Sausages and Cured Foods

Appears in
Professional Cooking
Professional Cooking

By Wayne Gisslen

Published 2014

  • About
Sausages have been popular since ancient times. They were first made to utilize and preserve trimmings and less desirable cuts from a meat carcass. Most people have heard the expression about using “every part of the hog except the squeal.” The preparation of sausages is an important part of this process.

The French term charcutier (shar koo tyay; the feminine form is charcutière [shar koo tyair]) means “one who prepares and sells pork products.” The art of the charcutier is called charcuterie (shar koo tree). We use this term more generally to refer to the production of sausages, pâtés, smoked ham, and other cured and smoked products.