Sausage Glossary

Sausage

Glossary

Sausage: [SAW-sihj] What started out simply as a means of using and

preserving all of the animal trimmings has turned into the art of sausage-making. Simply put, sausage is ground meat mixed with fat, salt and other seasonings, preservatives and sometimes fillers. Such a mixture is usually packed into a casing. Sausage can differ dramatically depending on their ingredients, additives, shape, curing technique, level of dryness and whether fresh or cooked. Most sausages are made with pork or pork combined with other meat, but there are also those made almost entirely from beef, veal, lamb, chicken, or game animals. All contain varying amounts of fat. Seasonings can run the gamut from garlic to nutmeg. Some sausages are hot and spicy others so mild they border on bland. Many sausages today contain additives to help preserve, thicken or color the mixture. Some sausages use fillers (such as various cereals, soybean flour and dried-milk solids) to stretch the meat. The most common shape for sausage is link, which varies in size and shape depending on the type of sausage. Other sausage, (fresh) is sold in bulk, which can then be used to mix with other meats or made into patties or balls. Sausage can be fresh or cured with salt or smoke (or both). Curing extends storage life. Some sausages are also dried; the drying times can vary from a few days to as much as 6 months. The sausage becomes firmer the longer it’s dried. Sausage can be fully cooked (ready to eat), partially cooked (enough to kill any trichinae) and uncooked, which may or may not require cooking depending on how or whether it’s been cured. All these factors produce an almost endless number of sausages that can be used in a variety of ways and which appeal to a multitude of tastes.

Andouille Sausage: [an-DOO-ee; ahn-dwee] A spicy, heavily smoked sausage made from pork chitterlings and tripe. French in origin, andouille is a specialty of CAJUN cooking. It’s the traditional sausage used in specialties like JAMBALAYA and GUMBO, and makes a spicy addition to any dish that would use smoke sausage. Andouille is also especially good served cold as an HORS D’OEUVRE. Andouillette Sausage: [ahn-dwe-yet] This is smaller version (1 inch or less in diameter) of ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE is a specialty of Normandy. It is sold cooked but not usually smoked. This sausage is traditionally slashed and grilled or fried.

Banger: British slang for a number of English sausages originally made from ground pork and bread crumbs. Beef bangers are also known to be available.

Bauerwurst: [BOW-er-werst; BOW-er-versht] A coarse textured German sausage that is smoked and highly seasoned.

It’s usually steamed or sautéed.

Bierwurst; Beerwurst: [BEER-wurst; BEER-vursht] A German cooked sausage with a garlicky flavor and dark red color. It’s usually sold as sandwich meat.

Blood Sausage: Also known as blood pudding and in Ireland as black pudding, this large link sausage is made of pig’s blood, suet, bread crumbs and oatmeal. Almost black in color, blood sausage is generally sold precooked. It’s traditionally sautéed and served with mashed potatoes.

Bockwurst: [BAHK-wurst; BAHK-vursht] Delicately flavored with chopped parsley and chives, this ground veal sausage is of German origin. It’s generally sold raw and must be well cooked before serving. Bockwurst is traditionally served with BOCK BEER, particularly during springtime.

Bologna; Baloney: [bah-LOH-nyah; bah-LOH-nee] Precooked and highly seasoned, this popular sausage is usually sliced and served as a sandwich meat or cold cut. The word comes from Italy’s city of Bologna, though the true Italian bologna sausage is called mortadella.

Boudin Blanc: [boo-DAHN BLAHN; boo-DAHN BLAHNGK] 1. A delicate sausage, similar to QUENELLE in texture, made with pork, chicken, fat, eggs, cream, bread crumbs, and seasonings. It is most often gently sautéed and served hot. The term is French for “white pudding”. 2. In Louisiana, boudin blanc is a sturdier sausage made with pork, rice, and onions.

Bratwurst: [BRAHT-wurst; BRAHT -vursht] A German sausage made of pork and veal seasoned with a variety of spices including ginger, nutmeg, coriander or caraway. Though it is now available precooked, bratwurst is generally found fresh and must be well grilled or sautéed before eating.

