How is summer sausage made?

By mixing ground meat, seasonings, and curing salt.

What are the key ingredients in summer sausage?

Ground meat, pork, seasonings, and curing salt.

Refrigerated unwrapped after smoking to prevent shrinkage.

Prevent bacterial growth during the smoking process.

Moist, firm texture with a hint of spice.

Curing salts are crucial in making summer sausage as they prevent bacterial growth during smoking, ensuring the desired pink color and texture of the meat.
The extensive list of seasonings, including pink salt number one, pepper, sugar, garlic powder, and various herbs, contributes to the complex and flavorful profile of the summer sausage, making it a versatile and delicious option for sandwiches, pizzas, or snacks.

How is summer sausage made?
By mixing ground meat, seasonings, and curing salt.
What are the key ingredients in summer sausage?
Ground meat, pork, seasonings, and curing salt.
How should summer sausage be stored?
Refrigerated unwrapped after smoking to prevent shrinkage.
What is the purpose of curing salts in summer sausage?
Prevent bacterial growth during the smoking process.
What is the texture of summer sausage?
Moist, firm texture with a hint of spice.

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Summer sausage is a deli-style meat suitable for sandwiches, pizzas, or snacks.
The recipe requires a specific curing salt with a ratio of 93.75% salt and 6.25% sodium nitrate.
Curing salts prevent bacterial growth during the smoking process, ensuring a pink color and texture.
The meat mixture consists of 500g lean ground meat and 500g cubed pork, ground together.
Fibrous casings must be soaked in warm water before stuffing the sausage.
Seasonings include pink salt number one, table salt, pepper, sugar, garlic powder, mustard seed, onion powder, nutmeg, basil, coriander seed, and marjoram.
The seasoned meat mixture should be thoroughly mixed for 3-4 minutes until cold.
The mixed meat is then beaten in a stand mixer for 3-4 minutes until almost pasty.
Stuff the meat mixture into fibrous casings using a stuffer, ensuring the casings are filled tightly.
Smoke the sausages gradually, starting at 140°F and increasing by 10°F every hour until the internal temperature reaches 155°F.

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After smoking the sausage, let it sit in the fridge overnight or for a few days without wrapping it to avoid shrinkage. The casing is not edible, so peel it off before slicing the pink-colored sausage. The summer sausage has a moist, firm texture with a hint of spice from mustard and pepper, complexity from herbs, and a subtle sweetness, making it a delightful treat that can be easily made at home.