Help! Make bologna without using TenderQuick?

[Leah]

All the recipes I can find use curing salt or TenderQuick- even those that claim to be Amish or traditional ethnic. I don't really think that they had Morton's salt hundreds of years ago, but I do think they had bologna!

 

Does anyone have a recipe that does not use this?

Thank you.

[Leah]

Does noone make bologna? At all?

[Cat]

I'm sorry, Leah...

 

I started to reply right after you asked, but was "needed" in the world behind me and just quit until "later". Unfortunately, then I forgot.

 

I'll get back with you later today. Gotta get ready for church very soon...

 

 

[Darlene]

No, can't say I do...but I know the potassium nitrate component of the tender quick is for preservative qualities to prevenet botulism even though the bologna is cooked and smoked.

 

I dunno...but without the potassium nitrate, you'll not have the quality, and would need to eat it just like any other fresh meat that has been cooked...in a reasonable amount of time.

[Mother]

Okay, I"m answering this off the top of my head and hoping I'm not leaving anything out.

 

I have made not only bologna but brats and etc without tender quick but I treat them all like fresh meats and either eat right away or freeze them. They really don't have the quality of store bought as far as texture and taste goes but are, in my opinion, better. I have used everything from home processed and boughten natural casings, to synthetic ones, to home made cloth ones like the pioneer used when they didn't have natural ones.

 

Look up some of the Pennsylvania Dutch recipes and maybe that will give you some recipes without the tender quick. I don't use a specific recipe or rather, I may have some somewhere in my notebooks but I can't get to them right now because of remodeling. (you might also check Carla Emory's Old Fashioned Recipe Book there may be something in there) I didn't have a grinder that would make the meat real fine so I used to have my meat ground at the local meat locker for bologna. I like a mixture of pork and beef or venison with enough fat added to keep it from being too dry. I mix my seasoning and salt and pepper (fresh ground is best)to taste then used either my electric grinder with the sausage stuffer attachment or the old cast iron lard press with the same to fill the casings.

 

You can often buy the casings from the locker but in our area we have to buy a whole package of hundreds of them. They were $13 last time I got them a couple of years ago for the brat sized ones. You keep them in the refrigerator in salt water and they store for what seems like forever. You can get synthetic ones at most sporting goods stores and I saw them recently at a farm store in the sporting goods section along with spices and mixes. The cloth ones are just tubes sewn from a thin but sturdy material. I used old flour sack towels to make mine. I tie the ends of all my casings with cotton string or if I'm making sausage I just twist the long casings several times in between each link and then tie them later with string as that speeds up the filling. For bologna sized casings, I make sure the ends are tied well and that the meat fills the casing with no air pockets by squeezing them back and forth a bit before tying the other end.

 

I boil all my bologna and summer sausage in salted water until they are well done, cool them in the refrig and then freeze them. Some of my brats and sausages I freeze fresh and cook them just before eating. I especially like brats ground with cheese and potatoes added to them. Gives a different taste.

 

Good luck finding recipes but if not, adapt your own or one you like and be sure to keep the meat as if it's fresh or just cooked.

 

((( )))

[Leah]

Thank you very much for the replies. I found recipes, but all used the nitrates. I have a father in law sensitive to them. I'll try doing it your way and freeze them after cooking.

I think it will work just fine!

[Mother]

You are welcome. Let us know how that works for you and maybe post some recipes you found that were tasty.

 

((( )))

[Leah]

Still hunting for bologna and sausage recipes without nitrates - have found a few...

BOLOGNA SAUSAGE (UNCOOKED) NO nitrates!

 

6 lb. lean pork

3 lb. lean beef

2 lb. beef suet

4 oz. salt

6 tbs. black pepper

3 tbs. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. powdered cloves

1 tsp. allspice

One onion, minced fine

 

Chop or grind the meat, and mix the seasoning well through it. Pack it in beef-skins (or entrails) prepared as you do those of pork. In the city you can have these cleaned by your butcher, or get them ready for use from a pork merchant. Tie both ends tightly, and lay them in brine strong enough to bear up an egg.

 

Let them be in this for a week; change the brine, and let them remain in this a week longer. Turn them over every day of the fortnight. Then take them out, wipe them, and send them to be smoked, if you have no smoke-house of your own. When well smoked, rub them over with sweet oil or fresh butter, and hang them in a cool, dark place.

 

Bologna sausage is sometimes eaten raw, but the dread of the fatal trichinae should put an end to this practice, did not common sense teach us that it must be unwholesome, no less than disgusting.

 

Cut in round thick slices, and toast on a gridiron, or fry in their own fat. If you mean to keep it some time, rub over the skins with pepper to keep away insects.

