[USA] Chuckwagon's "Brandin' Iron Beef Brats"
Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2012 07:45
"Brandin` Iron Beef Brats"
Kosher Beef Sausage
In the German language, the verb "braten", means to pan fry or roast. Across Europe, bratwurst is found containing pork, veal, or beef in virtually any combination. It is generally well-known that beef fat does not produce the best flavor in a comminuted product and often those looking for a truly "kosher" brat are often disappointed indeed.
Let`s review some important facts about fat. Some fat in sausage is necessary for several reasons. First, it lubricates meat particles and makes a satisfying mouth feel as a sausage is chewed. Without it, the texture seems dry and grainy. Second, it tastes good - especially pork fat. However, not everyone can eat pork fat and a suitable substitute must be found. Beef fat is not usually added to sausage because its color is yellow rather than white (as it is in pork) and its flavor is not particularly attractive. Grazing on grass during the summertime especially, Cattle display a pronounced yellow fat color having a much stronger flavor than those fed silage during the wintertime.
So, what are we to do if we wish to make a good-tasting, "all beef" sausage? Some folks have tried mixing oil and water with meat to produce an emulsion. However, this procedure is nearly impossible without having a sausage that crumbles and suffers poor binding quality. Other people have turned to a product known as Fat Replacer, available to home sausage makers during the past few years. It is a product of the Sausagemaker™ and it's made with microcrystalline cellulose, konjac gum, and xantham gum and fillers (oat products if I remember correctly). Konjac gum, and xantham gum are water soluble - microcrystalline cellulose is not. Mixed in moist meat, it becomes slippery, giving the mouthfeel and texture of real fat. As in everything, there are limits of how much can be used. I`ve used it extensively and recommend it.
What do commercial sausage makers use? Many simply use a white gel that looks and tastes like fat. It has the consistency of cream cheese, and is made ahead of time, being refrigerated up to a week. It is made "on site" simply by mixing soy protein isolate, vegetable oil, and water together, blending the ingredients into a creamy emulsion. It doesn`t actually have a name, but I call it SPIWOE (Soy Protein Isolate Water Oil Emulsion). Why vegetable oil? Because is introduces very little saturated fat into sausage and virtually no cholesterol. It also tastes good and has fewer calories than animal fat. As Stan Marianski has pointed out, 100 grams of fat provides 900 calories, while 100 grams of "SPIWOE" (Soy Protein Isolate Water Oil Emulsion) contains only 398 calories - a dramatic reduction. Perhaps the answer for those wishing to make an all beef "kosher" sausage having a healthier type of fat, is that made using emulsified vegetable oil.
How To Make Oil Emulsion:
The emulsified oil fat substitute is made using a food processor to mix one part soy protein isolate, four parts chilled vegetable oil, and five parts cold water. Notice the formula calls for soy protein ISOLATE which is 90% protein, not soy protein concentrate which is only 70% protein. It should be noted that soy protein concentrate will not work in this formula as it contains other substances making yellow paste rather than a white emulsion. Soy protein isolate (SPI) may be purchased at health food stores and produces a white, shiny, emulsion when mixed at the ratio of 1:4:5. Place the (1 part) soy protein isolate into a food processor and start by drizzling in the (five parts) cold water. Mix the two ingredients for at least a minute on high speed. Next, start drizzling in the (4 parts) chilled oil and continue mixing until another minute has passed and a firm emulsion has been set.
"Brandin` Iron Beef Brats"
Chuckwagon`s Reduced Fat Beef Sausage
4.5 kg Lean beef or trimmed chuck
680 g. Vegetable oil emulsion (see paragraph above)
1/2 cup Icewater
1/2 cup Dry white wine
56 g. Salt
12 g. Cure #1 (2 level tspns.)
14 g. White pepper
15 g. Pulverized garlic
14 g. Marjoram
12 g. Paprika
170 g. Minced onion
22 g. SM™Fat Replacer
38-40mm beef rounds for links or 38mm mahogany colored synthetic-fibrous casings for sticks
Make an oil emulsion and refrigerate it. Grind the lean meat using a 3/8" plate then mix it with the water and the wine until a paste forms. Mix in the oil emulsion until it is equally distributed and smooth. Stuff the sausage into 38-40mm beef rounds for links or use 38mm mahogany colored synthetic-fibrous casings for sticks. Hang the sausages an hour at room temperature then hang them inside a preheated 120°F smokehouse while you apply thin smoke. Gradually, every twenty minutes, raise the temperature only three degrees until the IMT (internal meat temperature) reaches 148°F. Immediately shower the sausages with cold water until they drop to room temperature. Store the sausages in a refrigerator until grillin` time.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
Kosher Beef Sausage
In the German language, the verb "braten", means to pan fry or roast. Across Europe, bratwurst is found containing pork, veal, or beef in virtually any combination. It is generally well-known that beef fat does not produce the best flavor in a comminuted product and often those looking for a truly "kosher" brat are often disappointed indeed.
