AB, are you serious? As successful as your bait might've been to summon Jessica, I'm here to report that -it's no surprise- her post was censored a millisecond before she hit Submit.

Wow, what a great day at the sausage factory. Nice, but lonely picture of Elery's left hand ...
... no, I would never go there. Clearly, it's beneath me.

Sol ;-

Of course you wouldn't, Sol. As for that right hand, well...don't forget that I was taking the picture.

Annie

Come again?

Oh, Annie, if you aren't using that sausage stuffer, can I have it?

Sol

OMG, I'm not touching this one with a ten foot pole!

LOL, Sol. If it's Elery's right hand that isn't in the picture, and I'm on his left, then his right hand must be doing something that has nothing to do with me, right? Or is that left? (grin) So, you wanna stuff some sausage, do you?

Carol, YOU are a chicken!

Annie

"COME AGAIN"?????? LOL

OMG! I just spit coffee all over my computer!!!!!!!!!!

TOOOOOOOOOOO FUNNNNNYYYYYYYYYY!

Alexa

You gals are so baaaaaaad and I'm proud to call myself your friend.

OMG ! you ladies are going to be soooo sorry when Jessy catches you playing without her .

Nice "dogs" Annie.

We know where Elery's hands are but...? Who is preparing the buns?

: )
lyra

OH MY :0

Linda

So, since Jessica still hasn't come out to play, anyone got a great chili sauce recipe? Gotta properly prepare those buns, you know.....

A little sweet, not too spicy, that would be my preference.

Annie

Now come on people...get serious...this is a food forum!!
(It's just that I can't think of another witty comeback...must truly be getting old; at least I can understand them!)

Actually, Annie girl, I see that the contraption on the counter is not a KA accessory. I'm curious as to why you didn't go with one, since I cannot believe Elery doesn't have a KA. And did you get the casings in Detroit? And finally...How did they taste??

Maureen

Nice wieners. Do they plump when you... "cook"...them?

Jo

Naturally -- I do "relish" this situation but my own jokes simply wouldn't "cut the mustard" at this stage ......

got yourself in a pickle about this food prep?

Of course -- your delightful homemade hot dog buns would be the "yeast" of your problems ......

Heeheeheeheeheeheehee .......

Aw, Maureen, no smart remarks? (grin) I'm sure you'll think of something. LOL

We did the first batch of Italian Sausage with Elery's KitchenAid. It works OK for a small batch of sausage, say maybe 2 or 3 pounds but Elery and his son Chris want to do venison sausage. No one likes venison roast, steak, etc., so they want to do the entire deer in sausage. It's a real struggle for Elery's KitchenAid to do that much and it's not very "ergonomic". It's clumsy and definitely not what the KitchenAid was invented for.

We got the casings and some seasonings at butcher_packer.com, they ARE based in Detroit. They mail, they're cheap and the service is great.

The Viennas are very good, definitely not your Oscar Meyer weiner. That's a good thing, I'm not a real fan of the hot dog, but I like Viennas. They had ground oatmeal as a binder and no preservatives, and they are extremely lean, we didn't add the fat that all the recipes call for. Some casings did split, I understand that with extremely low fat meat mixtures that can happen but I sure don't know why.

Annie

So as I see it, Elery is trying his hand at sausage?

I'm not chicken, just you tow left me speechless, LOL!

Hey Annie, are you playing with weiners or balls today?

U go GF!

Nancy

Today it's balls, Nancy. Meatballs. I just finished 216 of them, part of them will be Swedish meatballs for supper and the rest will go into the freezer. Some will go into Amanda's freezer, giving me some freezer room!

Um...Jo.....they do kind of plump when you cook them.

Teascats? The "yeast of my problems". LOLOLOL

I think the next time I need to get Elery a gift it's either going to be a slicer or a grinder. His family and mine just love the homemade sausage, we can't seem to make it fast enough. Plus, it's a nice change from the plain beef and pork that I have in the freezer.

