Sausages are a very popular food item. It is very important to know what to look for when shopping to ensure that you are getting the highest-quality meat. When you shop with Hugh Maguire Butcher and Smokehouse, you can rest assured that you are getting the highest quality sausages.
Types of Smoked Sausage
Smoked sausage comes from chopped meat and can be made using a variety of smoking techniques. If the sausage is boiled or fried and then smoked, it is known as half-smoked sausage. The meat is chopped and sold in edible, natural casing.
A cold smoking process is used to make summer sausages. This type of sausage is usually made using lots of spices and in some cases cognac. Naturally-smoked sausage is pricy and can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 months. If smoked sausage is cheaply priced, it is most likely made using liquid smoke and not the natural smoking process.
What To Look For When Choosing Sausage
The cut of sausage should be even, smooth, dry, and not have any veins. The colour should be brownish, not coral, pink, or bright red. The lack of moisture will cause the casing to wrinkle. An elastic casing means the sausage will contain a lot of water and undesirable supplements. The surface of the sausage should be shiny and dry.
When you shop for sausage, the smell should be quite subtle. A strong smell is an indication that the meat was soaked in some kind of liquid. In many cases, a lot of spices will be used to cover the smell of meat that is not fresh.
If possible, ask to taste the sausage prior to purchase. If unfavourable ingredients, such as soy, flour, or starch was used in manufacturing, the meat will have a paper-like flavour. The taste of high-quality sausages is salty and spicy. The sausage should not taste sour at all.