The Backyard Homestead

by Carleen Madigan

  Forming the links. Beginning at the tied end of the stuffed casing, grasp about 3 inches of sausage and give it two or three twists in the same direction to form a link. Continue twisting off links until the entire length of casing is done. With a very sharp knife, cut apart the links and cut off any empty casing at the end. The casing will fit the mixture like a glove, and the mixture won’t squeeze out. Cooking will firm up the links, so the meat will not pour out even though the ends of the links are open.

  Aging. Sausage tastes better if it ages, a process that enables the herbs and spices to penetrate the meat more completely.

  Arrange the links in a single layer on a platter and refrigerate them for at least a couple of hours.

  Cooking. Fresh sausage should be cooked slowly and thoroughly because it contains raw pork. (See Cooking Fresh Sausage, opposite.)

  Storing. If you are not going to eat the sausage within two days, wrap the links or patties individually in plastic wrap, pack them into a plastic freezer bag, and freeze. Frozen sausages will retain their flavor for about three months. Thaw them completely in the refrigerator before cooking.

  Yield: About 3 pounds

  Sicilian-Style Hot or Sweet Sausage

  This recipe provides enough that you can please everybody by making hot and sweet sausages at the same time. Just add crushed red pepper to only half of the sausage mixture.

  Version 1

  5 feet medium (2-inch diameter) hog casing

  4½ pounds lean pork butt, cubed and chilled

  ½ pound pork fat, cubed and chilled

  1 tablespoon fennel seed

  1 tablespoon freshly coarse-ground black pepper

  2½ teaspoons salt, or to taste Crushed red pepper: (½ teaspoon for sweet sausage, to taste for hot sausage)

  Missing Links

  You don’t have to stuff sausage into links; you can use it as bulk sausage and crumble it or shape it into patties for cooking. Stack patties between squares of wax paper and seal in heavy plastic bags for freezing.

  Version 2

  Ingredients for Version 1, plus:

  2 cloves garlic, finely minced

  1 teaspoon anise seed

  1. Prepare the casings (see page 296).

  2. Using the coarse disk of a food grinder, grind the meat and fat together.

  3. Mix the fennel seed, black pepper, salt, and red pepper together with the meat and fat.

  4. Stuff the mixture into the casing. Twist off into 3-to 4-inch links.

  5. Refrigerate and use within three days, or freeze.

  Yield: 5 pounds

  Cooking Fresh Sausage

  The best way to cook fresh sausage is in a covered, cold skillet with about ½ inch of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer; cook until juices run clear. Then drain and fry or grill over medium-high heat, turning frequently, until it’s well browned. This technique keeps the casing from bursting. Sausage patties should be cooked over medium-low heat until the juices run clear. Turn the patties once during the cooking time.

  Chorizo

  In Spain and Mexico, spicy chorizo is used alone or to add flavor to many dishes. Smoked or fresh pork can be used. The wine and brandy in the mixture give extra savor to the meat and help extract the flavors of the herbs and spices.

  5 feet medium (2-inch diameter) hog casings

  3½ pounds lean pork butt, cubed

  ½ pound pork fat, cubed

  ¼ cup dry red wine

  2 tablespoons brandy

  4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

  2 teaspoons freshly coarse-ground black pepper

  2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

  1 teaspoon fennel seed

  1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

  1. Prepare the casings (see page 296).

  2. Using the coarse disk of a food grinder, grind the meat and fat together.

  3. Mix the wine, brandy, garlic, vinegar, black pepper, salt, fennel seed, and red pepper with the meat.

  4. Place the mixture in a large, covered pan. Let sit in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 hours, so the wine and brandy have time to extract the flavors from the herbs and spices and the meat can absorb some of the liquid.

  5. Stuff the mixture into the casings. Twist off into 3- to 4-inch links.

  6. Refrigerate and use within three days, or freeze.

  Yield: 4 pounds

  Country Chicken Sausage

  Chicken makes a light sausage that is very low in fat. Be sure that the chicken is well chilled to begin with, and work quickly, so that it will not get warm during processing. This recipe calls for a traditional “country sausage” combination of ginger, sage, savory, and thyme.

