Grilling/smoking sausages and tough casing

[Nunya Bidnits]

I'm talking about "skin on" sausages in casing, not loose.

I've read that the correct method of preparing cased sausage is to slow
smoke and poach. But I constantly see and hear about sausage on the grill.
In my experience the casing goes unacceptably tough, virtually inedible,
when any kind of serious heat is applied on a grill, or in a saute pan for
that matter. Even a venerable local sausage dealer in the Polish community
here called Strawberry Hill, whose offerings include sausage made for
barbecue, can't seem to produce it with a casing that one can chew up.
Natural and not-so-natural casings don't seem to make a diff.

What's up? Does anyone know how to grill sausage which has both a satisfying
snap when bitten into, and which can be chewed without pulling sinewy casing
back out of your mouth?

I've gotten so fed up with it that when we do barbecue competitions I just
make skinless chubs, par cooked in food wrap and foil to set them to shape,
which I then treat on the grill or in the smoker as I would cased sausage.
But I miss the snap of biting into a good cased sausage.

MartyB
[cross posted to afb]

[tutall]

On Sep 26, 9:47 am, "Nunya Bidnits" <nunyabidn...@eternal-

Lord knows, you've described your problem well enough, and it seems
obvious enough it's a material issue. I think.

Have you grilled commercial brats/sausages with the desired results?
Kinders, a medium size company, has released a very good brat that's
sold through Costco. Maybe someone there would be willing to tell what
material they use?

Could it be the hanging? Mmm, that's contradicted by the raw/uncooked
stuff that's sold and I've grilled with good results.

Good luck, keep us informed, and completely agree with your goal.

[Ed Pawlowski]

On Wed, 26 Sep 2012 11:47:28 -0500, "Nunya Bidnits"
<nunyab...@eternal-september.invalid> wrote:

>I'm talking about "skin on" sausages in casing, not loose.
>

>

>What's up? Does anyone know how to grill sausage which has both a satisfying
>snap when bitten into, and which can be chewed without pulling sinewy casing
>back out of your mouth?


>

>MartyB
>[cross posted to afb]
>

Interesting. With rare exception, never had the problem. I only buy
natural casing dogs and buy all sorts of sausages. I just put them on
a heated grill and let them go. Never bothered with the par cooking
either.

No one in my house has ever complained.

Maybe the way you handle them makes them stiff. ;)

[Big Jim]

"Nunya Bidnits" <nunyab...@eternal-september.invalid> wrote in message
news:k3vbj5$qa$1...@dont-email.me...

Marty, the way the old timers sausage was cooked here, although not
grilled,
was to drag out the cast-iron skillet, put maybe a ź" of water in it and
put the sausages in. Simmer until all the water is gone and then continue
cooking the sausage until nice and caramelized. Of course you need to be
turning the sausage while you cooking it.
As far as grilling, I never notice a skin. The "POP" you get when you bite
into ones, to me, is part of eating grilled sausage.
BeeJay

[Michelle]

On Sep 26, 11:47 am, "Nunya Bidnits" <nunyabidn...@eternal-

I have cooked the same sausage you're referring to (though I think
Strawberry Hill
is Croatian, not Polish), along with sausages from various other local
Kansas City
makers. I haven't noticed that problem at all. Does everyone on your
team have the
same problem?

If you notice it a lot more than others - could it be a teeth problem,
rather than a
sausage problem? (Not trying to be rude here - it's a serious
question.)

Michelle

[Nunya Bidnits]

It's not a teeth problem. All three of them are fine. ;-)

Where I notice it is when I run cased sausages in the smoker or on the
grill, which I usually run fairly hot. Maybe it's just too hot.

Depending on who I'm talking to, I hear Polish, Croatian, and Slavic
references about Strawberry Hill, but I think you're right.

Have you gotten sausage from Krizmans? I really like their mix, but their
sausage always cooks to a tough skin in a hot smoker. Maybe I should try
some stovetop as Big Jim was talking about to see if it's the method or the
sausage at fault. Krizman's apple and raw polish sausages are otherwise
excellent IMO.

Have you tried Local Pig? I had several of their sausages and the best thing
I can say is "different".

MartyB

[Gary]

Nunya Bidnits wrote:

>
> Michelle <mcmo...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > If you notice it a lot more than others - could it be a teeth problem,
> > rather than a
> > sausage problem? (Not trying to be rude here - it's a serious
> > question.)
> >
> > Michelle


> It's not a teeth problem. All three of them are fine. ;-)

LMAO!@ Good one!

G.

[Nunya Bidnits]

Big Jim <big...@wildblue.net> wrote:
> "Nunya Bidnits" <nunyab...@eternal-september.invalid> wrote in
> message news:k3vbj5$qa$1...@dont-email.me...
>> I'm talking about "skin on" sausages in casing, not loose.
>>
>> I've read that the correct method of preparing cased sausage is to
>> slow smoke and poach. But I constantly see and hear about sausage on
>> the grill. In my experience the casing goes unacceptably tough,
>> virtually inedible, when any kind of serious heat is applied on a
>> grill, or in a saute pan for that matter. Even a venerable local
>> sausage dealer in the Polish community here called Strawberry Hill,
>> whose offerings include sausage made for barbecue, can't seem to
>> produce it with a casing that one can chew up. Natural and
>> not-so-natural casings don't seem to make a diff. What's up? Does anyone
>> know how to grill sausage which has both a
>> satisfying snap when bitten into, and which can be chewed without
>> pulling sinewy casing back out of your mouth?
>>
>> I've gotten so fed up with it that when we do barbecue competitions
>> I just make skinless chubs, par cooked in food wrap and foil to set
>> them to shape, which I then treat on the grill or in the smoker as I
>> would cased sausage. But I miss the snap of biting into a good cased
>> sausage. MartyB
>> [cross posted to afb]
>>
>
> Marty, the way the old timers sausage was cooked here, although not
> grilled,