Braunschweiger: [BROWN-schwi-ger; BROWN-shvi-ger] Named after the German town of Braunschweig, this smoked liver sausage enriched with eggs and milk is the most famous of the LIVERWURSTS. It’s soft enough to be spreadable and is usually served at room temperature.

Cervelat: [SER-vuh-lat] A style of sausage that combines chopped pork and/or beef with various mixtures of herbs spices and other flavorings like garlic and mustard. Cervelats are uncooked but perfectly safe to eat without cooking because they have been preserved by curing, drying and smoking. They can range from semidry to moist and soft.

Many countries make cervelats; two of the more well known are Germany’s THURINGER SAUSAGE and Italy’s MORTADELLA. These sausages can be sliced and served with bread or cut into pieces and used in a variety of other dishes.

Chaurice: [shoh-REEC] A Creole/Cajun pork sausage that’s hot, spicy and full-flavored. Chaurice is used in Creole/ Cajun cooking both as a main dish and in numerous dishes as GUMBOS and JAMBALAYAS. Chinese Sausage: Texturally similar to pepperoni, this dry, rather hard sausage is usually made from pork meat and a goodly amount of fat. It’s smoked, slightly sweet and highly seasoned. Probably the most popular Chinese sausage un this country is lop chong. It and others like it are available in specialty meat shops and Chinese markets. Store up to 1 month in refrigerator. Chinese sausage makes an excellent addition to STIR-FRY dishes.

Chipolata Sausage: [chee-poh-LAH-tah; chih-poh-LAH-tah] Sometimes called “little fingers” these tiny (2- to 3inch-long) coarse textured pork sausages are highly spiced with thyme, chives, coriander, cloves and sometimes hot re-pepper flakes. The French term a la chipolata refers to a garnish of chipolata, chestnuts and glazed vegetables used to accompany roasts.

Chorizo: [chor-EE-zoh; chor-EE-soh] A highly seasoned, coarsely ground pork sausage flavored with garlic, chili powder and other spices. It’s widely used in both Mexican and Spanish cookery. Mexican chorizo is made with fresh pork, while Spanish version uses smoked pork. The CASING should be removed and the sausage crumbled before cooking. Chorizo makes a tasty addition to many dished including casseroles, soups, stews and ENCHILADES. Cotechino: [koh-the-KEE-noh] A specialty of several of Italy’s Emilian provinces, this fresh pork sausage is quite large—usually about 3 inches in diameter and 8 to 9 inches long. It’s made from pork rind and meat from the cheek, neck and shoulder, and is usually seasoned with nutmeg, cloves, salt and pepper. The best cotechino is delicately flavored and has a soft, almost creamy texture. It’s a traditional ingredient in BOLLITO MISTO, a classic Italian dish of mixed boiled meats accompanied by a savory broth and a piquant green sauce.

Cotto Sausage: The word cotto is Italian for “cooked” and is used to describe this soft Italian salami. It can be found whole is some specialty shops, but is more often sold sliced. Cotto sausage is excellent for sandwiches and cold-cut platters.

Crepinette: [kray-pih- NEHT; kray-pee-NEHT] French in origin, this small, slightly flattened sausage is made of minced pork, lamb, veal or chicken and sometime truffles. Crepine is the French word for “pig’s caul”, in which a crepinette is wrapped instead of a casing. Crepinettes are usually cooked by coating them in melted butter and bred crumbs before sautéing, grilling or broiling.

Frankfurter: The smoked, seasoned, pre-cooked sausage – also known as hot dog, wiener and frank – is America’s favorite. Frankfurters can be made from beef, pork, veal chicken or turkey. They may have casings or not and can contain up to 30 percent fat and 10 percent added water. They range in size from the tiny “cocktail frank” to the famous foot-long giants. The most common size is about 6 inches long. Frankfurters labeled “beef ’ or “all-beef ” must, by-law contain only beef; fillers like soybean protein and dry milk solids are forbidden. Kosher frankfurters are all-beef sausages, usually liberally seasoned with garlic. Those labeled “meat” can’t contain fillers either, but can be made with a combination of pork and beef. A typical proportion would be 40 percent pork to 60 percent beef. Sausages simply labeled “frankfurters” can contain up to 3 ½ percent fillers and are usually made from a combination of meats. Almost all frankfurters contain sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, chemical salts that are reported to be carcinogenic. To store frankfurters, refrigerate in original package up until the manufacturer’s pull date. Although precooked, frankfurters benefit from heating and may be prepared in a variety of ways including grilling, frying, steaming and braising.

