Generality
There sausage is a stuffed and preserved meat obtained mainly from pig / wild boar (species Sus scrofa). Its discovery is attributable to the populations Lucane (before the birth of Christ); not surprisingly, the archaic nomenclature of the sausage corresponds to the noun of "lucanica ".
Sausage is a food made from minced meat, added with salt (NaCl) and coated with a natural or synthetic casing (animal intestine or cellulose film), which protects it from both oxidation and biological contamination. Currently, sausage and all its regional variants are grouped in the list of the Traditional Italian food products.
The sausage comes from the "need for:
- Discard the inedible portion of the animal, preserving the edible portion as best as possible
- Facilitate the transport of food
- Portion the edible part into drums without compromising its integrity
- Increase the shelf life of the meat.
In order to further prolong its shelf life and, ORIGINALLY, to hide the rancidity of the meat, the tanning some sausage (commonly called "dough") is always integrated with spices, aromas and other ingredients (with antibiotic and vermifuge action); among the most common we mention: red wine, pepper, chilli, fennel seeds, coriander, nutmeg, garlic, honey etc.
The kind readers will ask themselves how it can be possible that, even in the sausage (which is a well-preserved food compared to fresh meat), a rancidity of the fatty portion can occur; the answer is quite simple. In the historical period in which the sausage processing procedure was conceived, the man did NOT have any cold preservation technique (today basic even at home level); therefore, the foodstuffs (including sausage) were stored in unsuitable temperatures for long storage, with consequent rancidity and risk of rot.
Today, the sausage has innumerable variations, that is as many as there are production areas, local traditions and family recipes. The most important variables are:
- The quality of the meat and fat for the tanning of the sausage: although it mainly (and originally) represents a preserved product based on pork or wild boar, there are other variants with white meats (chicken or turkey or goose sausage), red meats ( horse sausage) and black meats (venison sausage). NB. While modifying the derivation of the meat, the fat used for the sausage should always be that of pork (as it is more conservable than the others)
- The presence or absence of offal in the tanning of the sausage: in addition to the types of muscle and fat used, there is also the possibility of integrating the sausage with some offal; in particular, liver sausage and lung sausage are well known
- The type of mincing of the meat for the tanning of the sausage: we distinguish the "dicing" by knife and that by means of the meat grinder
- The dimensions of the sausage: the diameter is variable according to the type of product to be obtained. The sausage can be narrow and long or short and thick; with regard to the latter, it is then necessary to apply a binding with twine that allows portioning of the stuffed casing
- The choice of flavorings for the sausage: garlic sausage, pepper sausage, chilli sausage, fennel sausage or fennel seeds, coriander sausage, etc.
- The duration of the sausage conservation: adjustable above all by means of the QUANTITY of added salt; the sausage can be intended for "short-term" consumption (with a little salt and drying of just 20-30 days) or "long-term" ( with more salt, drier, almost always coarse and seasoned similar to a salami)
- The presence or absence of food additives in the sausage: while home productions refrain from "using food additives, industrial ones must guarantee a quality standard (whether high or low) and a certain shelf life. They are therefore used for antioxidant purposes." ascorbic acid and sodium or potassium nitrates / nitrites; while powdered milk is added to ensure its softness and shelf life
- Further forms of preservation of the sausage: if not intended for long-term aging, the sausage can be subjected to other forms of conservative expansion; in particular, potting in oil (sausage in oil), storage in lard / lard and smoking (smoked sausage) are widespread.
The sausage is therefore one of the typical products obtained from the slaughter of the pig; the sizes used for the tanning of the sausage are almost superimposable to those of the salami, from which it is distinguished mainly in terms of the doses of the other ingredients or for the processing. However, as you can learn by carefully reading the dedicated article (pork), there is no "rule" that requires the "use of" one or the other anatomical portion (understood as muscle or fat) even if, " by logic ", from the dismantling of a HEAVY pig (read the article Pig) each size lends itself to a type of processing rather than to another". All foods based on minced meat and to be preserved for a longer or shorter period (such as sausage) require: muscle clippings (of the thigh, neck or, more rarely, of the loin), the body areas that require a deep and scrupulous husking (such as the shoulder) and the portions of highly conservable and medium-quality fat (therefore not the throat but not even the adrenal; the pancetta and some portions of the lard represent a good compromise).
Hygienic aspects
Sausage represents a conservative form of fresh meat; however, this does not mean that it is totally immune to microbiological contamination or parasitic infestations. Although with regret, it is necessary to specify that (in the restaurant sector or wanting to ensure the maximum level of hygienic-food safety within the walls of the house) between a "homemade" food and one of industrial derivation, only the latter "can be defined as" guaranteed " and based on the application of a production specification endorsed by the competent authorities. As for the organoleptic and gustatory difference between the two types of sausage, well, there is no doubt! A product made with care and family tradition is certainly superior to the alter-ego widespread on large-scale distribution; however, by carefully analyzing the risks deriving from the consumption of a contaminated sausage, I believe there will be no major delays in choosing the source. safer supply.
