Sausages

[Steve Maskery]

Does anyone here make their own sausages? If so, do you have any tips you'd like to share?

I like a nice sausage now and again. No making up your own jokes, please. Ray and I are just friends.

Until recently there were two butchers in Kirkby. One I never went into, because everything in the window looked grey. Really grey. So I wasn't surprised when they closed, only surprised that they had lasted for so long, the shop front was obviously from a previous generation. As looked the meat.

The other was a double-fronted shop called Bird's. "Est 1902" it said proudly in the sign-writing. Bird's made the best sausages ever. Old English recipe, really, really good. I went a few weeks ago and the roller shutter was down. I assumed they had closed early, but they weren't open the following Saturday morning either. Folded, apparently. I don't know if they have closed just that one shop or the whole chain has gone, but it means that now there is no butcher in Kirkby-in-Ashfiled, just Morrison's and Aldi. Neither do good sausages, and I have tried them all.

I mentioned it to a shop lady in another shop and she suggested I tried Whatshisnames at Nuncargate. She used to work there and said they did good sausages and sausage rolls. It a short drive rather than a long walk. I did, last week, and although what I bought there (very-bad-for-me but hopefully delicious) was expensive , and the sausage roll was good rather than excellent, and the pork pie was, despite being "prize-winning" something I won't buy again, the sausages, which I have just cooked with mash and cabbage, were absolutely excellent.

So I do still have reasonable access to good sausages.

A week or two ago I tried making my own. I did follow a recipe and it was pretty good. I didn't have skins or a filler, I just made them sausage-shaped and allowed them to firm up in the fridge, rolled them in cous-cous to give a crust and fried them. They were a bit strong, but perfectly decent.

My NDB1 neighbour is a butcher. He doesn't have his own shop, but he says he can get me skins any time I want them. I've given him some of the old garage roof panels, so he owes me a favour. I think I'll take him up.

I just wondered if any else here had been down this particular culinary path and how they had got on. A good banger is a thing of deliciousness, a bad one is not worth the calories. I think the worst I've ever encountered is a packet of Richmond from the supermarket. Truly, truly inedible.

So, how do I make the World's Best Sausage?

 

[Racers]

Before I stopped eating sausages I liked the Pork Stilton and Apple sausages from the butchers in the market square at Newark, very nice.

Pete

 

[Steve Maskery]

The pork and apple ones from Morrison's are horrible. And I like the idea of them, but horrible to eat.

 

[woodpig]

The trick is getting the blend of herbs/spices right. I'm quite partial to Waitrose Black Pepper and Nutmeg Chipolatas at the moment.

 

[Steve Maskery]

This is Kirkby-in-Ashfield! We don't have a Waitrose! Or much else for that matter. Lots of boarded-up shop fronts.
The local council hailed the new Morrison's as a sign of urban regeneration, and indeed, it was excellent when it first opened, a couple of years ago. But it has "rationalised" its lines and now it it is a very, very good corner shop.
S

 

[marcros]

lincolnshire, from my parents local butchers would be my choice. I dont know whether it is the flavour, or from having grown up with them but no other sausage comes close.

(Odlings bros in Navenby, Lincs if anybody is passing)

 

[Steve Maskery]

The trick is getting the blend of herbs/spices right.

I agree entirely. Hence the question.

The recipe I tried was pretty good, especially as I had tried to scale it down, always a challenge with any recipe. I just wondered if anyone else was a banger fan enough to make their own.

 

[SPSlick]

I used to make my own when the boys were still at home as one of them was very picky. It's amazing what you can do with your own choice of meats and spices. I've still got the gear and could do you a swap for some of your dvds if you'd be interested.

Mick

 

[Steve Maskery]

Thanks Mick, but I was not really thinking of going into business! I'm fat enough without making sausages my main diet...
I'm more interested in recipes and advice to avoid pitfalls.

