they used heat when they smoked them. Do you know how hot and how long they hot smoked them?

I sure I'm not the only sausage maker here that would love to see you master the family recipe and carry on the tradition.

There are some real basic rules for making good sausage, keep the meat cold at all times is #1 and #2, mix it with the other ingredients till the mass gets sticky, that's when you know you have a good bind.

I'm sure others will be along to add helpful info, in the mean time do some searches in the sausage section about cold smoking and the use of cures, there's a ton of info that will help you out.

SmokinAl · Jul 26, 2011

Glad to have you with us!

There are plenty of sausage guru's on here to help you!

africanmeat · Jul 26, 2011

BGKYSmoker · Jul 26, 2011

I would advise to use a cure of some sorts if your going to cold or hot smoke sausage with temps of 100-170. If your going to start smoking above 170 then cure is your decision.

Have fun.

chadinclw · Jul 26, 2011

Welcome to the neighborhood.

Check out http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/109258/making-of-hungarian-style-csabai-with-q-views where Lazlo made up a batch of csabai.

Get informed about sausage making in general and then I'm sure the guru's here can get you going with a strategy.

solaryellow · Jul 26, 2011

Here are two great books to get you started.

mballi3011 · Jul 27, 2011

Welcome Sandy to SMF. You'll like this place cause theres alot of really good folks here that would love to help you out with just about anything to do with smoking meat. Now I would listen to Dan and Solar (Joel) Yellow for they know what they are talking about. After all your Grandmother recipe is good but the FDA recommend that we don't do it the same way that she has been doing it. Then the meats are not like it used to be in the old days. Our meats are full of this and that and doesn't lend to the old ways of curing. One way is our salt doesn't have nitrates in it like it used too. So get to smoking and don't forget the Q-view cause we just love that stuff. So enjoy for there's alot of really good recipes and methods that you could learn from here.

Welcome To You New Addiction.

shooterrick · Jul 27, 2011

Well I guess I will chime in my 2 cents. Cold smoking below say 170 F you must use cure to be safe. Others say they don't but why risk a health crisis. Hot smoking no cure is needed but cure will prolong the shelf life of the sausage if stored for a prolonged time. Fresh sausage should if frozen be consumed within 3 months. I did a fresh sausage tutorial a short time ago which may be of interest.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/forum/thread/108882/shooters-sausage-day-lots-of-qview#post_660049

It outlines what I feel is a safe set of protocols for making fresh sausage. Remember if you hot smoke the internal temp of the sausage is taken to 160F.

venture · Jul 27, 2011

The old country recipes often used no cure. We have to remember that a lot of their salt was "adulterated" with nitrates and nitrites back then. We also have to remember that a lot of those folks died young from the "sausage disease" which was botulism toxin poisoning. Our salts are more "pure" now, which means they no longer have nitrites or nitrates in them. Because of this, we carefully use cures to specific guidlines. At all costs, be safe.

Good luck and good smoking.

meateater · Jul 28, 2011

Welcome to the SMF. Glad to have you here. Lots of good folks, great recipes and knowledge. Looking forward to your first qview.

Bearcarver · Jul 28, 2011

Welcome sandy!!

Bear

laszlo · Jul 28, 2011

Welcome to sausage forum.

I'm glad to see another csabai sausage lover. Just lately I did my own, came up pretty good, but there is room for improvement. The main thing though is to realize that sausage making is an art of sort. It requires specialized gear, it requires amount of knowledge about meat, temperatures, processes that meat goes thru various stages of turning it into sausage goodness.

I'd personally be careful not to use any cure. You can't really rely on old folks tales of not using cures. Somehow it was (and is) not on to admit adding anything "chemical" in your sausage, it was supposed to be clean and homemade stuff after all. I was talking to couple of old guys who gave me some valuable advice and didn't mind sharing the recipes in detail. No chemicals, ever, but after few shots of homemade slivowitz (plum brandy) they all came clear that " oh, sometimes we sprinkle just a tiny, tiny bit of prague powder, or saltpetre...Just a tiny bit you know...for better color").

And if you think about it, that amount of cure will not kill you, but if you unlucky enough to contract botulism that would definitely be your last sausage you've eaten. Botulism is fatal. Why take such a risk? Odds are low, but hey, odds of wining jackpot in lottery are damn low, but every day someone somewhere wins the jackpot.

So I advise caution a follow "if you going to smoke it, cure it".

Enough of lecturing, welcome to SMF, read as much as you can here, there's good books around and have a look at wedlinydomowe website.

Oh, would you mind sharing your csabai recipe, or you want to keep it closely guarded family secret and let us all salivate?

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