What exactly is in a sausage?

[sunshine-kt]

What part of the pig is put into a sausage? My friend said the snout was put in, or something, but I don't believe her. Well, I don't want to believe her anyway.

[jiggy-gb]

It depends, some butchers use really nice but fatty cuts. Generally speaking though your friend is almost there, they use the flesh off the face. There isn't any part of a pig that isn't used in one way or another as food!

Don't let that put you off sausages, you've probably eaten them for long enough now! And you know what black pudding is made from don't you??

[Pebbles]

They say the only part of a pig you cannot eat is the "OINK".

All piggy lovers don't watch The F Word tonight on Channel 4. @ 9pm, Gordon's pigs get the chop so I have heard.

[Ethel]

The nose (snout), ears, tail, cheek - any scraps that can be passed as meat go into sausage, with a fair bit of fat and bread.

Beef sausage is even worse. :(

Enjoy.

[nickmo]

Sausages - most often and originally pork - are a traditional way to ensure the slaughtered animal is all used. The intestine would be washed and prepared for use as the casing and the meat used as a filling would be the 'excess' flesh with some fat to make sure the cooking was even and the meat was not too tough.

Made well, a good sausage is excellent. Traditions in different countries led to the German bratwurst and its' friends, the Spanish chorizo , French saucisson, the Polish versions, etc.

A good sausage is also designed to be able to be (air) dried ready to last into the winter - slaughter was most often in the autumn - with the meat sometimes having added herbs or spices according to the regional speciality.

Since the advent of mass consumption, sausages have suffered and are used as a 'butchers dustbin' in some cases, with little meat (30% or even less) and loads of fillers, like rusk and meal.

Check the contents when you buy, make your own - even better - or get the sausages from a reputable butcher who will tell you whats going on in it or a good farm shop whoi know the proveneance of their stock. Continental delis will also have the various different types too, with many being meant to be eaten as a cured sausage of course.

Nice site for info on bangers at: http://www.sausagelinks.co.uk