Frizzes: [FRIHZ-his] A dry Italian pork and beef SALAMI flavored with garlic and anise. Its name comes from the squiggly, contorted shape. The hot style is corded with red string and the mild (or sweet) is corded with blue string.

Frizzes are most often used as a garnish, as on pizza or in pasta.

Head Cheese; Headcheese: Not a cheese at all, but a sausage made from the meaty bits of the head of a calf or pig (sometimes a sheep or cow) that are seasoned, combined with a gelatinous meat broth and cooked in a mold. When cool, the sausage is unmolded and thinly sliced. It’s usually eaten at room temperature. Head cheese can be purchased in delicatessens and many supermarkets. In England this sausage is referred to as brawn, and in France it’s called fromage de tete – “cheese of head”.

Hot Dog: The term for one of America’s favorite sandwiches (the other being the HUMBURGER) which consists of the FRANKFURTER in an oblong-shaped bun with any of various toppings including mustard, ketchup, pickle relish, cheese, sauerkraut and beans. Regular hot dogs are about 6 inches long, while they are also available in foot-long versions. Among the many aliases for hot dogs are wiener dog, frankfurter, frank and tube steak.

Italian Sausage: This favorite pizza topping is a coarse pork sausage, generally sold in plump links. Italian sausage is usually flavored with garlic and fennel seed or anise seed. It comes in two styles – hot (flavored with hot, red peppers) and sweet (without the added heat). It must be well cooked before serving, and is suitable for frying, grilling, or braising.

Kielbasa: [kihl-BAH-sah; keel-BAH-sah] Also called kielbasy or Polish Sausage, this smoked sausage is usually made of pork, though beef can also be added. It comes in chunky (about 2 inches in diameter) links and is usually sold precooked, though on occasional butcher will sell it fresh. Kielbasa can be served separately or cut into pieces as part of a dish. Even the precooked kielbasa tastes better when heated.

Kishke, Kishka: [KIHSH-keh] A Jewish-American sausage made with flour, MATZO MEAL, fat, onions and the cook’s choice of ground meat. The mixture is stuffed into a beef CASING before being steamed, then roasted.

Knackwurst; knockwurst: [NAK-wurst, NAHK-vursht] Short, thick links of precooked beef and/or pork sausage that is well flavored with garlic. Knackwurst is usually boiled or grilled before serving, often with sauerkraut. The name comes from the German knack (“crack”) and wurst (“sausage”). It was so named from the crackling sound the sausage makes when bitten into.

Leberkase Sausage: [LAY-buhr-kah-suh] This smooth, delicate pork PATE is made with onions, garlic and eggs. The tubular sausage is cut into thick slices and either steamed or gently sautéed. Leberkase (German for “liver cheese”) is served warm or at room temperature. It’s delicious with rye bread and mustard.

Linguica: [lihng-GWEE-suh] Heavily flavored with garlic, this slim (about ½ inch in diameter) Portuguese sausage can be found in Latin American markets and many supermarkets. It’s used in many Latin dishes such as Brazil’s FEIJOADA and Portugal’s CALDO VERDE. Liverwurst: [LIHV-uhr-wurst; LIHV-uhr-vurscht] A broad term for “liver sausage” referring to well-seasoned, readyto-eat sausage made from at least 30 percent pork liver mixed with pork or other meat. The texture of liverwurst can range from firm enough to slice to creamy-smooth and spreadable. It can be smoked or plain and comes in large links, loaves and slices. It’s generally used for snacks and sandwiches and is especially suited to rye bread and crackers.

Loukanika Sausage: [loo-KAH-nih-kah] Seasoned with orange rind, this Greek sausage is made with both lamb and pork. Loukanika is a fresh sausage and must therefore be cooked before eating. It’s usually cut into chunks and sautéed.

