Is sausage made from pork or beef?
This is one of those questions about sausages. You either want to know out of curiosity or because you don’t eat either beef or pork.
Moreover, there are different types of sausages, which could be a blend of beef and pork. In addition, knowing what sausage contains can help you make your sausages at home.
What is a sausage?
A sausage is a cylindrical meat product made from ground meat which could be pork, beef, or poultry.
Alongside the meat, sausages contain salt, spices, flavorings, and other ingredients like fillers which vary with different brands and personal preferences. Also, other sausage options use tofu or vegetables instead of meat.
All the ingredients that make a sausage are encased in a cylindrical skin casing, which helps the ingredients hold a firm shape. The skin casing is usually made from the intestines, but not always.
Furthermore, a majority of sausages go through curing, which is one of the reasons why they can stay unrefrigerated. But you must refrigerate or cook the fresh ones immediately.
You can cook sausages in different ways, which include boiling, barbecuing, and pan-frying. In addition, sausages are a common option in restaurants that sell sausage muffins, burritos, pizza, sandwiches, shawarma, pasta, and burgers.
Is sausage made of beef or pork?
Most sausages are made from pork. But some other sausages are pure beef, veal, mutton, poultry, or a combination of pork and any of these meats.
Are there non-pork sausages?
Yes, there are. Not all sausages are pork sausages. Some are made of beef, veal, mutton, poultry, tofu, or vegetables. Moreover, some sausages are a blend of beef/veal/mutton and pork.
Types of sausage
1. Smoked sausage
Smoked sausage is a sausage that goes through a smoker during the preparation process. This type of sausage has mild seasonings and is fully cooked before smoking.
It is most common with breakfast meals but can also help to make many other dishes hearty.
2. Italian sausage
Italian sausage is 100% pork with spices, which may be enclosed in a casing or not. Some Italian sausages are very spicy because they contain spices like red pepper flakes. Italian sausages can be served alone or on a bun.
3. Bratwurst
Bratwurst is a coarse German sausage made with pork, rosemary, coriander, black pepper, nutmeg, and white pepper. Most bratwursts come in links, and each link is served as a frankfurter in the U.S.
Additionally, other German sausages include bierwurst or beerwurst, bockwurst, bauerwurst, weisswurst, and knockwurst. These sausages are a blend of pork, beef, and veal alongside seasonings and spices.
4. Frankfurter
Frankfurters, hot dogs, or wieners are terms that describe a type of sausage that is usually a mixture of beef and pork. They are commonly eaten with a long bun as hotdogs.
In addition, not all frankfurters are a blend of beef and pork. You may find some that are 100% beef or pork.
5. Summer sausage
Summer sausage is an American sausage that contains pork and beef or venison.
It is called summer sausage because goes through curing, so you don’t have to refrigerate it to keep it fresh. Also, these sausages are sold in either smoked or dried form.
6. Fresh country sausage
Fresh country sausage is a popular American sausage eaten for breakfast. It is made from pork, salt, and a few seasonings. Fresh country sausages, as the name implies, are sold fresh and raw. You’ll have to cook them before you eat them.
7. Chicken sausage
Chicken sausage is a sausage alternative if you’re looking to cut down your intake of red meat. The meat in these sausages is chicken meat. Chicken sausages are leaner, more tender, and healthier to eat. Although they are low in fat, they are also rich in protein.
8. Chinese sausage
Chinese sausages are quite unconventional. They are made with pork, rosewater, soy sauce, and rice wine.
These ingredients sweeten sausages and make them flavorful by themselves. More so, the flavor in Chinese sausages alone can flavor many dishes.
9. Andouille sausage
Andouille sausage is a smoked sausage made with pork, paprika, thyme, chile flakes, cayenne pepper, wine, and onions. It is a good addition to delicious meals like jambalaya.
10. Chorizo sausage
Chorizo sausage is a Mexican pork sausage that also contains seasonings such as oregano, paprika, black pepper, and garlic. It is available in fresh or smoked varieties.
In addition, raw chorizo comes uncased and allows you to enjoy the flavor that directly goes into your dish.
11. Salami
Salami originates from Italian cuisine but is also very popular in America. It is also a cured sausage made with pork, pork fat, wine, and seasonings. It is commonly served with sandwiches for breakfast or a snack.
12. Pepperoni
Pepperoni is commonly mistaken for salami. It is an American variety of salami. Pepperoni could be pork or beef or a blend of both. It is a popular pizza topping and also makes delicious sandwiches.
How to make sausage
This recipe makes 20 sausage links.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds of cold meat (pork, beef, or poultry)
- 1 pound of cold pork fat (for pork sausage) or ½ cup of cold broth (for poultry)
- 5 teaspoons of kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of black pepper
- 2 chopped garlic
- 1 large onion (chopped)
- ½ cup of fresh green onions
- 2 teaspoons of nutmeg
- 1 cup of minced parsley
- 10-12 feet hog casings
- Any other spice you want to add (fennel seeds, cayenne pepper, sherry vinegar, sage)
Instructions
- While working, ensure to keep the meat, fat, and broth cold
- Cut the meat and fat into chunks and put them in a bowl
- Put the bowl of meat and fat chunks into another bowl filled with ice
- Thereafter, mix the meat and fat with all the ingredients (you may reserve a small portion of the ingredients for later)
- Use your hands to mix them well
- Then, transfer the mix into a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap
- Freeze the mix for no longer than an hour
- While it’s freezing, you can soak the casings in warm water and prepare the meat grinder
- When the sausage mix has chilled, bring it out and push it through the grinder. Grind on level 4
- Transfer the ground meat into a cold bowl and keep the bowl of ground meat in the freezer while you clean up the work area
- Afterward, bring out the bowl and add the ingredients you kept aside
- Mix well with a stand mixer, your hands, or a wooden spoon. You should have a sticky mixture now
- Stuff the sausage mix into the hog casings to form one long coil
- Then, twist the casing into links of about six inches
- Allow the sausages to dry for an hour or two before you refrigerate or freeze them
- If you don’t want to make links, you can scoop the sausage and cook it on medium-low heat until it browns
FAQs
Is pork sausage healthy?
Pork sausages are healthy meat products. They are a rich source of protein, vitamins B12, and iron which are necessary for hemoglobin formation.
However, they are high in calories plus unhealthy fats. If you love pork sausages, you should eat them with caution.
Which sausage is the healthiest?
The healthiest sausages to eat are chicken and turkey sausages. These sausages have a lower calorie and fat content when compared with pork sausage.
But chicken sausage is a better option than turkey sausage because it has a lower sodium and cholesterol content.
Is Wendy’s sausage beef or pork?
Wendy’s sausage is certified 100% pork.
Is McDonald’s sausage beef or pork?
McDonald’s sausage is pork.
Is Papa John’s sausage beef or pork?
Papa John’s sausage is 100% pork.
Conclusion
Sausages are very common, but the source of the meat they are made from is not as common. While sausages can be from a selection of meat options, a majority of them are pork.
If you’re not a pork fan, go for the non-pork sausages, which are equally as tasty. Additionally, you can make your sausage at home. That way, you can be sure of what meat it contains.
Thanks for reading. If you ever wondered why your sausages look pink in the middle, find out here.