> was to drag out the cast-iron skillet, put maybe a �" of water in it

> and put the sausages in. Simmer until all the water is gone and then
> continue cooking the sausage until nice and caramelized. Of course
> you need to be turning the sausage while you cooking it.
> As far as grilling, I never notice a skin. The "POP" you get when
> you bite into ones, to me, is part of eating grilled sausage.
> BeeJay

That's how I cook my Italian sausages, it works well for stovetop.

Maybe it's the casing. I like the pop, but I don't like having a piece of
casing that remains in my mouth, unchewable, after the rest is gone. I'm
starting to think it's a temperature issue, just cooking them too hot.

[Michelle]

On Sep 27, 9:01 am, "Nunya Bidnits" <nunyabidn...@eternal-
september.invalid> wrote:

> MartyB- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Might be too hot - I tend to cook sausages over a pretty low heat, so
all the yummy fat stays mostly inside.

Krizman's sausage is fantastic. Ditto Fritz's and Werner's. We have
some from Kurzweil's, but haven't tried it yet.

Haven't made it to Local Pig. It's on my list, though.

[Colt T]

If you fry hotdogs that having a casing the casing gets tough.

[tutall]

On Sep 27, 8:14 am, Michelle <mcmoor...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Might be too hot - I tend to cook sausages over a pretty low heat, so
> all the yummy fat stays mostly inside.

Don't you manage this by how far from the fire you put the sausages?

I put them on the edge of the fire so they get browned, but the casing
doesn't burn through or crack. (releasing the fat). Do tend to make
those fires a bit smaller than otherwise too.

Or mebbe (probably?) you use a gasser/ourdoors stove.

[Nunya Bidnits]

Sqwertz <swe...@cluemail.compost> wrote:

> On Thu, 27 Sep 2012 10:13:56 -0500, Nunya Bidnits wrote:
>
>> That's how I cook my Italian sausages, it works well for stovetop.
>>
>> Maybe it's the casing. I like the pop, but I don't like having a
>> piece of casing that remains in my mouth, unchewable, after the rest
>> is gone. I'm starting to think it's a temperature issue, just
>> cooking them too hot.
>

> Do you grind/grit your teeth by chance, or have you in the past?
>
> -sw

A little bit, and I have a partial upper plate. Why? Hmm.

[George M. Middius]

Another crack appears in the wall of sqwishiness.

> I have certain things that I can't chew as
> well as other people can.

So much for the theory that your true species is actually castor
canadensis. I'm switching my money to rat rattus. Let us know when the
DNA results are in.

[meda...@gmail.com]

You're trying to be unfunny, aren't you?

[Nunya Bidnits]

I wish Krizman's nicely flavored bbq sausage had a more tender skin but
maybe I'll try it again, low temp. I also like their Polish. It can be had
raw if you ask ahead of time so you can smoke it yourself.

> Haven't made it to Local Pig. It's on my list, though.

I live about six blocks from Fritz's. ;-) Their andouille is wonderful.

I've not been to Local Pig but have had their sausage. The flavor profiles
of the gourmet sausages were a bit, umm, "unusual" for my tastes. I cooked
some pork butt bought from them at the Lenexa Q contest, scored 15th place
out of 180 entries. It was definitely top quality pork butt.

Haven't been to Werner's.

MartyB

[monroe, of course]

Ed Pawlowski <e...@snet.net> wrote:

> Interesting. With rare exception, never had the problem. I only buy
> natural casing dogs and buy all sorts of sausages. I just put them on
> a heated grill and let them go. Never bothered with the par cooking
> either.
>
> No one in my house has ever complained.
>
> Maybe the way you handle them makes them stiff. ;)

SNORK!!SPLORT!! Ed hits a 4-dinger!
Seriously.I've had less casing problems from sheepgut than from piggut.
Seems thinner,more flexible and is ribbed for HER pleasure.

monroe(parboiling in beer=alcohol abuse. You'll go to hell for that)

[deanva...@gmail.com]

I have the same problem when I cook them to eat as a separate dish (baked in a cast iron skillet at 425 F for 10 minutes, flip and cook another 10 minutes). The casings are tough, and yes they do pop when you bite them.

However, I sometimes cook them along with sauerkraut (cook in skillet as above, then add to a pot with sauerkraut and simmer for an hour or two). When I do this, the brats' casings are very tender, in fact the brats will break up if you stir the stuff very much. I guess the acidity of the vinegar breaks down the casings.

You BBQ guys might try soaking them in vinegar for a couple of hours before grilling...not sure if that will affect the flavor in a negative way.

[Rick Krizman]

Well as an actual Krizman I'll say that you should simmer their smoked sausage in a liquid and then with sauerkraut, and the skins will not be tough at all. They're cured and precooked, so no need to overdo it.