I tried making sausages for the first time today, and when I cooked them, the inside was more like a paste than a solid meat. Does anyone know why/how this can happen? How can I get a better texture for my sausages?
Update: I was hoping there was an obvious "oh if that happens it's always because of x", but for more details, here's the recipe I followed:
http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/33512/homemade-pork-and-bramley-apple-sausages.aspx
I did the ingredients exactly, but the timing was different. After I made the stuffing, I left that overnight. After putting the stuffing into the casings, They only rested ~20 mins before cooking. Could that be it?
Best Answer
In sausage, meat is "stuck together" by a network of cross-linked myosin, a rather "sticky" protein present in meat.1 This network of proteins can be developed by kneading, much like the gluten in bread. However, myosin only develops properly given enough salt. Thus I see two mistakes you could have made:
Insufficient salt. You need about 2% of the weight of the sausage in salt. Your recipe measured salt by volume. This can be problematic as different salt products are more or less dense. If you have a scale, try using weight the next time around.
Insufficient kneading. You say in your comment that you mixed the meat by hand. However, you need a lot more than mixing. Give it a good knead, either in a mixer or food processor, or by hand, until it becomes tacky, sticky, and slightly more homogeneous.
In addition to these factors, I am a bit concerned by your recipe. Breadcrumbs, apples, and cider won't really help make sausage: these fillers will only disrupt your myosin network. Try a more basic recipe of meat, salt, and any herbs and spices you like. After you master that, you can try to introduce larger mix-ins like apple pieces. But whatever recipe you follow, remember salt and kneading. Without them, your "sausage" will be nothing more than seasoned mince.