 

From: Common Sense in the Household by Marion Harland, New York, 1871

Our ancestors were not quite such dummies as we sometimes. think. While they were as yet ignorant of such matters as germ theory and the existence of vitamins, parasitology was a well developed science. Trichchinosis was lamentably common, particularly in pigs which served as mobile disposal units in cities for garbage and even less pleasant substances common in the days before municipal sewage services.

This recipe is also one of the rare examples of ethnic cuisine, Italian in this case, in 19th century cookbooks. Most recipes would have been perfectly recognizable to a traveling Englishman, with a few additions from the French, the Dutch, and the occasional German source. The Civil War itself did a great deal to spread ethnic dishes to a wider audience, as people from different areas spent time soldiering, and thereby eating, together.

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http://homecooking.about.com/od/porkrecipes/r/blpork21.htm

Try making your own fresh Mexican chorizo sausage at home, from ground pork flavored with garlic, cumin, and chili powder. This is a loose sausage for patties, but you can also stuff it into links, if you wish. Plan ahead to make this 1 day in advance to let the flavors meld.

Chorizo sausages Yield: 8 patties NO nitrates!

 

* 1 pound ground pork (preferably pork butt)

* 1/2 cup cider vinegar

* 1 Tablespoon coarse (kosher) salt

* 1 Tablespoon minced garlic

* 1-1/2 Tablespoons good-quality chili powder

* 1-1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin

 

Place the ground pork in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the cider vinegar and coarse salt, cover, and refrigerate overnight.

Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin to the pork, and stir well. Let the mixture marinate 1 hour more.

Shape the meat into hamburger-size patties. Heat a cast-iron skillet until quite hot. Add the patties, and saute for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Recipe Source: The New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins (Workman Publishing)Reprinted with permission.

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http://homecooking.about.com/od/porkrecipes/r/blpork63.htm

Sausages are called bangers in England and Ireland. Make your own bangers at home with this recipe that includes ground pork, ground veal, spices, and grated lemon zest.

Bangers - Oxford Sausages NO nitrates! Yield: 2 pounds raw sausage

 

* 1/2 pound lean pork, ground

* 1/2 pound lean veal, ground

* 6 ounces pork fat, ground

* 3 slices white bread with crust, crumbled or finely chopped

* 1 tsp salt

* 1/4 tsp black pepper

* 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

* 1/8 tsp mixed grated nutmeg

* 1/8 tsp mace

* 1/4 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/8 tsp dried thyme

* 1/4 tsp minced fresh marjoram or 1/8 tsp dried marjoram

* 2 tsp minced fresh sage or 1 tsp dried sage

* 1 tsp loosely packed, finely grated lemon zest (see Note)

* 1 large egg

* Prepared hog casings

 

Combine ground pork, ground veal, pork fat, and bread.

Whisk together salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, mace, thyme, marjoram, sage, lemon zest, and egg. Knead into pork and veal mixture.

Stuff sausage mixture into prepared casings, compacting firmly. Prick any air pockets with a pin. Store raw sausages in the refrigerator up to three days. Freeze up to 3 months.

To serve: Bangers may be poached, braised or fried. Cooked sausages may be refrigerated up to 1 week or frozen up to 3 months.

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http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blv48.htm

Glamorgan (Welsh) Sausages Vegetarian NO nitrates! Yield: 4 servings

2 cups fresh whole-wheat bread crumbs

6 ounces aged Cheddar cheese, grated

2 tablespoons finely chopped leek or scallion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram

1 tablespoon coarse-grained mustard

2 eggs, 1 separated

freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup dried bread crumbs

oil, for deep-frying

 

Mix the fresh bread crumbs with the cheese, leek or onion, parsley, marjoram, mustard, whole egg, one egg yolk and ground black pepper to taste. The mixture may appear dry at first, but knead it lightly with your fingers and it will come together. Make 8 small sausage shapes.

Whisk the egg white until lightly frothy and put the dried bread crumbs in a bowl. Dip the sausages first into the egg white, then coat them evenly in bread crumbs, shaking off any excess.

Heat a deep-frying pan one-third full and carefully fry four sausages at a time for 2 minutes each. Drain on paper towels and reheat the oil to repeat. Keep the sausages warm in the oven uncovered. Alternatively, open-freeze, and seal; then to reheat, thaw for 1 hour and cook in a medium-hot oven for 10 15 minutes.

From: The Complete Encyclopedia of Vegetables and Vegetarian Cooking By Roz Denny & Christine Ingram (Hermes House) [out of print]

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From Home Sausage Making by Charles G. Reavis (Storey Books)

Hot dogs or frankfurters are nothing more than ground meat with seasonings. They are easy to make at home with about an hour of time invested. You can make these all beef or all pork, if you wish. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your own personal tastes. Plan ahead to find the casings, usually available at your local butcher shop.

Homemade Frankfurters (Hot Dogs) Recipe NO nitrates!