  2 feet small (1½-inch diameter) hog or sheep casings

  2 pounds chicken meat, chilled

  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  ½ teaspoon ground ginger

  ½ teaspoon ground sage

  ½ teaspoon summer savory

  ½ teaspoon ground thyme

  ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

  1. Prepare the casings (see page 296).

  2. Using the fine disk of a food grinder, grind the chicken.

  3. Mix the pepper, salt, ginger, sage, savory, thyme, and cayenne, if desired, with the chicken.

  4. Using the fine disk of a food grinder, grind the mixture.

  5. Stuff the mixture into the casings. Twist off into 2- to 3-inch links.

  Yield: 2 pounds

  Smoking: Bringing Out Flavor

  Smoking is another activity through which one may experiment and bring forth tantalizing flavors that can become hallmarks of a good smoker, and experimentation may help you develop a perfect recipe that is truly “yours.”

  The main advantages of smoking are to impart flavor, to drive out any remaining moisture, and to give a favorable color to the meat’s exterior. The amount of smoking, the kinds of chips used for fuel, and the type of cure preceding smoking (such as sugar, honey, or maple) will bring forth that particular flavor you want.

  Cold smoking refers to a slow, smoldering smoke that seldom gets above 90°F (32°C). This is the kind of smoke one uses when hams and bacon are smoked. Meat is never cooked during cold smoking, because the smoke never becomes hot enough.

  Hot smoking is nothing more than cooking with a very hot smoke. Of course, if anything is cooked, it has to be consumed, canned, or frozen immediately afterward: Meat that has been hot-smoked cannot be wrapped and stored as it can if it has been smoked with a slow, smoldering smoke.

  Types of Smokers

  Vertical water smokers similar to the one on the left use charcoal briquettes; look for a good heat-regulation system. An electric smoker, center, is temperature-controlled and may require less attention during smoking. Wood-burning smokers such as the one at right allow smoking of larger quantities of meat.

  Smokehouses and Smokers

  An efficient smokehouse is very simple and inexpensive to build. It may be constructed from so many different materials that one’s imagination is the only limiting factor. Some smoke-houses are available from retail stores and mail-order outlets; for the most part, these are too small to smoke large pieces of meat. If you want to prepare hot-smoked food in small batches for individual meals or for parties, commercially available smokers may meet your needs. Most of these products rely on hot smoking, so the food must be consumed immediately.

  For cold smoking, you’ll need to provide for the following when building a smoke-house: a fire pit, a smoke chamber where the meat is actually smoked, and a smoke tunnel to direct the smoke from the fire pit to the smoke chamber. With these three units in mind, it takes but little imagination to find material around the house that can be used to build a successful smokehouse.

  Meat is never cooked during cold smoking, because the smoke never becomes hot enough.

  Basic Components of a Good Electric Smokehouse

  A Simple Homemade Sm
okehouse

  Making Jerky

  Jerky is made by cutting meat into strips and drying them. Often the meat is marinated before it is dried. Meat from most large game animals, such as deer, antelope, elk, and moose, may be used. Beef and poultry jerky are also delicious. Lean meat keeps well when dried, but fat portions of meat soon turn rancid. For that reason, pork is not often made into jerky. To avoid having your jerky turn rancid, use only the leanest meat for drying, and carefully trim all possible fat before you dry.

  In addition, meat to be made into jerky should be cooked by baking or simmering before being dried. Just using the oven or a dehydrator will inactivate microorganisms but will not kill them. The right conditions of heat and moisture may enable the microorganisms to become active, causing a potentially dangerous situation.

  To cook the meat, steam, braise, or simmer it in a small amount of water or marinade. For beef, fish, and game, the meat must reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) on a meat thermometer. For poultry, the internal temperature should be 180°F (82°C). Drain and cool the meat, then cut it with the grain into strips that are about ⅛ to ¼ inch thick; slightly frozen meat is easier to slice thinly and uniformly. Jerky made from meat cut across the grain (as you would carve a roast) will be crumbly and will lack the chewiness desired in jerky. You may find it easier to cut the meat first and then cook the strips. Alternatively, you could simmer the meat in a marinade until the desired internal temperature is reached. Use a meat thermometer in the liquid to measure the temperature.

