Food Safety; Sausage Information - Weston PRO Série Manuel D'utilisation

There are basic rules to follow when handling food.
They are COOK, SEPARATE, CLEAN, and CHILL.
COOK
It's crucial to cook food to a safe internal temperature to destroy bacteria that is present.
The safety of hamburgers and other foods made with ground meat has been receiving a lot
of attention lately, and with good reason. When meat is ground, the bacteria present on the
surface is mixed throughout the ground mixture. If this ground meat is not cooked to at least
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160 F to 165 F (71 C to 74 C), bacteria will not be destroyed and there's a good chance you
will get sick.
Solid pieces of meat like steaks and chops don't have dangerous bacteria like E. coli on the
inside, so they can be served more rare. Still, any beef cut should be cooked to an internal
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temperature of at least 145 F (63
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(82 C) and solid cuts of pork should be cooked to 160
cooked too. If you are making a meringue or other recipe that uses uncooked eggs, buy
specially pasteurized eggs or use prepared meringue powder.
SEPARATE
Foods that will be eaten uncooked and foods that will be cooked before eating MUST
ALWAYS be separated. Cross-contamination occurs when raw meats or eggs come in
contact with foods that will be eaten uncooked. This is a major source of food poisoning.
Always double-wrap raw meats and place them on the lowest shelf in the refrigerator so
there is no way juices can drip onto fresh produce. Then use the raw meats within 1-2 days
of purchase, or freeze for longer storage. Defrost frozen meats in the refrigerator, not on the
counter.
When grilling or cooking raw meats or fish, make sure to place the cooked meat on a clean
platter. Don't use the same platter you used to carry the food out to the grill. Wash the utensils
used in grilling after the food is turned for the last time on the grill, as well as spatulas and
spoons used for stir-frying or turning meat as it cooks.
Make sure to wash your hands after handling raw meats or raw eggs. Washing hands with
soap and water, or using a pre-moistened antibacterial towelette is absolutely necessary after
you have touched raw meat or raw eggs. Not washing hands and surfaces while cooking is a
major cause of cross-contamination.
CLEAN
Wash your hands and work surfaces frequently when you are cooking. Washing with soap
and warm water for at least 15 seconds, then dry with a paper towel.
CHILL
Chilling food is very important. The danger zone where bacteria multiply is between 40
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140 F (4 C and 6 C). Your refrigerator should be set to 40
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be 0 F (-17 C) or below. Simple rule: serve hot foods hot, cold foods cold. Use chafing dishes
or hot plates to keep food hot while serving. Use ice water baths to keep cold foods cold. Never
let any food sit at room temperature for more than 2 hours - 1 hour if the ambient temperature
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is 90 F (32 C) or above. When packing for a picnic, make sure the foods are already chilled
when they go into the insulated hamper. The hamper won't chill food - it just keeps food cold
when properly packed with ice. Hot cooked foods should be placed in shallow containers and
immediately refrigerated so they cool rapidly. Make sure to cover foods after they are cool.
NOTE: Special considerations must be made when using venison or other wild game, since it
can become heavily contaminated during field dressing. Venison is often held at temperatures
that could potentially allow bacteria to grow, such as when it is being transported. Refer to
the USDA Meat and Poultry Department for further questions or information on meat and

food safety.

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FOOD SAFETY
C) (medium rare). The safe temperature for poultry is 180
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F (71 C). Eggs should be thoroughly
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F (4 C) or below; your freezer should

SAUSAGE INFORMATION

MEAT SELECTION FOR SAUSAGE MAKING
Sausage making has evolved over many years and generations, and as a result there are countless
types of sausage you can make using the basic ingredients of meat, fat and a few carefully blended
spices. Following are a few simple guidelines that will help you make the best tasting sausage
possible.
Any type of meat can be used for making sausage: pork, beef, bison, moose and caribou, even
antelope make great sausage. It is important when preparing venison or other red game meats to
trim all the fat from the meat, as red game tallow will turn rancid in as few as five days. Replace the
fat with either pork or beef fat, depending on the type of product you are making, at a ratio of 1 pound
(0.5 kg) of fat for every 4 pounds (1.8 kg) of game meat.
The fat content of your sausage will affect the taste, texture, cooking characteristics and shelf life of
your product. Most commercially made sausage has a fat content of about 20%. Using less than 12%
fat will result in a very dry tasting sausage, while using more than 20% may result in a sticky flavorless
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F
sausage that will be difficult to cook.
CURING
It is important to properly cure meats to preserve meat and poultry, and to destroy undesirable
microorganisms on the meat surfaces that cause spoilage and food born illnesses. There are
many steps that help in this process, including smoking, cooking, drying, chilling and the addition
of cure ingredients. The oldest means of accomplishing this is by introducing salt into the meat. The
resistance of bacteria to salt varies widely among different types of bacteria. The growth of some
bacteria is inhibited by salt concentrations as low as 3%, e.g., Salmonella, whereas other types are
able to survive in much higher salt concentrations, e.g., Staphylococcus. Fortunately, the growth of
many undesirable organisms normally found in cured meat and poultry products is inhibited at low
concentrations of salt.
Modern curing is based on Nitrates and is very scientific. The best way to ensure proper curing is to
purchase one of the many commercially available curing agents from either a grocery store or your
local butcher. A very common cure is Prague Powder, which is available in two types (#1 and #2).
CASING
There are many different types of casings available, the right choice depends on personal preference
as well as the type of sausage you wish to make. For most sausages, your choices are natural or
collagen. Don't let the names fool you; collagen casings are not a synthetic product . They are made
from beef skin and other tissues. Collagen casings are uniform in size and texture and require almost
no preparation. "Natural" casings are the intestines of lamb, sheep, hogs or beef. They are less
uniform in size and require substantial preparation. For those reasons, more than 75% of commercially
made sausage in the U.S. is made with collagen casing. There are also fibrous non-edible casings
that are used for some varieties of smoked sausages and bolognas.
TYPES OF SAUSAGE
Most sausages fall into one of four categories: Fresh, Smoked, Cooked or Dried. All sausages, except
dried, require refrigerated storage. There is also a sub-category of uncooked smoked sausages.
Among the fresh and uncooked smoked sausages, you will find such flavors as kielbasa or Polish
sausage, Italian sausage, breakfast sausage and many others. Both fresh and uncooked smoked
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F and
sausages require cooking before eating and also require refrigerated storage.
Smoked and cooked sausages include salami, bologna, the ever-popular hot dogs and many others.
Proper smoking requires a smokehouse or smoker. These can be simple home-built structures made
from metal drums or even old refrigerators or they can be elaborate manufactured units. Most smoked
sausages are warmed before serving. Many people think that a smoked sausage will last much
longer without spoilage, but this is not true. Smoked sausages should be treated the same as fresh
sausage in terms of storage.
Dried sausages require the longest processing time, as they are air dried over a long period of time.
Some types of dry sausages are pepperoni, prosciutto and a variety of ham products, just to name a
few. The conditions under which the meat is dried are very exacting; temperature, time and humidity
must all be carefully monitored for a safe and delicious product.
STORAGE
It is important to remember that sausage will lose its flavor the longer that it is stored. It is recommended
that you only make as much sausage as you will need for 4-6 weeks. Even frozen sausage will begin
to lose flavor noticeably after 6 weeks. Frozen sausage should be thawed slowly in the refrigerator
before cooking or serving. Quick thawing of the product will degrade the taste as well.
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