This article was co-authored by How.com.vn staff writer, Amber Crain. Amber Crain has been a member of How.com.vn’s writing staff for the last six years. She graduated from the University of Houston where she majored in Classical Studies and minored in Painting. Before coming to How.com.vn, she worked in a variety of industries including marketing, education, and music journalism. She's been a radio DJ for 10+ years and currently DJs a biweekly music program on the award-winning internet radio station DKFM. Her work at How.com.vn supports her lifelong passion for learning and her belief that knowledge belongs to anyone who desires to seek it.
The How.com.vn Culinary Team also followed the article's instructions and verified that they work.
This article has been viewed 95,009 times.
Summer sausage is often seen in delis, but you can easily make your own summer sausage at home! Mix together your beef and seasonings, then cure the meat overnight. Roll the cured beef into sausages, wrap the sausages in foil, and bake them. Once the sausages are done, let them cool before wrapping them in plastic wrap. You can keep the sausages in the fridge for up to 3 months. You can freeze them for about 2 months, if you prefer.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs (907 g) ground beef or ground chuck
- 1 cup (120 ml) water
- 1⁄2 teaspoon liquid smoke
- 1⁄2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1⁄2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 2 tablespoons quick curing salt
Makes 4 summer sausage rolls
Steps
Curing the Meat
Mix the seasonings and water in a nonmetal bowl. Measure all of the spices into a large, nonmetal bowl. Add 1 cup (120 ml) of water to the bowl, then whisk the mixture thoroughly to incorporate the ingredients.[1]- You don’t have to mix the seasonings and water, but it is recommended. Mixing the seasonings with water first makes it much easier to evenly distribute the spices throughout the meat.
Add the ground beef to the bowl. Ground beef and ground chuck are both great choices for summer sausage. If your ground beef is frozen, defrost it first. Unwrap the meat and place it into the seasoned water in the bowl.- You may want to put on plastic gloves first, since you’ll be handling a lot of meat in this recipe. If you choose not to wear gloves, always wash your hands thoroughly after handling the meat.
Use your hands to thoroughly combine the seasonings and beef. This is very similar to kneading dough. Stick your hands into the bowl and press down into the meat. Squish the meat between your fingers, pull it apart, move it around, and so on until the spice mixture gets evenly distributed into the meat. Stop once everything is thoroughly combined.- Don’t over mix the meat! This will make it tough. Only manipulate the meat enough to evenly season it.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate the meat for 24 hours. If your bowl has a lid, snap that on. If it doesn’t, you can cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the covered meat in the fridge and chill it until the next day. It’s totally fine if there’s still some seasoned water in the bowl with the meat. It will get soaked up while the meat cures.Advertisement
Forming the Sausages
Remove the meat from the fridge and divide it into 4 equal portions. Take the lid or plastic wrap off the bowl. Remove the chilled meat and give it a good stir. Place it on a clean surface. Divide the meat into 4 pieces that are roughly the same size.[2]- You can eyeball it – the sausage portions don’t have to be exactly the same size.
- You may want to wear gloves for this part. If you don’t, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after handling the raw meat.
Roll each beef portion into a log 1.5 in (3.8 cm) to 2 in (5.1 cm) thick. Work with 1 piece of meat at a time; set the other 3 portions aside. Shape the meat into a ball, then roll it back and forth under your hands until a log shape forms. Stop rolling when the log is between 1.5 in (3.8 cm) to 2 in (5.1 cm) thick.- Do the same thing for the other 3 beef portions.
- You will end up with 4 summer sausage logs. Each one weighs approximately 1⁄2 lb (0.23 kg).
Wrap each beef log individually in aluminum foil. Tear off a sheet of aluminum foil that’s about the size of a large pizza box. Place the foil sheet flat on the counter with the shiny side up. Place 1 beef log in the middle of the sheet. Wrap the foil securely around the log. Be sure to tuck in the foil on both short ends of the log so that it's completely enclosed.- Do the same thing for the other 3 logs.
Use a toothpick to punch small holes down the side of each log. Starting at one end of the log, use a toothpick to punch small holes in the foil in a straight line down to the opposite end. Space the holes 1 in (2.5 cm) to 2 in (5.1 cm) apart. Repeat the same process for the other 3 aluminum-wrapped logs.- You only need to puncture a single line of holes, from end to end, for each sausage log.
Advertisement
Cooking the Sausages
Place the sausage logs in a broiler pan with the holes facing down. Line the 4 logs up side by side in a large broiler pan. Allow about 1 in (2.5 cm) of space between the sausage logs. Be sure to place the logs hole side down. The holes will allow the liquid to drain out easily while the sausages bake.[3]
Bake the 4 sausage rolls at 325°F (162°C) for 1 1/2 hours. Preheat your oven. Once preheated, slide the broiler pan into the oven. Close the oven door. Leave the sausages to bake in the oven for 1 ½ hours. You don’t need to flip them or do anything else with the sausages during this time.
Remove the summer sausages from the oven and let them cool. Turn off your oven. Use an oven mitt to pull out the broiler pan and set it down on a heat-safe surface. The 4 sausages are far too hot to handle right now – allow them to cool completely. Once the foil wrapper is cool enough to touch, you can move the sausages to a large plate to finish cooling.
Remove the foil and wrap each sausage in plastic wrap. Once the sausages have cooled completely, remove and discard their aluminum foil wrappers. Wrap each sausage individually with plastic wrap, using the same technique you used earlier with the aluminum foil.
Refrigerate your sausages until you’re ready to serve them. If unopened, the sausages can last in the fridge for up to 3 months. Once you open up one of your summer sausages and start using it, the meat will stay good in the fridge for about 3 more weeks. If you decide to freeze your sausages, they’ll keep for 1-2 months.Advertisement
Community Q&A
- QuestionCan I use turkey instead of pork?
Community AnswerYes, any kind of meat will work. - QuestionAt what internal temperature is the sausage considered done?
Community AnswerAbout 160 degrees for a perfect sausage. - QuestionDo you use liquid smoke when using a smoker to cook?
TorpiTop AnswererNo. Liquid smoke is for adding a smoky flavor when you aren't cooking using real smoke (and sometimes to give cocktails that smoky taste). If you are making summer sausage in a smoker, there is no need to add the liquid smoke called for in this recipe for oven-baked summer sausage.
Video
Tips
- When rolling out the mixture into logs, work the meat thoroughly by hand to ensure all air pockets are released from the summer sausage. This will ensure they keep their long, oval shape.Thanks
- Summer sausage freezes well.Thanks
Warnings
- Remember to wash hands, surfaces and utensils after handling raw meat to prevent the spread of bacteria that can be found in uncooked meat.Thanks
Things You'll Need
- Large nonmetal mixing bowl
- Large spoon
- Aluminum foil
- Plastic wrap
- Broiler pan
- Toothpicks
- Oven mitt
- Plastic gloves (optional)
References
About this article
To make summer sausages, start by mixing liquid smoke, onion powder, pepper, garlic powder, mustard seeds, and curing salt with water in a large metal bowl and adding ground beef. After combining the meat and seasonings together, cover the bowl and refrigerate for 24 hours. Next, divide the chilled meat into 4 equal portions and roll each into a 1.5 to 2 inch log. Then, wrap each log in foil, punch small holes in each log with a toothpick, and place them in a broiler pan. Finally, bake the sausages for 1.5 hours at 325°F. For more tips, like how to make sure you’ve thoroughly combined your meat and seasonings, read on!
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.