  When done, the strips will be dry throughout but should be pliable enough to bend without snapping.

  To dry the meat, preheat the oven to 170°F (77°C). Spread the meat sparingly on trays. Dry the meat in the oven for 5 to 6 hours with the oven door ajar. The meat will shrivel and turn almost black. You may also dry meat in an electric dehydrator. Set it at 140 to 170°F (60 to 77°C); follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

  When done, the strips will be dry throughout but should be pliable enough to bend without snapping. Cool and pat off any beads of fat. Separate the strips and store in quantities that will be used at one time. Larger quantities may become moist with repeated opening of the storage container.

  Store jerky in airtight containers in a cool (38 to 40°F [3 to 4°C]), dry place. Check the jerky within 24 to 48 hours; if moisture appears on the inside of the container, repeat the drying procedure in the oven. If properly dried, jerky will last for one to two months. If too much moisture is left in the meat, it will become moldy. You may also freeze the jerky, sealed tightly in plastic bags, for up to one year.

  Marinades and seasonings — especially salt — are welcome additions to jerky. Before drying, you can brush on sauces or marinate the strips in soy or Worcestershire sauce. Be sure to marinate meat in the refrigerator. You can also brush on spices, such as seasoned salt, freshly ground pepper, and chili powder (use 1 teaspoon of spices per 3 pounds of meat). A mixture of 1 part brown sugar to 3 parts salt can also be used.

  Beef Jerky

  2 pounds very lean beef (chuck or round)

  ¼ cup soy sauce

  ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

  1 tablespoon tomato sauce

  1 tablespoon white vinegar

  1 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon sugar

  ¼ teaspoon chopped dried garlic

  1. Trim all traces of fat from the meat. Freeze until firm and solid enough to slice easily. Cut with the grain into very thin (1/8-inch) slices, and then cut the slices into strips 1 inch wide.

  2. Arrange the strips in rows in a shallow baking pan.

  3. In a blender or shaker jar, combine the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce, vinegar, salt, sugar, and garlic. Pour over the meat, and then refrigerate overnight.

  4. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Remove the meat strips from the pan and dry with a clean paper towel. Place the jerky on racks set over baking sheets. Allow the edges to touch but not overlap. Bake until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 160°F (71°C) on a meat thermometer. Alternatively, you could simmer the meat in the marinade before drying until a meat thermometer in the liquid reaches 160°F (71°C).

  5. Reduce oven heat to 140°F (60°C).

  6. Drain the meat strips and lay them in rows over baking sheets, being careful not to overlap them. Dry in the oven (or an electric dehydrator according to manufacturer’s instructions) until strips splinter on the edges when bent in half, about 18 to 24 hours.

  Homemade Cheese

  Few families, even those with several milk drinkers, can keep up with the output of a good cow, and most goats will average a gallon of milk a day during the summer months. The best solution to a surplus of milk is cheese — the most delicious, nutritious method of preserving milk yet devised.

  Even if you do not have a cow or goat of your own, you can probably find fresh raw milk, without chemicals, from a farm or a dairy. You can often buy milk at a lower price during the summer.

  Not only is homemade cheese cheaper than supermarket cheese; it is also better tasting and better for you, because it contains no preservatives. If you are a vegetarian, you can make your own cheese with an all-vegetable rennet. Making cheese is a simple procedure that is easily adapted to the kitchen. Few ingredients are involved, and most of the necessary equipment is already on hand.

  The instructions for making cheese sound complicated, but the process is really much simpler than baking a cake. For each cheese recipe, review the basic cheesemaking directions first, then read the specific recipe. With only a little practice, you can become an expert at making cheese.

  As you gain confidence, you will learn the variables of cheesemaking — the degree of ripening of the milk and its effect on flavor; the length of time the curd is heated and how that affects the texture; the amount of salt, the number of bricks used in pressing, and the effect on moisture content; and how long the cheese is cured for sharpness of taste. The more you learn about it, the more fascinating cheesemaking will become.

