Hi Ursula,
You asked,
If I were to cold smoke cured sausages once they had been hanged would I be taking any health risks, given that they would only be at 80 degrees until they were finished smoking?
I would then presumably cook them elsewhere to the required IT.
Would I get similar results if I cooked them first, then cooled them and cold-smoked them?
Is this a safer way to proceed?
Depending upon the type of sausage you are making, and the specific recipe, cooking (if at all) can occur at different times. However, normally a
"cured-cooked-smoked" type sausage is
"prep-cooked" while being hot-smoked. If a sausage is to be cold-smoked, it should be cooked first to destroy any possible
trichinella spiralis, UNLESS it is an
"air dried" (also called a "dry-cured") sausage. Note that "semi-dry-cured" sausages are usually cooked then cold-smoked or air dried. Only fully dry-cured sausages may be prepared without cooking as other safeguards (called "hurdles") are used to control the pathogenic bacteria. These are lactic acid, salt, and a bit of proper training and knowledge.
In short, yes... prep cook a sausage before smoking it, unless it is a "dry-cured" sausage like salami or pepperoni etc. To make a "dry-cured" sausage, study "Project A" on this forum and read Stan Marianski's book called, "The Art Of Making Fermented Sausages".
Still confused? See if this helps:
The Types Of Sausages
by WagonWreck Chucky BrokeSpoke
Basically, there are only four types of sausages:
Type (1.) Fresh Sausage -"Fresh" sausage (meaning not cured), must be refrigerated and eaten within three days, or frozen for use later. Ol` timers know there is no such thing as a "secret recipe". There is however, "simply great sausage" - made using only salt, pepper, and only one or two other "signature ingredients". Add all the seasonings you wish; stuff it inside casings or mold it into patties; but use it within three days or freeze it, as it is not cured and not smoked. Refrigerate it at 38°F (3°C). This is the famous "breakfast" type sausage containing pork and sage. Other favorites include fresh Italian and fresh kielbasa, the well-known Polish sausage.
Important:
Fresh sausage is
never smoked as the process cuts off oxygen, raising the risk of obligate anaerobic and microaerophile bacterial development, including
clostridium botulinum!
Type (2.) Cured, Cooked, And Smoked Sausage - This sausage is cured using sodium nitrite to destroy the toxin secretions produced by obligate anaerobic
clostridium botulinum bacteria, as the oxygen is cut off when the meat is placed inside casings, and again as smoke replaces oxygen inside the smokehouse. Botulism, a potentially fatal illness causing flaccid paralysis, is the effect of food poisoning caused by
clostridium botulinum. In 1925, the American Meat Institute introduced the use of sodium nitrite to America`s meat products. Since that time, there has not been a single case of food poisoning in this country due to botulism in commercially prepared cured meats. Sodium nitrite has also been found to prevent the growth of
Listeria monocytogenes - the bacteria responsible for Listeriosis, a very virulent disease that can potentially result in the development of meningitis in newborns.
Following drying, cured-cooked-smoked sausages are prep-cooked (and smoked if desired) to destroy any possible
trichinella spiralis and retain moisture. Finish cooking them on the grill or in a pan. These are the famous Bratwurst, Bockwurst, Knockwurst, and emulsified sausages known as hot dogs or "wieners". Also included in the emulsified category are bierwurst, Vienna sausage, and bologna. Cooked Italian mortadella, salami, Chinese "lop chong", Cajun boudin (blood) sausage, smoked Polish kielbasa, and German Berliner, are other popular favorites.
Type (3.) Semi-Dry Cured Sausage - These are tangy, fermented, cured, sausages served on a fancy plate at a party or simply sliced with a pocketknife while you`re in the saddle. They are cured with nitrite (Cure #1), cooked during preparation, dried (yielding about 75%), but not usually further cooked before serving them. (An exception is pepperoni on pizza). Favorites include varieties of summer sausage, landjaeger, kabanosy, and "slim jims".
Type (4.) Dry Cured Sausage - This is the only sausage that is
not cooked during its preparation, and
not usually cooked before serving or eating. Special precautions are taken with pork sausage in this category, as the destruction of possible
trichinella spiralis becomes necessary. This is the only type sausage safe to eat without having been refrigerated and it is made with Cure #2 containing nitrate. Favorites include salamis from virtually every country, dry-cured Mexican chorizo, Italian sopressata, pepperoni, and other fermented sausages. A hygrometer, thermometer, fermentation chamber, and curing chamber, are necessary to produce dry cured sausages as well as a reasonable amount of sausage-making experience and a practical knowledge of the dry-curing procedure and a basic understanding of how bacteria affect the production of this type sausage.
Hope this helps.
Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon
