# LO FAT Sausages



## Darkstream (Jan 12, 2005)

When I started my diet, I had to give up so many things that I was forced to invent a
whole new cuisine. I was determined that I would still have sausages, even if I had to
create an acceptable low fat sausage from scratch myself. The recipe below is for
succcessful low fat sausages I have made for my diet. They have an acceptable texture
and good flavour, and should suit anyone who is on long term weight loss and control
diets. They are NOT fat free, nor free of saturated fats. This would, in my opinion, be
asking the impossible. Nor will you â€œgetâ€? thin by eating them. They are designed to
be part of a long term weight loss/low cholesterol/control diet. 

THERE IS NO MAGIC INVOLVED.

Traditionally a sausage will have between 30 to 50 percent animal fat in it. This is not
only highly calorific, but is almost entirely composed of saturated fats and thus high
in cholesterol.

Now this is unfortunate, because the fat is a flavour carrier and makes the sausage
moist and tender, so when you remove it the cooked sausage can be very tough and
chewy (a bit like a stick of gum, although I have heard other descriptions  ).

What I do is to replace the fat with silken tofu. Tofu can be a flavour carrier,
particularly if it has had time to marinate. The traditional binder of white rusk is
replaced with wholemeal brown breadcrumbs either fresh or oven baked, providing a
complex carbohydrate base rather than refined.

However, I have now started making my own half wholewheat yeast free rusk, which
improves keeping quality.

I can obtain 5% fat minced pork, and 10% fat minced beef. You should be able to too,
or you can buy your own and mince it yourself (or get your butcher to do so, BUT
make sure he cuts all the fat off, ie WATCH him do it). Remember that a visually
lean piece of meat has approximately 5% fat, so you need to be very picky.

If making in bulk and storing for the freezer, make sure EVERYTHING is
scrupulously clean and sterilize your working utensils, and KEEP EVERYTHING
COLD/COOL.

Procedure: The BASIC SAUSAGE MIXTURE

These are for very small amounts, you can scale up when you have gained
experience/confidence.

1 pound low fat pork mince

40 grams of brown breadcrumbs or brown rusk

2 ounces of silken tofu finely chopped

salt to taste, plus a bit (no cure is in these sausages, the salt IS the cure). (But most of
you will have Mortons cure available, you can use that via the label).

Two to four tablespons of liquid (normally water but may be beer, wine & or
brandy/grappa), or equivalent in cracked ice.

the spice mixture (see later)

Add all the dry ingredients to a COLD bowl and mix and knead thoroughly until a
paste, almost doughlike, has formed. Add the liquid, topping up as necessary (you
will have to gain experience here, but should be OK if you stay within parameters).

Now, you can stuff into hog or sheep (or if you REALLY want to, collagen) casings,
and link up.

Or you can make skinless, which is what I do at present. Weigh the finished product
and divide by 8 or sixteen depending on the size of sausage you want. Roll them out
in your hands and wrap in cling film. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 
week, a month in the freezer. BUT watch out for fermentation if using breadcrumbs.
Rusk is a bit more reliable. But you can still get wild yeasts in your mix.

SPICE MIXTURES:

1. Lincolnshire style sausage. 

This is a traditional peppery English sausage.

A scant 1 teaspon of white pepperCORNS, which you then finely mill

1/2 teaspoon each of black and green peppercorns, half coarse milled, the rest cracked

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon each of ground dried ginger and cayenne (you can adjust to taste,
but this is not a â€œchilliâ€? sausage, just peppery).

Mix the dry spices together.




2. Cumberland style sausages.

1 teaspoon of whole white peppercorns - mill or grind this VERY fine 

1/2 teaspoon of whole black pepper corns - cracked or very coarse milled 

a small pinch (1/4-1/8 tsp or less) of each of ground mace, dried powdered ginger, and 
cayenne) 

20 to 30 fresh sage leaves, finely ground (note, my sage is a narrow leaf sage, broad 
leaf sage probably half that amount) 

1/2 tsp chopped fresh marjoram 


3. Pork and Fresh Herb Sausages

1 teaspoon of whole white peppercorns - mill or grind this VERY fine 

1/2 teaspoon of whole black pepper corns - cracked or very coarse milled 

1/4 teaspoon of dry English mustard powder

20 to 30 ground sage leaves, and now visually approximately the same amount of

parsley,

chives,

lemon zest,

marjoram,

thyme,

basil



4. Oxford Bangers

substitute 1/2 of the minced pork with minced veal

Spices:

1 teaspoon fine milled white peppercorns

1 teaspoon coarse milled black peppercorns

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon mace

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon allspice

zest of 1/4 lemon

NOTE: If you are new to this, you may want to add 1/2 the spice mixture first, and
then fry a small patty to test the taste. You can then add as much of therest as you
wish.

They will keep up tp a wek in the freidge, 1 month freezer. Best left to mature for one
day.


COPYRIGHT NOTICE: These formulations are the property of Darkstream
Productions and their creator. You may use them for your personal and private use.
They may not be used in any commercial formulations or commercial purpose
without the owners prior written consent


----------



## mudbug (Jan 12, 2005)

Thanks for these, Darkstream.  Have never tried tofu in any shape or form, but this post has piqued my curiosity.  May have to give it a go.

Copyright duly noted.


----------



## kitchenelf (Jan 12, 2005)

Thank you Darkstream for taking the time to post this.  It is very much appreciated!


----------



## norgeskog (Jan 14, 2005)

I have a recipe for turkey sausage posted in the proper forum.  It is nicely rated by Weight Watchers, and it is good and very low fat if you use 98% fat free ground turkey breast


----------



## Darkstream (Jan 15, 2005)

norgeskog:

"Healthy and Special Diets
Such as low-fat food, vegan food etc.."