First of all, sausages have a different risk index between the various types of processing and methods of consumption; all those COOKED do not include any risk of PARASITOSIS, as these organisms (although present) die with heat treatment. In contrast, RAW sausage (both dry and fresh) has a high risk of contamination by Toxoplasma gondii and represents a food potentially responsible for toxoplasmosis. This parasite - which in humans manifests itself only initially and (in latent form) persists indefinitely in the host - can be the cause of serious complications in immuno-depressed subjects or in the fetus (eg. Serious malformations and / or miscarriage). The same goes for the Trichinella spiralis, responsible for Trichinellosis; this parasite is capable of severely damaging any organism and not only the immunosuppressed or the fetus. Also there Tenia solium, L"Echinococcus and the "Opistorchis felineus they are part of the parasites that can be detected in raw sausage and are potentially responsible for infestations in humans.
As far as bacteria and related food-borne infections are concerned, it is not uncommon for various strains of Salmonella (which can originate salmonellosis) present in the intestine of the infected animal and transferred to the meat by inadequate slaughter; Salmonellas can also be inoculated into the sausage due to contamination by the operator himself. Fortunately, salmonellas are thermolabile and do not produce heat-resistant toxins, therefore they are dangerous only when taken through a RAW sausage, while they are annihilated by cooking.
Much more serious but fortunately easier to identify (due to the rancid smell or the possible swelling of the sausage cans in oil) is the contamination by Clostridium botulinum, which causes the Botulism. This bacterium, by means of its neurotoxins, can paralyze the respiratory and cardiac muscles until death; it affects both fresh sausage and the more conservable (dry, in oil, smoked) but still RAW. Fortunately, botulism is effectively averted by cooking the sausage.
An excellent compromise between the guarantee of wholesomeness and the taste of the sausage is the supply from small producers in good standing, that is the butchers who have a specific license for the production of sausages.
Nutritional characteristics
Sausage falls into the category of "foods unsuitable for the" modern man's diet ". It is a low-water product, rich in lipids (saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, especially in liver sausage), high-calorie and excessively salty; just think that 100g of fresh sausage brings a quantity of sodium equal to double the minimum amount necessary for maintaining health, and up to 60% of the maximum recommended dietary cholesterol level.
NB. There are no specific data regarding the ratio of fatty acids but, analyzing the composition of the various sizes used in the production of sausage, it is absolutely conceivable that saturated ones predominate.
As many will know, dietary cholesterol and saturated fatty acids are responsible (synergistically with overweight) for a "metabolic alteration of lipoproteins that raises the risk of atherosclerosis; not surprisingly, in the diet against" hypercholesterolemia, sausages are a food " taboo".
The low concentration of water and the high intake of fats and proteins give the sausage a very high calorific value. This is a decidedly negative characteristic since, based on the energy expenditure attributable to the average adult population (about 2000kcal), a LOW or MEDIUM portion of fresh raw sausage (150-200g) provides 450-600kcal, or 20-30 % of daily energy. The excess of sausages in the diet (in the absence of physical motor activity and desirable) is therefore correlated to the increase in fat mass and body weight.
The high sodium content in the sausage also significantly limits its use; this mineral, already present in excess in the Western diet, is probably responsible (once again synergistically with overweight and sedentary lifestyle) for the increase in blood pressure (hypertension) and the consequent increase in cardio-vascular risk.
Fortunately, sausage is NOT an "empty" food; it also contains valuable nutrients, such as proteins. of high biological value, iron (especially in liver sausage), thiamine (vit. B1) and niacin (vit. PP). In liver sausage there are also appreciable quantities of retinol (vit. A), riboflavin (vit. B2) and vit. C (ascorbic acid - even if annihilated by cooking).
In the industrial sausage, which also contains milk powder, there are traces of carbohydrates consisting of lactose, while in the liver sausage there are small amounts of glycogen (hepatic reserve sugar).
Light homemade chicken sausages
Light Chicken Sausages - Homemade
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Vegan sausages
Whether it is dictated by ethical, religious or health reasons, the choice to follow a "vegan diet requires" the departure from the diet of all foods of animal origin, including sausages. Our personal cooker, Alice, has therefore decided to prepare a vegetable substitute that can satisfy even the most reluctant palates to give up meat flavors.
Soy Sausages
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Nutritional values
Nutritional Composition of Sausage - Reference Values of the INRAN Food Composition Tables
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