  Cheesemaking Terms

  Clabber. To curdle or sour; milk that has curdled

  Culture. The live bacteria used to develop or sour milk for sour cream and yogurt

  Curd. The white, solid portion of milk

  Rennet. A product, usually made from the stomach lining of animals, that causes milk to curdle quickly

  Whey. The clear, watery, liquid component of milk

  The Three Basic Kinds of Cheese

  Hard cheese is the curd of milk (the white, solid portion) separated from the whey (the watery, clear liquid). Once separated, the curd is pressed into a solid cake and aged for flavor. Most hard cheeses are better flavored if they are aged. The longer the aging period, the sharper the flavor. The heavier the pressing weight, the harder the texture. Hard cheese is best when made with whole milk.

  Soft cheese is made the same way as hard cheese, but it is pressed just briefly. It is not coated, and it is aged a short time or not at all. Most soft cheeses can be eaten immediately and are best when eaten within a few weeks. Soft cheese can be made with whole or skim milk.

  Cottage cheese is a soft cheese prepared from a high-moisture curd that is not allowed to cure. Commercially, it is usually made of skim milk, but it can also be made of whole milk.

  Ingredients for Cheesemaking

  • Milk. Raw whole milk from goats, cows, or sheep makes the richest cheese, but partially skimmed milk can also be used.

  • Starter. Starter is necessary for good cheese flavor. You can buy buttermilk, yogurt, or a commercial powdered cheese starter, or you can make your own tart starter by holding 2 cups of fresh raw milk at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours, until it curdles. If you can’t get raw milk, buy starter-culture kits (in freeze-dried packets) from a cheese supply catalog.

  • Flake salt. Flake salt is absorbed faster than table salt.

  Yogurt Herb Cheese

  Drain 3 cups of very fresh yogurt for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight, in the refrigera
tor. Scrape into a bowl and add 2 cloves of crushed garlic, ½ teaspoon of crushed pepper (about 20 turns on the pepper mill), 1 teaspoon each of crushed dried herbs — thyme, basil, and oregano — and ¼ cup of chopped chives or parsley.

  If this seems a little too tart for your taste, whip ½ cup of heavy cream to a thick, but not fluffy, consistency and beat it into the yogurt cheese. Refrigerate so that the flavors can blend.

  Making Soft Cheese

  The simplest soft cheese is fresh curds. Your great-grandmother might have made it by setting fresh warm milk in the sun until the curds separated from the whey. The most familiar soft cheese is cream cheese, which is made by draining curds for a few minutes in a cloth bag. If you gather from this that making soft cheese is not nearly as complicated as making hard cheese, you are right. Here are some of the simplest recipes.

  Cream Cheese

  The classic spread for date nut bread, cream cheese is wonderful on its own or in any number of recipes.

  • Add 1 cup starter to 2 cups warm cream and let it sit for 24 hours. Add 2 quarts warm cream, and let it clabber for another 24 hours. Warm over hot water for 30 minutes, and then pour into a cloth bag to drain. Let it sit 1 hour. Salt to taste, and wrap in wax paper. It is now ready to use. Refrigerate to store.

  • Another method of making cream cheese is to add 1 tablespoon salt to 1 quart thick sour cream. Pour into a drain bag and hang in a cool place for three days.

  Neufchâtel Cheese

  The original French cheese, Neufchâtel, is from the town of that name in the Normandy region of France. Because it’s made from milk, it’s lighter than cream cheese.

  • To make it at home, cool 1 gallon of freshly drawn milk or heat refrigerated milk to 75°F (24°C). Add 1/3 cup of sour milk or starter. Stir for 1 minute, then add half of a rennet tablet dissolved in ¼ cup of cool water. Stir for 1 minute longer. Let it sit, undisturbed, in a warm place (about 75°F [24°C]) for 18 hours.

  • At the end of that time, pour off the whey on the surface of the curd. Then put the curd into a cheesecloth bag and hang it in a cool place to drain. When the curd appears dry, place it in a bowl and add salt to taste. Mix in the salt thoroughly.