Not sure I understand your remark about "the proper forum".

This development was to directly produce a substitute low fat sausage that tasted like and had a texture the same as traditional shop bought sausages, avoiding the toughness often associated with uTRFa low fat sausages. In my opinion and that of others, it has been overwhelmingly successful.

While I am sure your turkey sausage is good, I am not aware of any traditional sausage that is made from turkey (but I remain to be advised). My sausages use the traditional meats, very lean, with a fat substitute. The less you have to alter, the better a chance of a reasonable facsimile.

I am not sure I could face turkey for breakfast.


----------



## Audeo (Jan 15, 2005)

Hmmm....VERY interesting, Darkstream, and thank you once more for a wonderful and helpful post.

I continue to be amazed at the versatility of tofu, which I hold to be one of nature's perfect foods.  Practically flavorless on its own, it nevertheless absorbs the flavor of whatever surrounds it and provides creaminess and/or bulk without fat.

Very helpful suggestions on obtaining the meats.  What about the use of turkey in your formulation?  Would the use of that, in lieu of pork, be too dry?  (I selfishly ask since I have some leftover that I wish to make into sausages this weekend...!)


----------



## norgeskog (Jan 15, 2005)

Darkstream said:
			
		

> norgeskog:
> 
> "Healthy and Special Diets
> Such as low-fat food, vegan food etc.."
> ...



Admin has asked that we post recipes under the forum listed on the first part, and I posted a turkey sausage recipe under the forum entitled Chicken, Turkey,  etc......  while the texture may not be exactly like the pork sausage, the flavor definately is.


----------



## Darkstream (Jan 16, 2005)

Like I said, I have not tried to make sausages out of artificial meats, and I have absolutley NO INTEREST in doing so. The artifice is to duplicate the real thing as nearly as possible so that the uninformed cannot actually tell the difference when eating them, and I do not need to resort to  pouTRFy trickery to do this. (Neither do you).

I have no idea if turkey would be too dry, though it is a good point. You could try to moisten it by adding more liquid, and if you do not have a fat problem, add some tasteless olive oil or even pork fat.

I presume by "leftover turkey" you mean FRESH meat. If it has been roasted DO NOT EVEN THINK IT. Apart from all the problems of reheated minced meat, wild yeasts and salmonella, making sausages is the same as tortellini or kebabs, ie it is NOT an excuse to mince up every leftover in the fridge and stick it in something.

Reheated pouTRFy literally makes me vomit. I will not eat it. If it IS cold roast, try pouring a chilli/chocolate/ginger sauce over it instead.

Fortunately, we never have tukey roast, or for Christmas, so I am not faced with such problems.

I will be posting all my dietary and low fat/sugar recipes here. If admin want to move them to some other location where people with special needs cannot find them, then that is entirely a matter for them.


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 27, 2005)

There is a product that compairs favorably to the fat found in sausages.  It has about the same spongey texture, and holds moisture vary well.  That product is granualated TVP or textured vegetable protien, usuall made from soy, but sometimes from wheat gluten.  It has a flavor of its own though and must not comprise more than 30% of the total product.  When rehydrated with a good meat broth, and mixed evenly into the ground meat, it is nearly indistinguishable for the missing fat.  I use it in various sausage and ground meat mixtures.  

Again, used right, it succefully replaces fat in meat mixtures.  Used wrong, it produces unwanted flavors.  It is nutritionally sound and a good source of protiens, isoflavones, and nutrients.  It can be used in any dish that uses ground meat, such as pasta sauces, chili, meatloaf, meat patties, etc.

When using the TVP, add an egg-white to the mixture to bind it together (another function of fat).  If cholesterol isn't a problem, use the whoe egg.  Then just season and add onions, peppers, or whatever to the dish.

My most successfull recipe with TVP is breadfast sausage using ground chicken, salt, sage, TVP, ground black pepper, red pepper, and Splenda.  You really can't tell the difference between it and pork breadfast sausage.  And it is virtually fat free.

Add fennel and you have something akin to Itallian Sausage.  For other sausage, you just substitute the TVP for the lost fat and continue as you normally would.

I really can't say enough good about TVP.  It's a wonderful product and can be found in most bulk-food stores.

I like using tofu in many dishes, especially with egg.  It's great as a thickening agent for fruit smoothies, and in egg drop soup, or cubed and cooked with chorizo.  But in sausagees, I prefer the texture of TVP.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## Darkstream (Jan 28, 2005)

TVP, by what I think you mean is that dried soy mince you can get, right?

I had originally thought of using that, but found my recipe above to work very well, so I have stuck with it for the time being in order to develop the seasonings so as to have 5 or 6 typical sausages to make and eat. The only dissapointment I have had so far was a luganaga.

I am hot on the trail of an uTRFa low fat pepperoni, pricipally for use on pizza.

My next experiments are to substitute oatmeal bran for the brown rusk.

Now I know someone else is interested in low fat sausages, I will keep you informed. I have some more flavouring recipes, and I will give the TVP a try before long.

Regards,


----------



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 28, 2005)

Darkstream;  Though my sausage making skills are at the rudimentary level (I only know how to make simple sausages that require cooking, such as breadfast sausage), I do know how TVP reacts to moisture, and what it feels and tastes like.  Simply stated, it's a great fat substitute.

I would love to see some of your sausage recipes as this part of my cullinary world is so lacking, and I'm so acutely interested in it.  I will be glad to share any results I have, successful or not, with you in an effort to create great sausage.

I am especially interested in pepperoni, my all time favorite cured sausage.

Thanks for the thread and your posts.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North


----------



## Darkstream (Jan 28, 2005)

You should go here my friend:

http://www.sausagemaking.org/forum/


----------

