Homemade Sausage Making

Hi,
I have been asked again by a friend of mine to make some ( sort of) all beef, smoked csabai sausage. He asked me if I could make them more juicyer. I even have to use hard beef fat.
Would adding dry milk or soy protein help or increase the fat content.
He even wants me to incoporate some minced fried onions as well and the sausage only lightly smoked.
Being a friend that is always ready to help, I just can't let him down.
Any help appreciated as I intend to make them tomorrow.
I know that I am NOT asking much.
Regards,
Jan.

Hmm. so no pork at all? That is a tough assignment Jan. (or is it Feb.?) All beef and juicy? Even more difficult! You will no doubt have to resort to additives that will retain moisture as I don't think a lot of beef fat is that desirable. You can probably assemble a nice all beef summer sausage type product by omitting some of the spices and adding extra paprika, but that is a semi-dry product.

But, in doing some thinking, Costco in Canada and the US sells something in their food court they call "Polish Sausage". It is an all beef product but as Polish as poutine. But for a buck fifty with a coke to boot it's not that bad and relatively moist. A little while ago I came across a recipe for it, but never paid any attention to it. Maybe CW has access to it and if you add a shovel of paprika you will have you beef csabai.

Good look and keep us informed what you come up with.

Hi Jan,
Soy protein binds comminuted (ground) meat together, and for that reason, it helps in retaining some of its natural juices. This of course, keeps it from shrinking.
Soy protein is used in sausage making as a binder - not to be confused as a filler. As comminuted meat and fat particles are covered with the fine powder (having the consistency of corn starch), soy protein prevents fats from amalgamating and its water-holding ability only increases the firmness of a meat product. However... the amount added should not exceed 2-1/2% as the flavor of sausage becomes altered.

Jan, you can make an all-beef sausage juicy by simply adding a phosphate. Adding fat will not make it juicier; it will make it fatter and make the mouthfeel a little more "lubricated" - not to be confused with being "moister". Adding more than 30% to your beef sausage will be a mistake in my opinion. Don`t do it. Believe me, it will not make the sausage "juicier". If you must use beef fat, use white fat from a younger animal. Stay away from the yellow stuff.
If you want sausage that is more moist, you may wish to use a product called, "special meat binder" - a phosphate. The person to ask about its use and volume, is our buddy "Big Guy". He orders it from Butcher-Packer. Why not shoot him a PM and ask his opinion? Myself, I don`t use phosphates for the reasons cited at this link: http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.ph ... eat+binder (scroll down to the middle of the page). It is a paragraph taken from a paper by G.K. Skryabin, Institute of Biochemistry and Physiology of Microorganisms, Russian Academy of Sciences, Pushchino, Moscow Region, 142292, Russia in April 1999. On the other hand, I can't think of a single commercial meat supplier who doesn't use phosphates in their modern products.

One more item, Crusty. If you make this sausage, it surely won't be "csabai" any longer. As far as the onion flakes being added, there should be no problem if you don't get carried away.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Hi CW,
Thanks for your answer. I will stick with the Soy protein as I can't get phosphate easily and it goes against the grain of using it. I prfer to stay as natural as possible.
I have another 2 days before I actually will stuff the collagen casings as the meat has to sit in the fridge for 2 days to take up all the spices etc.
Best Regards,
Jan.