Annie

I think your sausages look wonderful! They really do look amazing. What kind of stuffer is that and where did you get it from, and was it overyl expensive (if you don't mind my asking) ?. I really would love to start making my own. I have a grinder and a slicer, but I don't own a kitchenaid, and I think I prefer your setup better. 216 meatballs is alot of meatballs! Do you precook them before refreezing? If so, do you fry or bake them?
Inquiring minds want to know.

Thanks,
Shelley

Shelly, the sausage stuffer was on sale at Amazon. The company wanted $149.95, but I got it on Amazon for $99.00 and free shipping.

The meatballs? I used the Mama's Meatballs recipe I got here from someone, back before I put names on all the recipes. I've learned better since then. I bake them on baking sheets and then package them 2 dozen per package and freeze. When I want them I thaw them and make whatever sauce suits me right then.

Tonight it's Swedish meatballs.

Annie

Annie...thanks for all the info on the product etc.

And here is the recipe.. (Annie do you use veal in these?)

Mamas Meatballs and Tomato Sauce a la Ann T

My own Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 onion, chopped
2 or 3 cloves of garlic minced
2 cans of quality tomatoes
season with basil, salt and pepper.

Rocco's Mama's Meatballs

1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 large sweet onion, rough chopped
4 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound ground veal
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
5 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
2 to 3 pinches chili flakes
2 to 3 pinches salt
Olive oil, to coat hands and for browning meatballs
Cooked spaghetti (optional)

.
Make the sauce: Heat oil in a large saucepan. When oil is hot, sauté
onions until translucent.Add the garlic and the tomatoes. Simmer. when
the meatballs have been browned add them to the sauce and simmer for at
least one hour.

Make the meatballs: Place the chicken stock, onion, garlic and parsley
in a blender and purée. Set aside.

Place the meat, breadcrumbs, eggs, grated cheese, chili flakes and salt
in a large bowl. Add the puréed chicken-stock mix. Using your hands,
gently but thoroughly combine all ingredients, being careful not to
overmix the meat.

Coat your hands with a little olive oil and form the meatballs.

Pour oil in a large skillet to a depth of about 1/2 inch and place over
medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, brown the meatballs, turning
once. Add as much of the tomato sauce as you desire, and bring to a
simmer. Cook until meatballs are done. Serve over spaghetti, if desired
Servings: 4

Maureen, I don't use veal in anything. One reason is that it is simply not available here, the other reason is that I just don't like it.

I could raise my own veal, I suppose, but as my farmer Dad puts it "why eat it now, when it'll weigh twice as much in 6 months?"

Nope, no veal for this girl, and that's without taking into consideration the horrible things the industry does to produce it. I gotta tell you though, I have one fence jumping steer, he weighs about 500 pounds right now and he's about to become veal if he gets out ONE MORE TIME!

Annie

Guilt free veal there!

I have never made chili sauce. Thinking I'd start with frozen hamburger cooking in a covered pan with a little water. Scraping it down with a fork as it thaws so I could get totally grained out hamburger. No beans unless I did a couple spoons of refried for texture. Tomato paste to keep it thick or perhaps regular tomatoes thickened with a bit of corn starch? Spice it to taste... for me that would be lots of cumin, some cilantro, probably garlic, black pepper, some salt. Don't normally add salt but can't imagine salting a hot dog.

I would think a good dog sauce should stand on its own. If you can't eat it by the spoon full then it probably ain't good enough. When I worked in restaurants it came in bricks and we simply heated it up. I don't recall any remarkable flavor not found in regular chili. Just tomato paste seems wrong... probably some refried bean for body and sweetness. It could probably have some bell peppers. Not for me but if I was cooking for someone. Never had dog sauce that was hot so I'd probably skip the habeneras. I've put my regular flaming hot chili on top of a hot dog but it was not the "coney dog" I'm thinking of. Along the same line of thinking the onions would stay a garnish rather then go in the sauce... but they probably wouldn't hurt. Perhaps even some sugar.... I'll bet it needs some. Cut the acid and give the sauce a smooth character.