Mettwurst: [MEHT-wurst; MEHT-vursht] Also called Schmierwurst because it’s soft enough to smear or spread, this German pork sausage is bright red, fatty and seasoned with coriander and white pepper. Though it’s uncooked, mettwurst is cured, smoked and ready to eat. It is usually spread on bread or crackers.

Mortadella: [mohr-tuh-DEHL-uh] This smoked sausage originated in Bologna, Italy, and is the original from which the slang name “baloney” came. It’s made with ground beef and pork, cubes of pork fat and seasonings. The Italian version, which is not imported because it requires additional cooking steps before the U.S. government will approve it, is air-dried and has a smooth, delicate flavor. Canned, cooked versions are imported from Italy but they do not taste like the original. The American mortadella is basically bologna with cubes of pork fat and added garlic flavor. The Germans produce an excellent mortadella that contains pistachio nuts.

Pepperoni; peperoni: [pehp-puh-ROH-nee] An Italian SALAMI made of pork and beef highly seasoned with black and red pepper. This slender, firm, air-dried sausage is ready to eat, often sliced very thin and used as an appetizer. It can also be used to add flavor to many cooked dishes, as those who love pepperoni pizza will attest.

Pigs in Blankets: A term that is generally used to describe a sausage with an outside covering (blanket). The most common example is a small cocktail sausage wrapped in pie dough and baked, then served as an appetizer. Pigs in a blanket can also refer to breakfast sausage wrapped in pancakes or any other similar style of food.

Pork Sausage: A general category for uncooked sausage made with fresh ground pork and pork fat, usually mildly seasoned with pepper and sage. Under federal law, fresh pork sausage cannot contain more than 50 percent fat and 3 percent added moisture. It comes in link, patty and bulk form and is available in most supermarkets.

Salami: [suh-LAH-mee] The name applied to a family of sausages similar to CERVALETS. Both styles are uncooked but safe to eat without heating because they’ve been preserved by curing. Salamis, however, tend to be more boldly seasoned (particularly with garlic), coarser, drier and, unlike cervelats, rarely smoked. Salamis are usually air-dried and vary in size, shape, seasoning and curing process. Though they’re usually made from a mixture of beef and pork, the KOSHER versions are strictly beef. Among the best-known Italian salamis are Genoa (rich, fatty and stubbed with white peppercorns) and cotto (stubbed with black peppercorns). The non-pork kosher salamis are cooked and semi soft. Italian-American favorites include Alesandri and Alpino. FRIZZES and PEPPERONI are also salamitype sausages. With the casing uncut, whole dry salamis will keep for several years. Once cut, they should be tightly wrapped and refrigerated for up to two weeks. Salami is best served at room temperature and can be eaten as a snack or as part of an ANTIPASTO platter, or chopped and used in dishes such as soups or salads.

Summer Sausage: Any dried or smoked sausage that can be kept without benefit of refrigeration.

Thuringer Sausage: [THOOR-ihn-juhr; TOOR-ihn-juhr] Any of the fresh or smoked sausages named for the former German region of Thuringia. Thuringers include some CERVELATS and BLOOD SAUSAGES. The spice CORIANDER is integral to many of these sausages.

Tongue Sausage: Available in large or small links, tongue sausage is made from TONGUE and various other meats. It often contains PISTACHIO NUTS. Toulouse Sausage: [too-LOOZ] A small French sausage made of coarsely diced pork flavored with wine, garlic and seasonings. Toulouse sausage is usually braised or fried and makes a good addition to many dishes such as CASSOULET. Weisswurst: [VICE-voorst; VICE -vurscht] German for “white sausage,” weisswurst is a delicate sausage made with veal, cream and eggs. It’s traditionally served during Oktoberfest with sweet mustard, rye bread and beer.

Zungenwurst: [ZUHNG-uhn-voorst; ZUHNG -uhn-vurscht] A variety if German BLOOD SAUSAGE that contains chunks of pickled TONGUE. This dried sausage can be eaten raw, although it’s more commonly sliced and browned in butter or bacon fat.

Source: The New Food Lover’s Companion, 1995