How to Cure Country Sausage

Curing sausages is simple if you're making small quantities.

Country sausage, also known as breakfast sausage, is made from ground pork, mixed with black pepper and herbs and spices such as sage and cayenne pepper. Curing sausage meat helps to remove toxins that can be harmful, as well as improving color and taste. Cure the meat for your sausages before stuffing it into casings.

Things You'll Need

• Sodium nitrite
• Pickling salt
• Water
• Containers
• Cloths
• Meat grinder
• Pork for sausage meat
• Casings
• Herbs, spices

Instructions

1. Make your cure with sodium nitrite according to the manufacturer's instructions. Usually this will consist of mixing it with water, but always check labeling.

2. Grind the meat. Mix with plenty of salt and the cure.

3. Pack the meat into containers and cover with a cloth to allow air to penetrate. The cure will react with the salt and the meat causing chemical reactions; for this reason, it is necessary to allow oxygen to get to it.

4. Leave the meat for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature, which is 68 to 71 degrees Fahrenheit. Warm temperatures aid the curing process.

5. Take the meat out of the containers and mix with the spices. Stuff into the casings and your sausages are ready to be cooked or smoked.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're going to smoke your sausages without cooking them, you must always cure them first. This is because the low temperature you will be using to smoke the sausages can allow harmful bacteria to grow.

• You can also cure the meat without grinding it first, but make sure you cut it into 2-inch sized portions to make it easier for the salt and the cure to penetrate it.

• If you notice the meat turns gray in areas while it's curing, don't worry. This is happening because the cloth is preventing oxygen from reacting with the meat, which can cause discoloration, but the meat is fine.

• Sodium nitrite is a chemical that functions as a preservative; however, it can be toxic when consumed in large amounts. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions.

References

• Wedliny Domowe: Curing Meat For Sausages
• North Dakota State University: The Art and Practice of Sausage Making