Author Topic: Russian "Doctor's Sausage"  (Read 1747 times)

zxcvbob

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Russian "Doctor's Sausage"
« on: November 05, 2020, 12:19:25 AM »
I obsess about the weirdest things when I find them :D

Somehow I stumbled onto this in youtube or something.  It's basically a very high quality but lean and kinda bland version of American bologna developed in early 20th century Russia.  Anybody familiar with it?  The supposedly official recipe from Wikipedia follows and it also matches my research.  I'm considering dividing by 10 and making it.  Yes, it really does have milk and eggs added to emulsify it instead of just water and crushed ice like bologna.  I've even bought some cardamom.
25 kg beef
70 kg semi-fat pork
3 liters milk
2 liters eggs
2 kg salt
200 grams sugar
30 grams cardamom
50 g ascorbic acid (color stabilizer)

All Russian sausages are cured; I would probably drop the ascorbic acid and add an appropriate amount of pink curing salt.  I wonder if ascorbic acid was a translation error?  I can find lots of recipes and videos about making the stuff and they all have a a mix of good information and obvious misinformation.  The ones with an authoritative air probably make an excellent sausage but are obviously wrong.  The best amateur productions look like they almost got it right except they add beet juice for the pink color instead of nitrites.  (celery juice might actually work because it's high in nitrites)

The main thing I can't tell is if the Doktorskaya kolbasa is supposed to be smoked, or just boiled.  Anybody know?  I think it's just boiled or simmered.  I will probably use the above recipe (plus curing salt), then make it just like unsmoked baloney.
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charby

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Re: Russian "Doctor's Sausage"
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2020, 10:30:34 AM »
I'm guessing this is a fresh sausage that is boiled. Think like real frankenfurters or bockwurst.

Ascorbic acid gives a pink hue and keeps the meat from graying.

Add garlic and you basically have a hot dog.
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zxcvbob

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Re: Russian "Doctor's Sausage"
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2020, 10:55:09 AM »
I'm guessing this is a fresh sausage that is boiled. Think like real frankenfurters or bockwurst.

Ascorbic acid gives a pink hue and keeps the meat from graying.

Add garlic and you basically have a hot dog.

thank you for that.  It somehow lead me to this rabbit hole: https://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/index.php  I will spend hours there.  :)

It looks like ascorbic acid works in conjunction with the cure; not sure it would do anything by itself but it certainly wouldn't hurt.
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charby

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Re: Russian "Doctor's Sausage"
« Reply #3 on: November 05, 2020, 11:01:47 AM »
thank you for that.  It somehow lead me to this rabbit hole: https://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/index.php  I will spend hours there.  :)

It looks like ascorbic acid works in conjunction with the cure; not sure it would do anything by itself but it certainly wouldn't hurt.

Damn you for that link. I really want to learn how cure via lactic acid/bacterial bloom, but I don't have room for a climate cabinet.
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zxcvbob

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Re: Russian "Doctor's Sausage"
« Reply #4 on: November 05, 2020, 11:10:03 AM »
Damn you for that link. I really want to learn how cure via lactic acid/bacterial bloom, but I don't have room for a climate cabinet.

You're welcome! :D  I have made dried sausages (salami, of sorts) before.  I don't remember all the details, but I fermented it in the oven (with the light on to keep it warm.)  I think that was before I stuffed it.  Then just dried it in my basement, spritzing with water occasionally.  It didn't "case harden"* mostly because I didn't use beef middles or larger casings; I just used a larger size of regular hog casings.

*Charby probably knows this, but case hardening in sausage is when the outside dries too fast and becomes impermeable, preventing the inside from drying (which then spoils)
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charby

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Re: Russian "Doctor's Sausage"
« Reply #5 on: November 05, 2020, 11:14:53 AM »
You're welcome! :D  I have made dried sausages (salami, of sorts) before.  I don't remember all the details, but I fermented it in the oven (with the light on to keep it warm.)  I think that was before I stuffed it.  Then just dried it in my basement, spritzing with water occasionally.  It didn't "case harden" mostly because I didn't use beef middles or larger casings; I just used a larger size of regular hog casings.

I've done the summer sausage curing/drying in a refridgerator.
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