Sunday, March 12, 2006
Cumberland Sausages
The weather has turned again. The rain is back with a vengeance and I'm back to cycling wrapped in a bright yellow, full body rain suit. Right sexy that is. I arrived at the office this morning with wringing wet hair and covered in black gunk off the roads. I think I've complained about this before, but it never ceases to amaze me just how filthy this city is. Why do they allow cars on the road that drip more oil and petrol than they use? Why are their busses in a worse condition than most private cars and tend to spit their muck out all over the cycle paths? And why do the drivers think it's funny to shower you with muddy puddle water at every opportunity? And why are unlicensed drivers allowed on the road in such dangerous conditions? In fact, why does no one adjust their driving to the conditions? Questions over questions...and none of them will ever be answered. I actually don't think that I'm looking for answers. I stopped seeking logic (or at least what I would define a logic) in Ireland a long time ago. But the bitching at least made me feel slightly better about the thought that my freshly washed hair looked like I'd been swimming a tad too close to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. So, after a good rant, I sank back in my chair, and started work.Or rather, I started the day. My morning ritual includes a trip to the canteen to stare aimlessly at the dried out bacon and sausages under the hot lamp until someone wakes me up to ask what the hell I'm doing there. I then proceed to stare at the baked goods and occasionally even walk away with an almond or chocolate croissant. On a good day, they really aren't bad, especially if you consider that they are the pre-baked kind that is shipped all over the city before being stuck back under the hot lamp. On a bad day, however, they are totally dried out and strongly taste of bacon, because some of my less considerate colleagues tend to mix the tongs. There's a decidedly "I'm all right Jack" kind of attitude going in this country. Out of despair with this state of affairs, I've started bringing my own breakfast in to work. But sometimes I just fancy a nice croissant in the morning and the canteen is still miles better than any of the places I can reach from work. But more and more often, I remind myself of the taste of bacon and chocolate and simply walk away. Something I never skip, though, is filling my company branded thermo cup, which looks decidedly like a monster dildo, with a latte with an extra shot of espresso. Whatever happened to good old-fashioned filter coffee in a mug? I've been told that the former never existed in Ireland and the latter were outlawed in the building because my employer is worried about carpet cleaning bills (and health and safety as they claim slightly less convincingly). Then I head back to my desk, and plonk down in front of the screen, coffee in one hand, cereal bar in the other. And there I stay, interrupted only by the breakfast and lunch breaks, until it is time to face the traffic again.
When I come home after a day like this poor Lofty normally has to bear the brunt of my frustration. Instead of a hello he gets a long speech about the advantages of living in the dry, warm parts of Southern Africa. And rather than asking him how his day was, I enquire how he manages not to turn psychotic in these conditions. But after a few minutes in his soothing presence I generally calm down and - quite literally - get on with dinner.
On days like this I need soothing, warming food that makes me feel at home. Our fist choice for this kind of mood is always bangers and mash. There is something very comforting about grilled sausages - sticky and gooey on the outside and piping hot and meaty inside - smothered in thick onion gravy and drape
d on a big mound of buttery mashed potatoes. Sausages are one of the things I really missed while I was not eating meat. I'm still not a big fan of beef or game sausages and can cope with pork only in small quantities, but chicken bangers are simply divine. Anyone who tries to tell me that Quorn sausages are just as good has either never tried them or is very good at fooling themselves. They will do fine in a hot dog bun with lots of ketchup and mustard, sticky grilled onions and maybe a few pickles, but definitely not with my mashed potatoes. I'd rather stick with mash and veg. This was my choice today: Lots of buttered Brussel tops and heaps of fried button mushrooms. I have run out of chicken sausages again and could not find any more on the weekend. Instead, I bought three big, juicy Cumberland sausages for Lofty. Don't they look lovely?
To get there, cook up some buttered Brussel tops, slice about 300 g of button mushrooms and fry them in a shallow pan in some oil until brown and tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Most importantly, though, you need to make the bangers and mash. Obviously, I recommend you follow my recipe. However, rather than using thin, finely ground sausages (which, by the way, tend to be of lower quality anyway) as I did last time, get some thick, coarse Cumberland sausages and cook them in a shallow frying pan over medium low heat for 20 to 30 minutes. This will prevent the skin from splitting and releasing all the lovely juices prematurely while getting the outside nicely caramelised and sticky.
I cannot stress often enough just how important it is to stick to good quality sausages. Apart from the taste, there are hygiene and pride issues that keep me away from ordinary supermarket sausages. Maybe this little excerpt from Sausagelinks, a brilliant website that can teach all of us a thing or two about making, buying, cooking and storing sausages and has a handy list of trustworthy outlets in the UK and Ireland. Their health and legal FAQ states that
The minimum meat content of a pork sausage is only 42%. The equivalent figures for most other sausages are around 30%. These figures are low but they are the legal minimum and most producers will use more meat.For a list of all possible additives from soya to E numbers, follow the FAQ link above. Now do you understand why I would rather pay a little more for Hicks or Caherberg sausages than save a few quid and end up with something that contains as little as 15% meat?
The definition of meat is based on new regulations which came into force in 2003. Broadly, pork can contain up to 30% fat and 25% connective tissue and still be described as meat. Beef and lamb meat can contain up to 25% fat and 25% connective tissue.
Mechanically Recovered Meat (known as MMR) can no longer be described as meat. The same goes for organs such as the heart and tongue. They can still be used but have to be described separately on the label and do not count towards the minimum meat content.
The minimum meat content of a burger is much higher at 67% (or 50% for economy burgers).
These figures mean that a pork sausage can contain less than 30% lean meat!
This is a shocking figure. However we should remember that the vast majority of sausages are made by reputable producers who will use far more meat than the legal minimum. What these figures do is highlight the poor quality and value of some of the 'economy' products and the importance of understanding exactly what you are buying…
Christine at 12:02 am
