Sausages will be the stars of the Fraser Valley Food Show during the Great Canadian Sausage Competition Oct. 5 at Tradex. Mijune Pak

FOLLOW ME FOODIE: The art of sausage making

By Mijune Pak , Follow Me Foodie – WE Vancouver
Published: September 27, 2013 12:00 PM
Updated: September 27, 2013 12:51 PM

Sausage making is one of the oldest forms of food processing and how meat was preserved. The whole animal was valued and remaining scraps and organs were ground up, salted, seasoned and stuffed into casings, often from a cleaned pig’s intestines. The sausages were cured, air dried or smoked, and the method and ingredients were dependent on regional resources and climate.

People in drier climates such as Spain often specialize in air-dried sausages while humid climates might offer more fresh sausages, or add vinegar to the recipe to help with the preservation process.

Maximizing the use of the animal by using the “leftovers” is still how some sausages are made today, but often poor quality ones will contain other mysterious “fillers” and “preservatives”.

Sausage makers have refined the process and made it a respected art. Rather than only using the unwanted parts of the pig (which are desirable to some cultures) they are using pork shoulder and butt as a solid base for their sausages. Valuable parts such as the tenderloin would be wasted in a sausage as well as being too lean.

Besides ingredients and process, cooking is key. People often slit the casings to allow heat to escape while cooking, which is a sausage crime. The casing is there to hold everything together and keep the juices locked in. Sausages are meant to be cooked slowly at a low heat. Avoid blistering and splitting the skin; indirect heat on a grill is ideal.

In a culturally diverse city with artisan sausage makers and ethical pork farmers, we have a wide selection to try from.

On Saturday, October 5, join the BC Chefs Association at The Great Canadian Sausage Making Competition presented by BC Pork at The Fraser Valley Food Show at Tradex, Abbotsford (1190 Cornell).

Nearly 100 sausages were entered by professional competitors last year and they expect around the same this year. Professional judging is noon to 3pm and People’s Choice Award Sausage Sampling by the public is 11am to 1:30pm for a nominal $2 fee per person.

Last year’s all-natural, local and sustainable pork sausage winners included: … Read the full article.

Enter to win 2 tickets to The Fraser Valley Food Show!

BC Pork is pleased to sponsor the Great Canadian Sausage Making Competition, October 5 at the Fraser Valley Food Show at Tradex in Abbotsford. I have 2 tickets available for 25 lucky winners! Tell me your favourite sausage to enter to win 2 tickets! Only general tickets to the Fraser Valley Food Show are required for access to the sausage making competition.

Try almost 100 sausages made by professionals!

Event: Great Canadian Sausage Making Competition

Date: Saturday, October 5

Time: Professional judging is noon to 3pm and People’s Choice Award Sausage

Sampling by the public is 11am to 1:30pm for a nominal $2 fee per person.

Where: TRADEX, Abbotsford (1190 Cornell)

How to enter:

1) Comment on this post with your favourite sausage.

or

2) Tweet: Win 2 tix & try nearly 100 sausages @FVFoodShow via @PassionForPork @BCPork & @FollowMeFoodie. Follow & RT to enter! http://bit.ly/1beDo3E

CONTEST CLOSES WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 11:59PM.

Terms & Conditions:

1. Contest open to Canadian residents.
2. FollowMeFoodie.com and BC Pork retain the right to approve entries.
3. Prize not negotiable, cannot be exchanged or taken as cash.

See more Follow Me Foodie stories from Mijune in the WE Vancouver:

• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: The “Forget-Me-Nots” of Vancouver’s restaurant scene
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Wild BC spot prawn season begins
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: The best thing I ever ate…
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Gentrification and Vancouver’s DTES
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Cooking up a career
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Father’s Day for Vancouver foodies
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Sushi 101: Part 2 – Try the nigiri
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Sushi 101: Part 2 – How to use comdiments
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Sushi 101: Part 3 – How to eat it
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Vancouver Food Cart Fest
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Vancouver’s High on Pie
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: What is the definition of local?
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Why Mijune Pak writes about negative experiences.
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Hog Wild in Whistler
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Looking for “authentic” food or authenticity in food
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Modern VS Authentic Ramen
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: We All Scream for Ice Cream
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Sous vide’s stock rising to the top
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Fresh from your local BC farm
• FOLLOW ME FOODIE: Evolution of the Stilton Cheesecake