One of these days when I'm not working I think I'll work on a dog sauce. Probably a dozen variations that would be good. Certainly could play with the heat... chipotle perhaps. Sweet or sour or both? Thinking refried black beans would make a cool dog sauce. Maybe some diced sweet orange bell peppers.

Seems last I saw Jessy she was going off to pray. Expect EJ will be back with us soon with some comment about getting sauced and playing with our sausages.

The crowd waits for the master....

: )
lyra

Annie, here's my recipe for basic chili sauce. I make large batches of it and freeze it in small portions for later use. Depending on the chilies I have, sometimes I remove the chili skins by hand. It's really not necessary to blend the sauce before straining it - it is sometimes easier to strain it without blending it, especially if the skins come off in large pieces. The fresher dried chilies work best this way, but if they are old and too dried, it is better to blend them before straining. This sauce is excellent as a base for Louis salad dressing.

Lars

Annie, back to the sausages... Could someone like me, who isn't interested in making a whole lot, make a small recipe, just to try? Could I get away with not using any kind of casing? Could they be made into rolls or patties? I don't have a KitchenAid mixer and could never justify getting one, but I'd like to try making something remotely similar to homemade hot dogs for my poor husband who's on a low sodium diet. I know it would be a real treat for him. Any advice? (And, any recipes?)

Sue

Thanks Annie!

Shelley

Michael, that blasted fence jumping bas*^%$ was out again today, and he took a section of my new fence with him. I was out in the 20 below zero wind chill fixing fence. There's no reason for him to get out, he has food and water inside the fence, none outside, but he tears the fences to heck anyway. Dad says when the weather breaks enough that I can clean out the box stall he's going into the barn and we're going to get some grain, put some fast weight on him and then EAT HIM. Pah. I told Dad to stay away from those dam*ed Angus and stick with Herefords.

I think you're right about the chili sauce, it's very "chili like", at least any that I've had is. I don't usually see it with beans either, just meat and a red sauce.

Lars, thanks for that recipe, if I can get my hands on some mild chilies, I'll try that as my base. I don't like things blistering hot, just a little bite. How hot is that sauce? It seems like mostly chilies...

Sue, the recipe I used said to roll the meat mixture into "hot dog shapes" and cook them, it was a work in progress for the author's mother, who had to limit her sodium. Here's the recipe, verbatim, with notes from the author.

HEALTHY AND LEAN HOMEMADE FRANKFURTERS (Hot Dogs)
MAKES ABOUT 18 HOT DOGS

My mother loves hot dogs but, since she has to be cautious about high-sodium foods, cant eat them as often as she would like. So, I decided to take on the challenge of making a homemade version. It has been quite a task. Surprisingly, getting the correct flavor was fairly simple. It was the texture that posed a problem. The first time I used the grinder attachment to my stand mixer. The grinding disk just wasnt fine enough. We had very tasty, but very coarse sausages. Then I decided to use the food processor and its steel blade. It worked well. You can process it very fine, though it is still not quite as fine as store-bought. I also added the egg whites to help bind the mixture. Although I have a sausage maker attachment for the mixer, I have not dealt with using casings, mainly because I want to perfect everything else first. But thats a good thing, because anyone who owns a processor can make these hot dogs. The doggies are precooked in boiling water, just like those you purchase. The process may seem complicated, but it is really quite easy. If you use lean ground pork and turkey, these hot dogs are low-fat, as low-sodium as desired, completely free of additives, and delicious. My mother is very happy, as am I.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1-1/4 pounds lean ground pork (see notes below)
1 pound lean ground turkey (see notes below)
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
4 teaspoons ground dry mustard
1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I use freshly ground)
1 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon ground sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt (see notes below)
1-1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Grind the oats in a large processor until fine. Remove. (If you have a mini-processor, use it for this step. It might grind this small amount of oats with greater ease.) Place the ground pork and turkey in the processor. Process until very fine, using the pulse button occasionally. Add the oats and remaining ingredients. Continue to process until a paste, making certain the mixture doesnt start to heat. Form a small amount into a little patty. Cook the patty, either in a small skillet or in the microwave, until thoroughly cooked. Taste for seasoning. If needed, add more salt, pepper or spices and process again. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl, stirring well to make certain all of the sesonings are combined. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

