Surprisingly little known! The correct way to cook raw sausages

Have you heard of raw sausages? Since pre-cooked sausages are the norm in Japan, many people may not know about them. We'll explain the differences between raw and cooked sausages, as well as how to thaw and cook them.

What is raw sausage?

Most sausages you see in supermarkets are pre-cooked. Most sausages are smoked or steamed during the manufacturing process, so they can be eaten as is without heating.
On the other hand, fresh sausages are never heated during the manufacturing process. They are simply made by stuffing raw meat, minced with spices and seasonings, into pig intestines. For this reason, many mail-order fresh sausages, including those from The Meat Guy, are frozen, and when thawed, unlike regular sausages, they are soft and squishy because they are made from raw meat. By cooking them thoroughly inside, you can experience a juicy texture full of meat juices.

Can you eat raw sausage?

No, you can't eat it raw! You can eat raw prosciutto, but eating raw sausage will upset your stomach, so never eat it raw. Make sure it's cooked thoroughly before eating.

How to eat raw sausage

If you thaw and cook the Meat Guy's fresh sausages that arrive frozen, you can enjoy the fresh taste at home! However, if you're cooking fresh sausages for the first time, you may be confused. Here we will introduce a cooking method for fresh sausages that anyone can enjoy.

How to unzip

The key to enjoying fresh sausage is to make sure it is completely thawed before cooking. If it is not thawed properly, it will cook unevenly and lose its juiciness.
The two recommended decompression methods are as follows:

1. Method 1 (low-temperature thawing): Place the sausage in its original packaging in a double plastic bag and thaw naturally in the refrigerator for about 6 hours.

2. Method 2 (thawing in ice water): Place the sausage in its packaging in a double plastic bag and place it in a bowl of ice water. It will thaw in about 40 minutes.

The Meat Guy's sausages do not contain any preservatives. Once thawed, regardless of the thawing method, please cook and consume within 3 days.

Cooking method

Once the sausage is completely thawed, it's time to heat it. The texture of raw sausage changes depending on how it's heated, but the key to cooking it deliciously is to handle it gently and carefully. If you handle it roughly, the sausage's casing will burst during cooking, leaking all the juices. Here are some typical cooking methods that will ensure delicious sausages.

Cook in a frying pan or on the grill

If you are cooking them in a frying pan or on a grill, cook them slowly over low heat until they are cooked through. Don't forget to add a small amount of oil to the frying pan or grill to prevent the sausages from sticking. Don't forget to turn them over every now and then to prevent one side from getting too cooked. Be careful where you place the sausages so they are cooked evenly, and finally cook them over high heat until the surface is browned!
When frying in a frying pan, adding a small amount of water or spraying water on it several times with a spray bottle will make it even more delicious!

Steam → Grill (frying pan)

Steaming and then grilling prevents the moisture from evaporating too much from the raw sausages, resulting in juicy results. Place a steamer in a pot and add about 2 cm of water. Turn on the heat, and once the water boils, cover and steam for about 15 minutes. Once steamed, grill or fry in oil until the surface is crispy and it's done!

Boil → Grill (frying pan)

Regular sausages are delicious when boiled, but we don't recommend boiling Meat Guy sausages. Because they contain a lot of spices, boiling them in hot water will dissolve the flavor.
If you still like boiled fish, we recommend boiling it with beer. You might be thinking, "What? Beer?", but it's delicious, so please give it a try.

Place the sausages in a pot and pour in the beer. It's best to add enough water to cover the sausages slightly! Heat slowly over low heat at first. If it starts to boil, immediately reduce the heat. The Meat Guy's raw sausages are very delicate. If the juices inside the raw sausages boil, the casings will burst, so it's best to boil them at 80°C for about 20 minutes.
To finish, brown the surface on a grill or in a frying pan and it's done!

Bake in the oven

It's delicious cooked in a frying pan as well as in the oven.
First, prepare your oven by filling a tray with water and preheating it to 180°C.
Once the oven is full of steam, it's ready! Creating steam helps to crisp up the food and shortens the cooking time. (Be careful when opening the oven, as hot steam will come out!)
Grease a baking sheet with oil, place the sausages on top and place in the oven. Bake at 180°C for 25-30 minutes and it's done!

sous vide cooking method

Boil it in the vacuum package!
Place the thawed sausages in their packaging in 80°C water and heat for 35 minutes. The key is to maintain the temperature at 80°C (we recommend using a slow cooker or a thermometer). Then, fry in oil in a frying pan until browned.

There's an even easier way. Ignore the first "thawing method" and just put the frozen sausages into a frying pan! Add enough water to cover the sausages halfway.
Bring the water to a boil and evaporate it all. Once the water is gone, add a little oil to a frying pan and fry until the surface is crispy. You'll end up with some pretty tasty sausages, if not super tasty!

A few tips when eating

After cooking raw sausages, you should eat them while they're still hot! However, we recommend letting them rest for about 5 minutes before eating. If you cut the sausage while it's still hot, the juices will spill out onto the plate. To enjoy the best raw sausages with the juices tightly locked inside, we recommend letting them rest for about 5 minutes!