Seasoning is king. When you decide to make sausage from scratch, choosing the right mix of flavors can mean the difference between a memorable meat experience and a frustrating food flop. You'll find loads of sausage recipes in books and online. I find they're a great starting point but don't be afraid to give each recipe your own special twist. Once you've combined your meat with herbs and spices, the next [...]
Sausage casings are an essential part of making wieners at home. Their job is to encase the sausage meat so that the sausage holds its shape. Sometimes they also add flavor to the sausage such as smoked casings for hot dogs. When you start out making sausage it can be a bit daunting. There are so many options! Whether it's the cooking style, the ingredients or those casings which seem to be available in [...]
Italian Barrel, a meat obsessed website, covering vegan? What gives? Your eyes aren't misleading you. We'll try anything once and vegan sausages aren't actually too bad. You'll never convert us from our main passion which is sausage making using real meat. But sometimes it's nice to have a break from animal protein for a night. Meatless Monday anyone? There are a number of reasons for avoiding the meat. Health, environmental and ethical reasons are [...]
The Bratwurst is a very popular German sausage that dates back to the early 1300's. This type of sausage is heavily seasoned so it packs a flavor punch. The loose translation of this sausage is: a fresh, fine chopped sausage that is made to be fried. As you can imagine, there are loads of ingredients that could be used to meet this definition so a Bratwurst can come in many forms. Pork is the [...]
The aptly named, Weisswurst, is a distinctive white sausage that originates from Bavaria, Germany. They may not be the best looking sausage out there, but they make up for that will a lovely mild flavor. In Europe, these sausages are traditionally eaten for breakfast or a mid-morning snack. In Bavaria this is a strong tradition that started back in the early 1800s. But they are a fantastic sausage to eat at any time of [...]
It's hard to resist the allure of homemade chorizo. Is it the taste or the knowledge that it takes several days to make them? There is an art to making traditional chorizos and the best way to master it, like anything, is to roll up your sleeves and start making some. Chorizos originate from Spain and are made from pork meat. In many parts of the world, the meat is smoked or cured so [...]
Wurst means sausage. Bock means goat. So loosely translated, Bockwurst means goat sausage. Hang on, that makes no sense? This German sausage is traditionally made from a combination of veal and pork. The Bockwurst is bursting with flavor thanks to the addition of parsley, chives and paprika. It is best to use kosher salt in this recipe. If you decide to use table salt reduce the quantity by av 1/4 teaspoon as it is [...]
This article is your ticket to processing ground meat without the use of a grinder. It's actually not that difficult. If you already have an appliance to grind meat, be sure to check out my article on how to grind meat using a grinder. Ground meat is an incredibly versatile ingredient that's delicious is a wide variety of dishes. What's your favorite meal? Lettuce wraps stuffed with meat, hamburgers, lasagna or sausages? Freshly ground [...]
Drying sausages at home can be very rewarding. Whether you're making your own beer, cheese, ice cream, sausages or any other food at home, it really is hard to beat. A sausage that's made with your own carefully selected, natural ingredients will always tastes better a store bought product filled with unwanted extras. This article assumes you already know how to make your own sausages and are at the drying stage. If you need [...]