Let`s review some important facts about fat. Some fat in sausage is necessary for several reasons. First, it lubricates meat particles and makes a satisfying mouth feel as a sausage is chewed. Without it, the texture seems dry and grainy. Second, it tastes good - especially pork fat. However, not everyone can eat pork fat and a suitable substitute must be found. Beef fat is not usually added to sausage because its color is yellow rather than white (as it is in pork) and its flavor is not particularly attractive. Grazing on grass during the summertime especially, Cattle display a pronounced yellow fat color having a much stronger flavor than those fed silage during the wintertime.
So, what are we to do if we wish to make a good-tasting, "all beef" sausage? Some folks have tried mixing oil and water with meat to produce an emulsion. However, this procedure is nearly impossible without having a sausage that crumbles and suffers poor binding quality. Other people have turned to a product known as Fat Replacer, available to home sausage makers during the past few years. It is a product of the Sausagemaker™ and it's made with microcrystalline cellulose, konjac gum, and xantham gum and fillers (oat products if I remember correctly). Konjac gum, and xantham gum are water soluble - microcrystalline cellulose is not. Mixed in moist meat, it becomes slippery, giving the mouthfeel and texture of real fat. As in everything, there are limits of how much can be used. I`ve used it extensively and recommend it.
What do commercial sausage makers use? Many simply use a white gel that looks and tastes like fat. It has the consistency of cream cheese, and is made ahead of time, being refrigerated up to a week. It is made "on site" simply by mixing soy protein isolate, vegetable oil, and water together, blending the ingredients into a creamy emulsion. It doesn`t actually have a name, but I call it SPIWOE (Soy Protein Isolate Water Oil Emulsion). Why vegetable oil? Because is introduces very little saturated fat into sausage and virtually no cholesterol. It also tastes good and has fewer calories than animal fat. As Stan Marianski has pointed out, 100 grams of fat provides 900 calories, while 100 grams of "SPIWOE" (Soy Protein Isolate Water Oil Emulsion) contains only 398 calories - a dramatic reduction. Perhaps the answer for those wishing to make an all beef "kosher" sausage having a healthier type of fat, is that made using emulsified vegetable oil.
How To Make Oil Emulsion:
The emulsified oil fat substitute is made using a food processor to mix one part soy protein isolate, four parts chilled vegetable oil, and five parts cold water. Notice the formula calls for soy protein ISOLATE which is 90% protein, not soy protein concentrate which is only 70% protein. It should be noted that soy protein concentrate will not work in this formula as it contains other substances making yellow paste rather than a white emulsion. Soy protein isolate (SPI) may be purchased at health food stores and produces a white, shiny, emulsion when mixed at the ratio of 1:4:5. Place the (1 part) soy protein isolate into a food processor and start by drizzling in the (five parts) cold water. Mix the two ingredients for at least a minute on high speed. Next, start drizzling in the (4 parts) chilled oil and continue mixing until another minute has passed and a firm emulsion has been set.
"Brandin` Iron Beef Brats"
Chuckwagon`s Reduced Fat Beef Sausage
4.5 kg Lean beef or trimmed chuck
680 g. Vegetable oil emulsion (see paragraph above)
1/2 cup Icewater
1/2 cup Dry white wine
56 g. Salt
12 g. Cure #1 (2 level tspns.)
14 g. White pepper
15 g. Pulverized garlic
14 g. Marjoram
12 g. Paprika
170 g. Minced onion
22 g. SM™Fat Replacer
38-40mm beef rounds for links or 38mm mahogany colored synthetic-fibrous casings for sticks
Make an oil emulsion and refrigerate it. Grind the lean meat using a 3/8" plate then mix it with the water and the wine until a paste forms. Mix in the oil emulsion until it is equally distributed and smooth. Stuff the sausage into 38-40mm beef rounds for links or use 38mm mahogany colored synthetic-fibrous casings for sticks. Hang the sausages an hour at room temperature then hang them inside a preheated 120°F smokehouse while you apply thin smoke. Gradually, every twenty minutes, raise the temperature only three degrees until the IMT (internal meat temperature) reaches 148°F. Immediately shower the sausages with cold water until they drop to room temperature. Store the sausages in a refrigerator until grillin` time.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon