Hi Jenny & Hobbitfeet
I did start to chop up the kidney so that it didn't lose it's texture, but then I thought .... when I go to beat all the ingredients together in the mixer to get that 'sticky' stage..... it was going to destroy the texture of the kidneys anyway..... so.... what was the point of the chopping?, so I minced them on the biggest mincer hole....along with the beef.
Funnily enough, there are lots of little chunks of kidney still intact.... it could be because I had chopped them really fine before I decided to put them in the mincer and it could be that most of the little chunks slipped through...
and you can see little dark pieces through the sausage skins..... so I might still chop them up fine before I mince them the next time.....
I took a couple up to the chef in the local hostelry so he could try them... he's usually disappointed with the 'stuff' I make, 'cause he is always hoping it is 'c**p' and it's usually better than his!!! (that upsets him 'cause I was self taught and a woman to boot!!!)
Anyway, he wasn't there but the pub owner dived in and she doesn't like kidney (but she loved the sausage... even though I had put quite a lot of kidney in) they had workmen laying slabs etc so they had some..... one thought it was to die for and the other one thought it was 'caribou' ...... you get a lot of those in a tiny Scottish village, don't you???
It makes you laugh.......
The other thing is I could have added parsley and other herbs but I really wanted to imitate steak & kidney as in the pie...... and, although the meat isn't in chunks or shreds like a pie, I think it is about as close as you could get.... texture wise, I would say it was similar to a pork sausage, and definitely better than the bought one...
Maybe a little fiddling around with spices etc to your own personal taste but I think as a base recipe.... you won't be disappointed
Fond regards
Silvana
ps just asked my beloved if that was correct about the kidney and he said he could taste the little chunks...... and was I going to stay on the computer all evening?????
PPS to Hobbitfeet..... the allspice you refer to is the one that I got from sausagemaking.org and not some other allspice?????