Recipe Conversion Help

[tengu1234]

Hey Everyone,

Now if you have ever been to the East Coast of Canada, Halifax more specifically you have heard of our Donair's. This is a nice Spicy Meat which is grilled on a spit and then shaved, these shaving are then fried and placed in a pita with onions, tomatoes and the beloved "Donair sauce".

A new trend down this way is it make Donair sausages as well as Donair egg rolls. So I was planning on trying to make some into sausages. However not sure if I can just make the recipe and then stuff into the casings so I figured I would post my recipe and see what suggestions you all had.

Donair

Meat
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Ground Oregano (high quality works best)
1 tsp all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 lb ground beef.

Sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp white vinegar, or as needed

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a cup or small bowl, mix together the salt, oregano, flour, black pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper.

2. Place the ground beef in a large bowl, and use your hands to blend in the spice mixture. If you want the smooth texture of meat that you see in a real donair shop, you must do this in a steel mixing bowl and on a sturdy surface. Pick up the meat, and throw it down with force about 20 times, kneading it after each throw. This also helps the meat hold together better when you slice it.

3. Form the meat into a loaf, and place it on a broiler pan. If you do not have one, a baking sheet will do.

4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes in the preheated oven, turning the loaf over about half way through. This will ensure even cooking. This cuts better if you chill the meat overnight before slicing.

5. To make the donair sauce, mix together the evaporated milk, sugar and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the white vinegar, adding 1 teaspoon at a time, until thickened to your desired consistency.


I was thinking that I would grind the ground beef twice, then mix everything up and grind again, before stuffing into the casings.

Now is it really that simple? or am I missing something?

[vagreys]

If you want to do Donair eggs ala Scotch eggs, then I think you could just make up your Donair mixture according to this recipe and proceed as for Scotch eggs.

Yes, you can adapt this recipe for cased sausages, but not directly, or you will end up with beef concrete in a tube. If what you want is Donair flavor in a good sausage then you will want to alter things, a little bit. Your three-grind suggestion will give you a fine-textured sausage, if you keep the meat well-chilled for each grinding.

Fat: a satisfying sausage, without rusk/breadcrumbs, needs 20-25% fat content, IMO. You can do this with all beef, but I prefer pork fat to beef fat (I can't eat beef, anymore, due to allergy, but I still know my preferences for beef sausages from when I made them). I'd use 75% beef to 25% fatty pork belly or fat streaky bacon, for this sausage.

Texture: what kind of texture do you want in your sausage? Donair meat is designed not to crumble when sliced - to hold together as a dense loaf. As a sausage, you want a pleasant sausage texture, not over-worked, with a nice bite and chew. So, coarse, medium, or fine texture?

There are different techniques and philosophies about grinding. I've had the best luck with a two-grind technique, with the first grind being through my primary grind or chili plate, and the second grind being through the plate for the final size. I use a vertical stufffer for stuffing, not the grinder. So, here's how I would do your recipe:

Donair Sausages

Meat
12 oz beef, cut into cubes that will fit the grinder chute
4 oz fat streaky bacon, cut into cubes that will fit the grinder chute
1 oz water
3/4 tsp Kosher Salt (if not using bacon, then 1 tsp)
1 tsp Ground Oregano (high quality works best)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Sauce
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp white vinegar, or as needed

Directions

1. Prepare the casing and chill.

2. Trim the beef of excess fat, and cut the beef and bacon into cubes to fit the grinder chute. Par-freeze until the beef is stiff, but not icy or frozen through. Chill the grinder parts in the freezer at the same time.

3. While the meat is chilling, prepare the seasoning. Dissolve the salt in the water, and place in the refrigerator to chill. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the salt, oregano, black pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper, and set aside.

4. When the beef is par-frozen, setup your grinder with a 1/2" plate, chili-grind plate, or your coarse plate. Mix the beef and pork cubes and run the meat through the primary grind. I use a 1/2" plate for the primary grind.

5. If the ground meat is not already in a chilled bowl, place it in a chilled bowl. Scatter the dry seasonings over the meat. Pour the chilled, salted water over the meat. Toss the meat mixture with your fingers until the seasonings are distributed and the liquid has been absorbed. Form the meat mixture into fingers/logs that will fit the grinder chute, and return to the freezer to par-freeze.

6. While the meat mixture is chilling, again, setup the grinder with the grinder plate for your final grind. I suggest 1/8" plate for a fine texture, 3/16" for a medium texture, and 3/8" for a coarse textured sausage. I think I'd go with the 3/16" plate, myself.

7. When the meat logs are stiff, but not frozen through, run the meat through the final grind. In a chilled bowl, Work the final meat mixture with your hands until the mixture just starts to take on the sticky, sausage texture. Stuff into casing.

8. To make the donair sauce, mix together the evaporated milk, sugar and garlic powder in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in the white vinegar, adding 1 teaspoon at a time, until thickened to your desired consistency.

I think I'd serve this like a currywurst, with sauce over sliced or split grilled sausages. This is just my take. YMMV.

ETA: It occurs to me that you could forego casing and leave the sausage as bulk sausage, and use it to make Donair pizza topping for that weird Donair pizza y'all do up there.

[tengu1234]

Tom,

Thanks for the suggestions and modification of the recipe. I had only included the sauce recipe because it's the closest to "pizza corner" donair meat I have ever made at home. Anyone who has been to Halifax and had the east coast version of donairs would appreciate this recipe

But I really like the of doing it "currywurst" style. I will be honest, i have some of this already mixed up at home in the freezer, it's only a 1lb batch, but I think i will go home, and just try shoving it in casing to see what it's like.

[vagreys]

I removed the flour because the mixture doesn't need it, as a sausage, where it serves as an important binder for a sliceable loaf. Good luck with your experiment!