Stupid Sausages

[jonnno]

I've been having an issue cooking sausages that I'm keen to solve. I'm assuming it's due to my acute lack of cooking skills but you have to start somewhere..

I've had a couple of times cooking sausages in a pan over a trangia and hobo stove on both normal and non-stick pans where all the sausages expanded, split and generally turned into a right mess however I've also cooked sausages perfectly on both stoves/pans. What causes them to cook fine sometimes but split sometimes?

 

[calibanzwei]

Quality of sausages - crap ones usually do the same to me, regardless of cooking method.

 

[durulz]

Ah, now, you see...the real trick here is to ensure you have some oil in the pan to start with. Now, personally, I don't take oil with me - it's just another container to pop open and leak everywhere (and oil spreads). And if you just dry-fry a sausage then it burns, rips and is just a mess.
The key is to cook something else before you cook the sausage. And bacon is that magic ingredient! And, let's be honest, there can't be many sausage-based meals that wouldn't benefit from a bit of bacon as well! Dry-fry the bacon and quite quickly it warms up and the fat starts to melt and gives you something to cook the sausages in!

 

[Steve M]

I have had skins split with the finest quality sausages. The resaon it happens is that pan is too hot, so the dry skin shrinks. I suggest you use oil, or if you don't want to carry that, solid vegetable fat. Try cooking them more slowly and getting them in the pan before the oil gets too hot.

 

[Tadpole]

I've been having an issue cooking sausages that I'm keen to solve. I'm assuming it's due to my acute lack of cooking skills but you have to start somewhere..

I've had a couple of times cooking sausages in a pan over a trangia and hobo stove on both normal and non-stick pans where all the sausages expanded, split and generally turned into a right mess however I've also cooked sausages perfectly on both stoves/pans. What causes them to cook fine sometimes but split sometimes?

Two things, take some lard in a plastic box, Lard is solid at room temp and will not leak unlike oil, (you can put it in a ziplock bag if you like), use the simmer ring half open to tone down the heat and cook for longer on a low heat.
and two with a really sharp knife cut the sausauge almost in half lengthways, fold open like a burger cook slowly with the simmer ring half open.
Or brown for a few minutes whole, then add veg and stuff along with a 3/4 pint of water and Casserole mix from colemans and simmer for 40 minutes. spicy hot and un-exploded bangers nice with rice and beans

 

[spamel]

Chuck your sausages in the pot with a half inch of water in the bottom and bang them on the heat. By the time the pan has boiled dry, fat is liberated from the sausages and they cook in their own fat. Ensure you ***** the skins, obviously!

 

[FGYT]

usually find Good quality sausages are a problem they dont have the fat content

cheap Cr*p oozes quickly definate needed for a BBQ or on a stick etc unless your very carefull Veggie ones just turn to Charcoal

ATB

Duncan

 

[sparkplug]

Ensure you ***** the skins, obviously!

I disagree..

ESPECIALLY if you do it with a fork as this creates a perfect perforation line and will encourage the sausage to split. If you really insist on pricking them do it with a single pointed tool (e.g. sharpened twig)

I always cook sausages (home made - so high quality) on a dry cast iron pan with a lid. No oil.

The key is to do them really slowly on a low heat. Turn them from time to time to give even colour and to stop them sticking. They will, as you say, exude their own fat and will cook in their own juices very happily. Never had a single one split when cooking this way (oh! - and I don't ***** them at all)

 

[Chris G]

To cook a sausage properly takes ages as really they need to be cooked gently. I agree with the comments about the quality (google wartime, bangers and potato to see why they are called bangers!) so we always get them from the local butchers.

ATB

 

[Neanderthal]

Chuck your sausages in the pot with a half inch of water in the bottom and bang them on the heat. By the time the pan has boiled dry, fat is liberated from the sausages and they cook in their own fat. Ensure you ***** the skins, obviously!

What he said.

Stu

 

[spamel]

What he said.

Stu

What he told me! And it bloody works, trust us both!

 

[Steve M]

Never ever ***** the skins!

 

[Wilderbeast]

I take oil and store it in my billy ala wayland.......no spillages then!!

 

[Mr Adoby]

I cut the sausages in half, lengthwise, and fry them with some oil. Or slice them into a lot of small slices.

 

[Steve M]

An alternative my chef mate suggested is to confit the sausages and store them in lard. Then you can just brown them in their preserving fat too.

 

[John Fenna]

NEVER ***** the skins!
That is cruelty to dumb animals!
Cook em SLOW.
If you have a fear of carrying oil/lard use Vegetarian suet (OK it is palm oil solids and therefor not a good thing for the natural environment in SE Asia etc, wrecking jungle etc with plantations - so use very small amounts...)
Veg suet is dry, melts in the pan not in your pack, needs no refrigeration, is cheap (until they run out of jungle to cut down) and a little goes a long, long way. Makes good hand cream as well...
Take TWO fatty meat products into the bush?
No I take Veg suet

 

[rik_uk3]

An alternative my chef mate suggested is to confit the sausages and store them in lard. Then you can just brown them in their preserving fat too.

Like the tinned sausages in lard you can get in B&M stores

 

[jonnno]

Great replies all round - thanks.

Sounds like what I suspected - too much heat which would explain why sometimes they were fine and sometimes not since the wind was very variable across the times I did and didn't have issues. Is there any solution to this on a hobo where you can't really vary the heat?

One thing does seem to come up - to ***** or not to ***** - it seems there are varying opinions.

Also, putting 1/2" water in the pan seems like an ingenious idea. However does it always work and does it affect the taste at all?

 

[sparkplug]

One thing does seem to come up - to ***** or not to ***** - it seems there are varying opinions.

I think you've probably not read through properly. There's no varying opinion.

There's just those who've pointed out that you should never ***** the skins and those who've got it wrong

[size=-2]...now where was my coat?...[/size]

 

[MartinK9]

Great replies all round - thanks.

Is there any solution to this on a hobo where you can't really vary the heat?

Lift the pan off