There are several choices for forming the hot dogs. As stated above, they may be passed through a sausage maker using hot dog-sized casings, twisting at about 6-inches to form links. (I will try that soon, because I do miss the "snap" when biting into a store-bought hot dog.) Or you could just shape the meat into patties for use in hamburger buns. That would be a little easier to handle, but I like the traditional hot dog shape in a hot dog bun. Take 2 ounces of the meat and shape into a ball. Roll each ball between your hands until it forms a log about 5 inches long, making certain it is fairly uniform from top to bottom. (Without the casing, if you roll the hot dogs too thin, they might break apart when cooking.) Place on a baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper.

Place half of the hot dogs in a large skillet. Add enough water to come almost halfway up the meat. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, gently turning occasionally with tongs, until thoroughly cooked, about 15 minutes, depending on size and thickness. Place on a clean baking sheet lined with paper towels to dry. Proceed with the remaining sausages. At this point, the hot dogs may be grilled, browned in a skillet with butter, or microwaved, as preferred. Alternately, they may be individually wrapped, placed in plastic bags, and refrigerated for several days, or frozen for up to 6 months, just like you would do with store-bought hot dogs.

Notes: If you are concerned about using the oats as a filler, dont be. They only help to bind the meat and add no noticeable flavor. You may substitute quick oats, but not instant. Both the pork and turkey I use is 93% lean. You could use leaner if preferred. Also, in my store, the ground pork is packed in 1-1/4 pound packages. Certainly, you could use a 1 pound pack. As for the salt, I always cook with kosher salt. A teaspoon of that salt is less that a teaspoon of table salt since the grind is coarser. Furthermore, you may, as always, adjust the amount of salt to your taste, using less if you are on a very strict low-sodium diet or more, if you prefer a saltier hot dog. The same applies to the pepper. I use a pepper grinder, which produces a coarser grind than canned black pepper and, therefore, less pepper per teaspoon. Dont forget, you may add any of the seasonings after tasting, but you cant take them out, so start with less.

Good luck, we had some today. The kids liked them, but said they tasted "different". Of course they do, they were good. LOL

Annie

Hmmm, it's been quite a few years but I don't remember seeing mustard, mace, thyme and nutmeg in any of the hot dog seasoning mixes when I worked at Seasoning Mills... How much 'different' is the flavor???

The only reason I ask is because hubby really LOVES hot dogs but hates spices, especially mustard... I'd like to try making them but if you can taste the spices... Well I'd hate to toss out 2 pounds of meat... I don't particularly like any hot dogs... lol

Rita
P. S. Annie, the next time you're in the Detroit area stop at Dearborn Sausage in Dearborn and pick up a small block of chili mix... It's the same stuff they use in all the Coney Islands down here... It's not really healthy but it's soooo good.... lol

Thanks for the recipe, Annie. Believe it or not, I've seen that recipe before but was hesitant to try it. I've copied it now, and your experiment has given me the courage to try it.

This is roughly the way I make chili sauce to go on home made sausage/hot dogs in a bun.
I cut down on the mutmeg and cloves....but the rest is pretty much that way.
This from an old Fanny Farmer cook book....I need to look up my grandmother's recipe....she made the best chili sauce!
Chili sauce
12 medium-sized ripe tomatoes
1 tablespoon salt
1 pepper, finely chopped
2 teaspoons clove
1 onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 cups vinegar
2 teaspoons allspice
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons grated nutmeg

Peel tomatoes and slice. Put in a preserving kettle with remaining ingredients. Heat gradually to boiling-point, and cook slowly two and one-half hours.