 

[NickWelford]

I'd love to make my own sausages, but I'm in need of a sausage stuffing attachment for my Kitchenaid. My wife is gluten intolerant, and also can't stand sage. Looking for good sausage meat without those ingredients is difficult, so last Xmas I made my own, using a combination of belly pork, pork shoulder, smoked bacon, gluten free breadcrumbs, onion, pepper, nutmeg and salt. Was really good for sausage rolls. Needs a fair amount of fat.

How were you planning to stuff the skins, Steve?

 

[RogerP]

How were you planning to stuff the skins, Steve?

Steve being Steve - he'd make a jig!

 

[Fat ferret]

I bought a cheap wind the handle mincer sausage maker and skins because I wanted to make game sausages. It made good looking sausages but they were often too dry. I was trying to use some of the venison I get with the pork but couldn't get it quite right. Although I know someone who makes excellent sausages so it is doable. The mincer is handy for making venison burgers which don't need belly pork so that's where my venison off cuts end up.

Bambi burgers I call them. :twisted:

 

[Phil Pascoe]

Steve is right about Richmond - when they last had heavy advertising on TV they couldn't even make a meal look appetising for that. They are vile.

 

[NickWelford]

This is Kirkby-in-Ashfield! We don't have a Waitrose!
S

I expect Waitrose deliver to Kirkby-in-Ashfield. Their sausages are pretty good. I work a few hours a week delivering for Waitrose, but we don't get quite that far from the Stamford shop.

 

[John Brown]

Round here Waitrose and Tesco stock Porky Whites, which are superb IMO, but I think they are a local outfit - I've not found them in other branches of Tesco or Waitrose in far-flung places.

 

[Richard863]

Never got into banger production used to have a decent butcher, now gone bust. Then we had Morrisons they had a great butcher system until they went into competition with the other EU mobs, now their skins seem filled with Yuk and inedible. IMHO there's ground up bones in them "tha" skins.
Waitrose and alarmingly M&S produce a respectable edible and cuttable sausage. Remember the "All meat a real treat".
Sorry I haven't learnt how to do the Yorkshire accent on the forum yet.

Richard

 

[novocaine]

stop moaning, you've still got a boyes.

drove though last Saturday and everything was pretty much shut which really surprised me. was pretty sad to be honest.

stop in at broad nook farm Selston and buy a few of theirs (she really does beef but has sausages occasionally) and ask her where is best. she does tend to only be open once or twice a month when she's been knocked a few more cows off.

as for making your own, yes I do occasionally, I have a book of recipes that are pretty good, I'll dig it out tonight and let you know the name. salt is your friend, without salt a sausage is just not nice and it's surprising how much you put in there.

 

[Kalimna]

I've made quite a few sausages over the past couple of years. It's a bit of a faff, and not really doable on a small scale (8-10 soss would be small scale), but they do freeze well.
The first recipe, and still a goodun is that in the River Cottage book, the early one. Fairly standard banger. The trick is to use a good mix of belly and shoulder, with rusk of some kind (gluten free or not), and not skimp on the salt. And always fry off a little patty to check the seasonings BEFORE stuffing the skins.
The other trick is to always grind on as coarse a plate as you can (think scrub plane rather than smoother ).
These guys, https://www.weschenfelder.co.uk, do a good range of kit, recipes and spice mixes. Last time I ordered, I bought the skins pre rolled onto a plastic bobbin that makes life a heck of lot easier when it comes to putting the skins (which are quite the most unpleasant things to handle or smell) onto the stuffer.

Good luck...

Adam

For what it's worth, our Morrisons still seem to do excellent sausages, but I tend to only go for the plain, Lincolnshire, Toulouse and mega-spicy if they have them.

 

[Glynne]

Dave 123 is a regular sausage maker. I'm guessing his house move is why he hasn't answered this thread so you could always pm him.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Novo - you came through and didn't call in for a cuppa? Next time, next time..

Adam - Yes please

Glynne - Ah yes, he's into cheese-making as well, isn't he? I think he probably knows what he's doing.

I used some tired home-made bread for rusk, but I've been thinking of using oatmeal for its flavour. Lots of experimenting to do.

Thanks all.