Author Topic: Sausages: where do I start??  (Read 13425 times)

Crystal

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #30 on: May 03, 2012, 08:22:22 AM »
Hmm, yeah, my butcher gave me hog casings. Im just assuming that due to our large muslim population alot of sausages wouldnt use hog casings... ofcourse, im only assuming, have no idea really!

Ah well, i guess ill find out soon enough if its the additives or not. Im aiming for wed next week for sausage making!

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #31 on: May 04, 2012, 01:56:08 AM »
KEWL! Good luck - hope you find out what makes you ill.

MrsKK

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #32 on: May 04, 2012, 08:24:02 PM »
Thanks so much for that link, Debi!  Stewie goes to the butcher on Tuesday and I have big plans for him.  I'm surprised to see that pastrami is nearly the same process as corned beef - my hubby dislikes corned beef, but craves pastrami!  Now I can make it for him.  He'll never get out of my grasp now!  Haha! 

Offline Boofer

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #33 on: May 05, 2012, 12:33:48 AM »
Modern scientific studies that I found on the net (yeah, I know this is not reliable) do not find any link between MSG and headaches, but you never know.
Years ago I read "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Russell Blaylock".  "Ex-ci'-to-tox-in: a substance added to foods and beverages that literally stimulates neurons to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees. Can be found in such ingredients as monosodium glutamate, aspartame (NutraSweet®), cysteine, hydrolyzed protein, and aspartic acid."

Here's a link.

Want something sweet? Don't make it Splenda.

You be the judge. Guard your health. Read the label.

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Let's ferment something!
Bread, beer, wine, cheese...it's all good.

Caseus

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #34 on: May 05, 2012, 04:02:00 AM »
Modern scientific studies that I found on the net (yeah, I know this is not reliable) do not find any link between MSG and headaches, but you never know.
Years ago I read "Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills by Russell Blaylock".  "Ex-ci'-to-tox-in: a substance added to foods and beverages that literally stimulates neurons to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees. Can be found in such ingredients as monosodium glutamate, aspartame (NutraSweet®), cysteine, hydrolyzed protein, and aspartic acid."

Here's a link.

Want something sweet? Don't make it Splenda.

You be the judge. Guard your health. Read the label.

-Boofer-


I think it's a good idea that people understand what they are eating and investigate additives they don't recognize or understand.  Just because the FDA says something is safe doesn't guarantee that it is.  LIkewise, just because Dr. Blaylock says something is bad for you doesn't guarantee that it is.   Most of us are not food scientists, and so probably few of us are in a position to know on our own whether certain compounds are good or bad for us.

I don't know if Dr. Blaylock is right or wrong about glutamate.  There presently is no independent body of evidence that supports Dr. Blaylock's theories, and food scientists all over the world are in general agreement that the amount of glutamates used in food production do not pose health risks.  So for the moment I'll side with the majority, but I'll continue to keep an eye on developments. 

Glutamate and glutamic acid are among the most prevalent naturally occurring non-essential amino acids.  Did you know that the fermented foods that you reference in your signature and proclaim to be good contain naturally occuring glutamates?  That includes cheese.  Here is an interesting excerpt that I found in the Wikipedia article on Parmigiano Reggiano ...

Quote
Parmigiano is also particularly high in glutamate, containing as much as 1.2 g of glutamate per 100 g of cheese, making it the naturally produced food with the second highest level of glutamate, after Roquefort cheese. The high concentration of glutamates explains the strong umami taste of Parmigiano.


Whoa unto lovers of Parmigiano Reggiano and Roquefort cheeses, I suppose, if they are concerned about glutamates in their food.

I agree completely with your excellent advice that people should read the label, guard their health, and be their own judge when it comes to food.  Right now I see no evidence to support the rejection of foods merely because they contain glutamates, including Roquefort and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses.

MrsKK

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #35 on: May 06, 2012, 02:53:41 AM »
To be honest, what I've noticed is that one ingredient gets vilified, when it is probably a combination of several that result in the negative effects that people suffer...

Debi, I just got "Charcuterie" from the library today and am thinking that I need to purchase a copy of it.  Very easy to read and what appear to be excellent, easy to follow recipes, too.  Now I can't wait to get our beef butchered and back so I can delve into a new kitchen art!

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #36 on: May 06, 2012, 04:54:31 AM »
Karen -
 
In my opinion that is the best book available today.  Of course that's because mine is not ready yet!  ;)

As far as pastrami goes - you really need to be able to smoke it to get that great flavor but it can be ... dare I say it? Baked low and low. Just not great that way.

MrsKK

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #37 on: May 06, 2012, 05:49:27 PM »
I have a smoker available to me if I want it, so that's covered.  I also have crabapple wood chips - we've used them a bit for smoking on the grill, but I'm really eager to try them with bacon, pastrami, sausages, etc. of our own.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #38 on: May 07, 2012, 01:31:43 AM »
Karen - You will love having your own meat products and with your own meat it will be heavenly! Store bought meat just isn't that good anymore unless you find locally grown farm raised critters. I love to use a cmobination of apple, hickory, cherry and pecan through my smokes. Cherry is one of my favorites. Just got hold of some nice mulberry - can't wait to try in a few months.

Crystal

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #39 on: May 09, 2012, 12:30:42 AM »
Hmm, its getting to the point where someone can find something bad about every food we eat!! Apples have too much sugar, cheese has too much fat, packaged food has too many preservatives, bread is bad for you... i had one lady try to convince me that one of my kids was dying and has dermatitis because i gave him sherbet, and he wouldnt get better until i put him on a very unhealthy diet of beef stock for a few months... in my opinion, you gotta die of something right..? I may as well go down eating a friggin macdonalds quarter pounder cos it tastes good!!

Food is my passion, i love it, i love eating, i live cooking and really love making it for others to enjoy, i would really regret having to abandon all my good tasting food just because its all bad...

Oh, i wont be making snags today, bucher didnt have casings...

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #40 on: May 10, 2012, 02:26:06 AM »
There are so many conflicting reports about food as well. One says only eat raw veggies, one says lots of protein, one says eat animal fat one says don't = only God knows for sure so all we can do is walk down the middle and try to stay balanced.

No snags tomorrow huh? Well they are coming hang in there.

Tomer1

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #41 on: May 10, 2012, 10:13:39 AM »
Quote
Debi, I just got "Charcuterie" from the library today and am thinking that I need to purchase a copy of it
I just finished my laste italian style sousage (dominant fennel seeds), a recipe from that book.
Pan fried to crispt up the skin and served along side eggs sunny side up - providing a souce.    A real treat.

Offline DeejayDebi

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Re: Sausages: where do I start??
« Reply #42 on: May 10, 2012, 10:27:18 PM »
His Italian sausages are all excelent! In fact I have pretty much been making his recipe for Soppressata since I first tried it with a few tweaks it's really good.