Best Linguisa yet

[sausagemaneric]

I've been making Linguisa for about 30 years. Always using the recipe and process in Rytek's book, Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing. Based on the book, the only thing I didn't do according to his recipe was mix all the ingredients minus the water and vinegar and let it sit in a cooler overnight. I've read on this forum about people not using the soy protein concentrate for a number of reasons. I've always used it for the reason Rytek suggested. Less weight loss, more moist sausage, helps make a nice smooth well bound sausage. Thing is Soy Protein Concentrate cost more per pound than meat does! So for my 10 pound batch of Christmas Linguisa, I mixed all the dry ingredients in the ground meat very well and put it in the cooler overnight, then mixed the water and vinegar in the next morning and dried it in my smoker according to Rytek's book. Came out perfect. Very moist, well bound, super flavorful. I actually think the Soy Protein Concentrate hides some of the "bite" in the final product. Next I will go with no Soy Protein Concentrate when I make Polish Sausage. I think the mixing dry ingredients in the ground meat and moving to a cooler overnight is the trick to getting a good binding result......

[Butterbean]

IMHO, I don't you need binders in most things if you have good technique and mix things properly. When possible, I prefer to add the salt and the cure to the meat before grinding and let it sit for a day or so. When possible I then add spices and grind and mix until it gets the look and feel I'm looking for. When time permits, I'll then stuff and let the sausages rest in the color for another day to let everything meld. Granted, this isn't always possible but when I go the extra mile is when I have made my highest quality sausages.

[StefanS]

Next I will go with no Soy Protein Concentrate when I make Polish Sausage. I think the mixing dry ingredients in the ground meat and moving to a cooler overnight is the trick to getting a good binding result......

I have made some nice amount of polish sausages (maybe in tons) and never used any kind of binder. As binder I have used Class III of meat (darkest colored muscles with a lot off sinew, connecting tissues (without fat). Grind them by 3 mm plate. Also mixing is some process - meat should be "sticky" (somewhere I posted picture of meaning of "sticky").
Usually 72-48 hours before making kielbasa i'm adding salt and cure to cubed meat and hold it in refrigerator in some closed container. (better protein extraction by salt, better color and flavor of meat by curing agents). IMHO.

[sausagemaneric]

Yup, everything you guys said on these replies is what I've been reading here for the last couple years. The main thing that sticks in my mind is getting the meat mixed with the salt and cure the night before. Really looking forward to doing some Polish and some Hot Links the same way. Interesting what StefanS says about the accumulative amounts of sausage.....for many years I made about 100-150 pounds per month.....and yes, over the years it adds up to tons!

[redzed]

Next I will go with no Soy Protein Concentrate when I make Polish Sausage

Authentic Polish Sausages do not contain soy protein. Inasmuch as like Rytek Kutas' book and find many of the recipes very good, the additions of binders, in excessive amounts are way over the top. The only time I use milk powder or soy protein is in emulsified products. Mr. Kutas wrote the book not too long after he opened up a sausage supply store where binders were sold.

[sausagemaneric]

Well,
I'm certainly glad I gave it a shot. I like the snappier flavor