Curing Sausages

Meat for sausages is  cured by using the dry method of curing. If wet method was used too much of the meat juices will escape into curing solution and we won’t be able to stuff them back into a casing. Meat should be cut into smaller pieces, about 2 inches (5-6 cm) and not heavier than 0. 5 lb (250 g). The curing time depends directly on the length of the time involved and we can decrease this time by making meat cuts even smaller by grinding them in a grinder through a large plate.

The curing of meat decreases its water holding capacity. In wet curing method the meat absorbs water as well as curing ingredients and after some time it looses some of its water holding capacity. This is not the case with dry cured meats which do not absorb water but rather loose it what results in a small weight loss. Dry cured meats will hold better water inside what plays important role during smoking and cooking.

Meat should be throughly mixed with Instacure 1 (salt, nitrite), and placed tightly in a container, not higher than 8 inches (20 cm). Then it should be stored in refrigerator. The container can be covered with a clean cloth and left this way. Sometimes top meat layer may develop slight grayish color due to reaction with oxygen in the air but this is normal and there is nothing wrong with meat itself.

Note: if the meat for sausages will be cured, and the recipe calls for sugar, the sugar is added to meat with salt and Cure 1.

The curing times at 40° F (refrigerator temperature) temperature are as folows :

• Meat pieces size 2 “ – 72  hours

• Meat ground in grinder – 36 hours

Most sausage recipes call for about 2 % of salt in relation to meat weight. Any amount between 1.5 % and 2 % will taste pleasing to most people and we have chosen 1.8 % as basis for our calculations presented in the table below. For sausages we can use ¼ sodium nitrite per 100 lbs what corresponds to 1 oz of Cure # 1 for 25 lbs of meat (156 ppm nitrite content).

After curing meat is ground and mixed with all remaining ingredients. Be careful now when applying salt that the recipe calls for. Most likely you may not need any as enough salt entered the meat during curing process. That is why you should TASTE your sausage before stuffing.

Curing imparts to meats a certain peculiar flavor which is in demand by a consumer and if we cure hams, bacons, chops, butts, and fish because they taste better, so why not to cure the sausage ? After all sausages are also made of meat and if hams and loins taste better when cured, why not to have a better sausage ?

The fact that we grind meat makes it only easier on our teeth to chew it – it does not improve the color, texture or the flavor of the sausage. Someone might say : but I ‘ve mixed nitrite and spices with ground meat before stuffing so that’s OK. Well, it’s not ok, the problem is that not enough time was allowed for proper curing to take place and the sausage is only partially cured.

What would happen if we skip the curing process and just add salt, nitrite and spices after grinding. The way most sausage books recommend ? Nothing, it would still be a very good sausage but not the super quality product we want you to make. To be fair, we would like to add that there are some sausages that use meat that is not cured. For instance Polish Smoked Sausage uses cured meat, yet tha same sausage is called Staropolska Sausage if the meat is not cured. Both sausages are made of pork and use the same spices.

Note: if you cure meat for sausages the meat may have enough salt that migrated from the dry cure mix (salt plus Cure #1). There is 93.75 % of salt in Cure #1. Every recipe always asks for salt which may not be needed now, so don’t add any whem mixing ingredients. Just remember to TASTE your product before stuffing and you can add more salt now. Altough sugar is is part of a dry mix it is better not to use it (use only salt and Cure #1) when making sausages as there is no reason to make meat sweeter. If a recipe specifically calls for sugar and no curing takes place it should be added during mixing of the ingredients.

More information related to nitrates can be found at the: nitrates

Page edited on September 14, 2006

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