What are lamb casings?

Lamb casings are thin, fine, small intestines, exclusively used for small and thin sausage types like “wiener”, hotdogs, barbecue and cocktail varieties. Lamb casings are very crispy and give the sausage the correct texture. Sausages in lamb casings must, therefore, be treated with care when heated in water or during frying or grilling.

What are pig casings?

Pig casings are slightly thicker and larger than lamb casings. Pig casings are therefore used for larger sausages, e.g. frankfurters and “medister” sausages (spicy sausages). As pig casings are less delicate,  they can take more heat. Sausages in pig casings must, therefore, be cooked for longer than sausages in lamb casings before the skin becomes crispy.

The label states the type of casing used. “Natural” casing covers both lamb and pig casings. As a natural product, “natural” casings may vary in size and appearance.

What is protein casing (artificial casing)?

Protein casings are produced from collagen fibre which comes from split from cow hides. As protein casings are produced to be more or less identical, sausages in protein casings are of a consistent size and appearance.

The crispiness of protein casings is not of the same high quality level as, e.g. lamb casings.

A new type of protein casing is “Eurowiener casing” which has an improved “bite”.

How should you heat sausages?

Sausages must not boil. Heat a saucepan of water to boiling point. Place the sausages in the pan and cover. Turn off the heat and transfer the pan to a cold, heat-resistant surface. After 8-10 minutes the sausages will be ready to eat. The amount of water should correspond to the number of sausages. Otherwise there is a risk that the sausages will not absorb the heat and split.

How should you fry sausages

Put the sausages in a dry or very lightly greased frying pan. Under a very low heat, turn the sausages frequently so that they obtain a uniform appearance and the skin doesn’t split. After about 20 minutes, they’re ready to eat. You can also fry the sausages quicker by turning up the heat, but then the sausages should be turned more frequently.

How should you barbecue sausages?

To obtain the best results, you should only put sausages on the barbecue until after the coals and briquettes have reached their maximum temperature.  Sausages should be barbecued slowly under a relatively moderate heat and be turned frequently.

Why do sausages split?

Sausages split if they become too hot. At 80ºC, the filling expands and the skin splits. If you follow the above instructions, the risk of sausages splitting is minimal.

Read Tips n' Tricks about preparation of sausages here