Shambo, any sausage type recipe can be made in your food processor. I make sausage and just cube the pork or chicken and put it in my FP in batches and then pulse until it is ground the way I want it. Then I form it into patties and put them on a cookie sheet and freeze. And then put the frozen patties in a zip lock baggie, 4 patties per bag.

I don't see why you could not do this with a hot dog recipe too. You could even form them in long patties to fit a hot dog bun.

And if you did want to just make a small batch as a test, I don't see why the above recipe could not cut in half pretty easily.

Michelle

Interesting the different 'takes' on chili sauce for hotdogs. To me and dh, that means a sweet-hot chili kinda gruel - he of course likes it hotter but bottom line is it is still a hamburger based chili that goes on top of the hot dog as in a chili dog. Add chopped raw onions and shredded cheddar and Lou's your uncle! (Gotta see if Luigi is paying attention!)

Michelle, I bought some pork today just to try the recipe. I'm going to experiment with a roll shape to resemble the real thing. I think it will be a fun food adventure. No matter what, it will probably end up being a good tasting sandwich even if it doesn't perfectly duplicate the hot dog flavor.

My two cents on chili sauce for hot dogs -- For me, only the chili sauce from Original Tommy's in Los Angeles. I don't have the recipe, but I do have a gallon in my freezer. I'm prejudiced, of course, because I'm a family member. My cousin sent me a gallon this week, packed in dry ice. I'll thaw it out this weekend when friends come over for dinner. I can hardly wait!

I buy from Butcher Packer also. For hotdogs use their largest sheep casings which are smaller than the hog casing you used for the hotdogs. The best sausage equipment I ever bought was a 5 lb. stuffer like the one you have.

Check out this website by Len Poli. This man is the primo sausage maker.

http://home.pacbell.net/lpoli/

Len Poli

This is getting really tempting...

Annie, I can't recall if I sent you a jar of my homemade Chile sauce. It's sweet, yet tangy with a tiny bit of a bite but not much. We love it on dogs and burgers, in meatloaves, alongside eggs or pork pie.

Elaine's Chile Sauce

11 Q basket of field tomatoes peeled and smashed
7 Cup white sugar
4 1/2 Cup cider vinegar
2 Bunch of celery chopped
4 small hot peppers chopped
4 large sweet peppers 2 green , 2 red, chopped
4 large onions chopped
1 Tbl ground ginger
1 Tbl cinnamon
5 Tbl coarse salt
2 Tbl Pickling spice tied in a cheesecloth bag

Simmer/low boil chopped veggies with tomatoes for 2 hours then drain off 2 cups liquid. Add everything else EXCEPT sugar and simmer another 3 hours or even more, until nice and thick. Add sugar 1 hour before canning.Fill pint jars and HWB for 15 minutes.

Note: If time is tight I make right up to the add sugar part, refrigerate overnight and finish the next day.~

Chase, you did send me a jar of that chile sauce, my secretary says it tastes just like her late mother's chile sauce, which she's been trying to recreate for several years. It WOULD be good on a hot dog.

Here, though, a chili dog has a kind of sweet hot chili without beans, mostly with ground beef. Now that it's been mentioned, I might like it better without the ground beef!

Rita, those dogs are very mild, I don't taste any particular seasoning, mostly just a very mild "meat" flavor, if that makes any sense, kind of like a very mild bratwurst. They were good, although I have to admit that I liked the Italian Sausage best of the three that we've made, that was just so good.

Shambo, go for it. What's the worst that could happen? You don't like it as hot dogs and then you brown it up and use it in chili or something similar, it's all good. Fun to experiment too.

Earl, thanks for that link, I'm passing it on to Elery too.

Annie