Hog casings or Ox runners?

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Hog casings or Ox runners?

Postby lucana » Wed Feb 02, 2005 10:01 am

Hi all,

I recently bought some hog casings from my butcher for �20.00 which now seems really expensive when i see that you only change �10.00. The stuff he gave me looks exactly like your picture of "Ox runners". I am now unsure if i am using the right stuff, it seams quite wide an makes a rather wide chunky sausage. It is coated in salt and is bunched together with string and it is not very pleasent to smell.

Do you think it is Ox runners or could it still be hog casings?
What are Ox runners used for?

Finally i bought one of the mincers Darkstream mentioned from Lidl and it is great, the only problem is the stuffer end is only one size (large) and you cannot get extra parts for the machine from the website.
Do you know if you can get stuffer ends in different sizes that have maybe a universal fit? Long shot i know.

All help appreciated

Sue
lucana
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Postby sausagemaker » Wed Feb 02, 2005 10:21 am

Hi Sue

You more than likely have bought Hog casings but to be sure
take out one and soak it in water for a short while then run some water through it should be 28 - 32mm in diameter.
Ox runners are used for Haggis or wide salami type products.

Hope this helps

regards
sausagemaker
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Postby lucana » Wed Feb 02, 2005 12:55 pm

sausagemaker wrote:Hi Sue

You more than likely have bought Hog casings but to be sure
take out one and soak it in water for a short while then run some water through it should be 28 - 32mm in diameter.
Ox runners are used for Haggis or wide salami type products.

Hope this helps

regards
sausagemaker


Phew thank heavens for that, I will check out the size to be sure. thanks for the help.

Sue
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Location: Torquay, England

Postby aris » Wed Feb 02, 2005 1:30 pm

Yes, I get hog casings from my butcher packed in salt like that too - but 20 quid was proably a bit much. If you got a full hank (100 feet) of casings, they will last you a very long time though.

All you have to do is soak (in water) the length you will use overnight - or at a minimum for 2 hours. Some people say that adding a touch of vinegar to the water you soak in makes the casings a bit more tender, but i've not tried that yet myself.
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Postby lucana » Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:05 pm

aris wrote:Yes, I get hog casings from my butcher packed in salt like that too - but 20 quid was proably a bit much. If you got a full hank (100 feet) of casings, they will last you a very long time though.

All you have to do is soak (in water) the length you will use overnight - or at a minimum for 2 hours. Some people say that adding a touch of vinegar to the water you soak in makes the casings a bit more tender, but i've not tried that yet myself.


Thanks Aris,

I am just happy i am not stuffing the wrong animal :).
I think this butcher has over charged me - he thought i looked like a mug. But like you say there is a massive amount of it and it should last me a very long time. Hey you never know i may get so good at this sausage making lark that i open my own shop next to his and put him out of business ha ha. (unlikely i know but hey i can dream)

I have been soaking them for quite a while but there seems to be a great deal of oppinion on how long and in what temp water, what temp do you soak in? I didnt know about the vinegar trick but i did read somewhere (probably here) about using lemon juice to help with the smell because it is not too pleasant.

Thanks

Sue
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Postby aris » Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:10 pm

I use cold water from the tap. If this guy continues to charge you 20 quid, just buy from this website. I think the cost is 9.99 + 4 pounds postage. You may as well order a few other things too as it is a flat postage price.

You may also want to consdier trying collagen casings. These are artificial casings and are dry. They last forever stored in a cupboard, and work very well.
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Postby lucana » Wed Feb 02, 2005 2:32 pm

aris wrote:I use cold water from the tap. If this guy continues to charge you 20 quid, just buy from this website. I think the cost is 9.99 + 4 pounds postage. You may as well order a few other things too as it is a flat postage price.

You may also want to consdier trying collagen casings. These are artificial casings and are dry. They last forever stored in a cupboard, and work very well.


Hi Aris,

I have already bought some collagen casings from this website. They do seem much easier to use and not nearly as unpleasant as the string of what can only be described as "mutilated octupus" i have in my fridge. However when i ordered them i had measured the internal dimameter of my nozzle and consequently bought the wrong size doh! See why i need the help.:roll:
So after using every concievable gadget and gizmo within my kitchen to try to extend and narrow my nozzel (to no avail), i gave up and went to the butchers in a temper for some of the real stuff. which brings us back to the hog casings i have bought.

I tell you i havent done any work in the past two days since joining this forum. i spend all day sitting here waiting for responces and watching everyones little thoughts and comments with a great deal of hillarity. I have never joined a forum before which is ironic as i have set up many for my customers, but i must say i am thouroughly enjoying every moment here. If i never become a master in the art of stuffing the great british banger the chuckles i have had on this forum will have been worth it.

Sue
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