The Science of Sausages

Yorky

Yorky

RIP 21/01/2024
Joined
3 Oct 2016
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I bought the first batch of these sausages some four weeks ago and I find them very tasty. However, there is one thing that intrigues me. When I first take them from the oven/air fryer they appear quite normal sausages that you would expect to see. However, after a few minutes they transmogrify into a different being.

I took these out of the airfryer one minute before I took the shot (they were already starting to change) then the second shot was 3 minutes later. It appears that the contents of the sausages are contracting more than the skin but I've not come across the phenomenon previously.

Should I go see a doctor?

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Transmogrify.gif

 
Yes - its why I never use the halogen (similar to air fryer) to cook sausages. If you fry them in a non-stick pan they stay plump. I can get away with adding not fat to the pan with most sausages so there is no real advantage in using the air fryer/halogen from a low fat point of view. You need to use a low heat and fry them slowly in my experience. Too high a heat and they will shrivel afterwards.
 
Morning Glory said:
Yes - its why I never use the halogen (similar to air fryer) to cook sausages. If you fry them in a non-stick pan they stay plump. I can get away with adding not fat to the pan with most sausages so there is no real advantage in using the air fryer/halogen from a low fat point of view. You need to use a low heat and fry them slowly in my experience. Too high a heat and they will shrivel afterwards.
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These sausages, as with other varieties that I have cooked of late in the air fryer and halogen oven, were cooked at 150°C which as you can see prevents the skins bursting. The individual links were forked a number of times whilst they were semi defrosted some 3 hours earlier.

You are probably right that I should revert to pan frying sausages or maybe even deep frying.

If I remember correctly, albeit different sausages, these were deep fried:

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Anytime I've been served sausages that look like that they've been dry and overcooked. Personally, at home when I cook sausages I use a carbon steel fry pan, get it preheated, add a bit of duck fat or bacon fat if I have it and sear on each side for a couple of minutes over a medium heat and pop them in a 350 oven until I get a reading of 155F.
 
They probably contained a lot of water and that evaporates and renders out during the cooking process..added water adds bulk and weight for sale purposes..
 
garlichead said:
Yeah, even the before pictures look over cooked to me.
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The sausages were not cooked again between the two pictures.

I have always been taught that pork sausages should not be undercooked (whether right or wrong). Those were cooked at 150°C for about 10 minutes, turning once.
 
I’ve had this happen before, but only when I cook them in the oven.
 
Yorky said:
The sausages were not cooked again between the two pictures.

I have always been taught that pork sausages should not be undercooked (whether right or wrong). Those were cooked at 150°C for about 10 minutes, turning once.
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Oh, ok. Yeah, the before look over cooked and then continued to release it's moisture resulting in the second or after picture. Quite a few people tend to make pin holes in the casing which will encourage any of the moisture to seep out as well.

People tend to error on the side of well cooked when it comes to protein like pork and chicken for example which generally end up with dry and overcooked protein.

Personally at home I cook sausages as I described above, but at the restaurant when I make sausages for an entree I always sous vide them first, then for service I pan fry and pop in the oven just to warm through and they always turn out plump and full of moisture and I never prick or put pin holes in them, that's a no no imo.

Try cooking to an internal temp of around 155 and don't put any pin holes in, that should solve this dilemma. Cheers
 
Yorky said:
I bought the first batch of these sausages some four weeks ago and I find them very tasty. However, there is one thing that intrigues me. When I first take them from the oven/air fryer they appear quite normal sausages that you would expect to see. However, after a few minutes they transmogrify into a different being.

I took these out of the airfryer one minute before I took the shot (they were already starting to change) then the second shot was 3 minutes later. It appears that the contents of the sausages are contracting more than the skin but I've not come across the phenomenon previously.

Should I go see a doctor?

Transmogrify.gif

Transmogrify.gif

Click to expand...

I've ALWAYS cooked sausages in the frying pan - links or patties. Never thought to do them in the air fryer. Didn't know why, just didn't! :whistling:
 
I cook larger sausages on the grill (bbq). They may wrinkle a little, but not much. Tender and juicy inside.

SausagePeppers001.jpg


CD
 
Let me ask a stupid question though. What does seeing a doc have to do with the way that the sausages are cooked? Or was it just a joke? Hah!! :whistling:
 
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