About cooking sausages and brined hams??

[Weoochaun]

I have read several places about the need to cook slowly for several hours particularly when smoking. I understand that not only does this allow the smoked flavour but can also break down the sinuey tissue to gelatin, thus making the sausage more palatable.

My question is that if I am using very lean and prepared meat without tough sinue: is there any advantage to a 2-3 hour cook time or would it be OK just to bring them to temperature quickly? I cook my sausages, then freeze them to be used as toppings later.

The same question goes for ham which I am brining from loin meat.

The other thing I keep seeing is internal temperature of 160F but only cook mine to >140F. Considering the amount of juice being lost at higher temps this seeems the right thing to do. I am mindful of the 'trich' but 160F seems to be overkill ('scuse the pun) and rather patronising to new sausage makers. Anyone have any thoughts on this?