 

* 3 feet sheep or small (1-1/2-inch diameter) hog casings

* 1 pound lean pork, cubed

* 3/4 pound lean beef, cubed

* 1/4 pound pork fat, cubed

* 1/4 cup very finely minced onion

* 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped

* 1 teaspoon finely ground coriander

* 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

* 1/4 teaspoon ground mace

* 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard seed

* 1 teaspoon sweet paprika

* 1 teaspoon freshly fine ground white pepper

* 1 egg white

* 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar

* 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

* 1/4 cup milk

 

PREPARATION:

Prepare the casings (see instructions below). In a blender or food processor, make a puree of the onion, garlic, coriander, marjoram, mace, mustard seed, and paprika. Add the pepper, egg white, sugar, salt, and milk and mix thoroughly.

 

Grind the pork, beef, and fat cubes through the fine blade separately. Mix together and grind again. Mix the seasonings into the meat mixture with your hands. This tends to be a sticky procedure, so wet your hands with cold water first.

 

Chill the mixture for half an hour then put the mixture thorough the fine blade of the grinder once more. Stuff the casings and twist them off into six-inch links. Parboil the links (without separating them) in gently simmering water for 20 minutes. Place the franks in a bowl of ice water and chill thoroughly. Remove, pat dry, and refrigerate. Because they are precooked, they can be refrigerated for up to a week or they can be frozen.

 

Preparing the Casing

Snip off about four feet of casing. (Better too much than too little because any extra can be repacked in salt and used later.) Rinse the casing under cool running water to remove any salt clinging to it. Place it in a bowl of cool water and let it soak for about half an hour. While you're waiting for the casing to soak, you can begin preparing the meat as detailed above.

 

After soaking, rinse the casing under cool running water. Slip one end of the casing over the faucet nozzle. Hold the casing firmly on the nozzle, and then turn on the cold water, gently at first, and then more forcefully. This procedure will flush out any salt in the casing and pinpoint any breaks. Should you find a break, simply snip out a small section of the casing.

 

Place the casing in a bowl of water and add a splash of white vinegar. A tablespoon of vinegar per cup of water is sufficient. The vinegar softens the casing a bit more and makes it more transparent, which in turn makes your sausage more pleasing to the eye. Leave the casing in the water/vinegar solution until you are ready to use it. Rinse it well and drain before stuffing.

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From Home Sausage Making by Charles G. Reavis (Storey Books)

If you love liverwurst as much as I do, you might want to try your hand at making your own at home. The most difficult part of this recipe may be finding pork liver these days. Contact a local independent butcher who should be able to order it for you if your local grocery stores do not carry it.

Homemade Liverwurst Recipe NO nitrates!

* 1 pound fresh pork liver, cubed

* 3/4 pound lean pork butt, cubed

* 1/4 pound pork fat, cubed

* 1 large sweet white onion, about 1-1/2 cups, finely diced

* 3 Tablespoons powdered dry milk

* 1 teaspoon freshly fine ground white pepper

* 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste

* 2 teaspoons paprika

* 1 teaspoon sugar

* 1/2 teaspoon marjoram

* 1/2 teaspoon finely ground coriander

* 1/4 teaspoon mace

* 1/4 teaspoon allspice

* 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

 

PREPARATION:

You will need a piece of unbleached muslin about twelve inches long and eight inches wide. As an alternative, you can use large collagen casings.

 

Fold the muslin lengthwise and tightly stitch a seam across one of the short ends and continue along the open side. Keep the stitching about an eighth of an inch from the edge of the material. The short side of the seam can be curved in a semicirle to give the finished product a rounded end. Turn the casing inside out so that the stitching is on the inside. Set it aside until you are ready to stuff it.

 

Put the cubes of liver, pork, and fat through the fine disk or the grinder separately and then mix and grind together. Sprinkle the onion, powdered milk, pepper, salt, paprika, sugar, marjoram, coriander, mace, allspice, and cardamom over the ground meat and mix thoroughly with your hands. Put the mixture through the fine blade of the grinder twice more, chilling the mixture for half and hour between grindings.

 

Pack the mixture into the muslin casing. It helps to fold the open end down over itself to get things started. This makes it easier to reach the bottom. Pack the meat as firmly as possible. Stitch the open end closed or firmly secure it with a wire twist tie.

 

In a large kettle, bring enough water to a boil to cover the liverwurst by two or three inches. Put the sausage in the boiling water and place a weight on it to keep it submerged. Two or three large dinner plates work just fine. When the water returns to a boil, reduce heat so that the water barely simmers. Cook for three hours. Drain out the hot water and replace it with an equal quantity of ice water. When the liverwurst has cooled, refrigerate it overnight, and them remove the muslin casing.

 

Store the liverwurst sausage in the refrigerator and eat it within 10 days.

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