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My wife has been going to weight watchers and all credit to her, by following their diet the weight's dropping off. It's pretty much a low fat low carb (they call them sins) diet which obviously has bangers out of the question.

She's heard of a butcher who makes weight watcher approved 'sin free' sausages but I tought I'd have a go at making my own. Obviously as it has to be lean meat and no rusk or crumb, I've thought about experimening with some very finely minced vegetable (carrot possibly) to keep the mix moist and textured.

I was wondering if anyone else had any suggestions ...... Anything to keep her from buying those bloody quorn monstrosities!!!

Jonty, this is not aimed at you or your good lady, but what's wrong with just having 1 bloody good tasting sausage rather than a plate full of blandness, never mind rusk free etc. etc.. I can't understand why anyone (not you, just anyone in general) would want to try and take something that needs to have an element of fat and filler in it and try and make it "healthy", it's like veggie sausages, why make a veggie sausage? Why make quorn try and taste a bit savory, if you don't want to eat meat then why should you make it taste meaty, or look like a meaty product. I am not a massive fan of veg, I would never try and make a sausage that looked like a carrot or a cabbage so I felt I wasn't missing out.

*gets off high horse*

No offence take Richie, in fact I wholeheartedly agree with you. But, she's doing so well and still wants to feel that she's eating the same as the rest of us. And i supose, it gives ma a chance to prat about in the kitchen with my grinder

Jonty wrote:No offence take Richie, in fact I wholeheartedly agree with you. But, she's doing so well and still wants to feel that she's eating the same as the rest of us. And i supose, it gives ma a chance to prat about in the kitchen with my grinder

Have a look here http://forum.sausagemaking.org/viewtopic.php?t=6548

Jonty

Captain Wassname is the resident expert on low fat sausage. A quick search and read through his posts on the subject will be time well spent.

HTH

Phil

Sorry but ive been away for a week
Its easy to make sausages that arelow fat..If you need to make a sausage that is either virtually fat free .
You can use very low fat meats, breast of turkey or pork loin steaks.I say these cuts because if purchased in a supermarket they usually have the fat content on the label.
Basically just grind as usual and add 3% by weight of meat of tapioca starch then make your sausage as usual.
I usually use phosphate but its not essential you can use gelatine in your wate if you like but I gave up on it as it was a pain to make and then chill.The main problem as far as Im concerned is that you cant rely on the percentage of water that works so you need to add it slowly and rely onthe feel of the mixture.
I can guarantee that you will ,most likely ,be unable to tell the difference between the low fat or your regular sausage.(except the turkey and that will be close if you use a well spiced mix like Cumbrian)
If you cant find any of my posts PM me

Jim

Sorry just read the whole thread if your looking for low carb Ive made them with no rusk certainly meaty and not at all bland. Ill dig out my notes and post later in the week.
Oops found this.
495 gms meat 85.5%
17 gms tapioca starch 2.93%
4 gms phosphate 0.69%
12 gms spice mix (int his case Wesch's Cumberland) 2.07%
51gms water 8.8%

As I said before the water is just a guide rely on the feel of the mix.
Ive never made this without phosphate so cant advise about leaving it out
My OH prefers rusk so I use about 5% which is fairly low carb.

Jim

I regularly make captain wassname's low fat sausages for my wife who is also at slimming world just using tapioca starch and no rusk I have never included phosphate and all tastes fine . One of her favourite's is chicken breast with a leek pre-made mix .
Thanks captain

Many thanks for the feedback boatman your comment on phosphate is most wellcome.I just wondered if lack of it with no rusk may effect the water retention and hence the succulence.

Jim

two words, turkey sausage.

Thanks very much for the information, captain wassname - I'll certainly be giving your recipe a try.

I called into the butcher who has the weight watcher accredited sausages and had a really interseting chat with him. He was very open about what went into the bangers, basically the dry ingredients comprised of 94% leg meat with no visible fat and the remaining 6% was his spice mix and rusk. The bangers go off to a lab to be analysed before being approved by weight watchers. I was surprised to see rusk in there but by all accounts in the small quantity, it is acceptable as low carb. I've some in the fridge for tea so I'll soon see if they're any good or not.......

I have seen 25% fat Cumberland sausages made with about 4% rusk and no water but Id be surprised to see an almost fat free sausage made with no water.
Please post back when you have tasted.Im a little concerned about succulence
Many thanks.

Jim

Jim,

I did say the dry ingredients, I suppose he wanted to keep a little bit back rather than just give everything away. I think it'll be a bit of trial and error on the water front...

I have just had them for tea and they were very good. Slightly denser than your avreage banger but certainly not dry or pate like. And, I would have them again quite happily.

Did you use ant water?
Ive always found with low fat sausages the water percentage is variable.Non or low rusk are always a bit dense,which I prefer,but the OH says more rusk.

Jim

Jonty wrote:My wife has been going to weight watchers and all credit to her, by following their diet the weight's dropping off. It's pretty much a low fat low carb (they call them sins) diet which obviously has bangers out of the question.

She's heard of a butcher who makes weight watcher approved 'sin free' sausages but I tought I'd have a go at making my own. Obviously as it has to be lean meat and no rusk or crumb, I've thought about experimening with some very finely minced vegetable (carrot possibly) to keep the mix moist and textured.

I was wondering if anyone else had any suggestions ...... Anything to keep her from buying those bloody quorn monstrosities!!!

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