Harbin red sausage, also known as "Lidao Si" in Russian, originated from Lithuania in Eastern Europe. After the construction of the Middle East Railway in 1898, a large number of foreigners entered Harbin and brought meat products with them. The sausage from Lithuania is of a dark red color, thus it is also called red sausage. As it is produced in Harbin, more people call it Harbin red sausage.
After over 100 years of development, Harbin red sausage has become a symbol of Harbin's specialties. It is renowned for its fine production process, with a glossy and wrinkled surface, a smoky aroma, a delicious taste, dry texture, high protein content, and rich nutrition. However, in modern production, due to changes in production cycle and packaging form, the product's characteristics have become less distinct. Through repeated experiments, the following measures have been taken to find the most suitable production method for modern Harbin red sausage:
1. Altering the mincing and curing process to highlight the meat granular texture
One of the important features of red sausage is the uneven meat granular texture on its surface. High-quality red sausage has visible red meat granules and fine wrinkles on the surface. In the production of red sausage, the raw meat is usually minced through a 6mm sieve and then cured. After curing, the red meat is thoroughly mixed with starch, water, and other ingredients during the stuffing process, which gives the product a good structure, flavor, and texture. However, in modern production, the processing needs to be reanalyzed and redesigned for convenience in production and circulation.
1.1 Processing of raw meat
The raw meat is trimmed to remove excess connective tissue. 50% of the No. 4 meat is cut into appropriately sized pieces for curing to ensure that the cured meat has strong elasticity and maintains a good granular texture.
The fat is cured separately, using large pieces of back fat. During curing, 2% of salt is evenly sprinkled on the surface of the fat to extract the moisture and ensure the hardness and shape of the fat granules.
1.2 Chopping and mixing of raw meat
The remaining 50% of the No. 4 meat is chopped and then cured. The emulsified meat paste is more delicate and viscous, with better water retention, and the product surface is more likely to develop fine wrinkles. Through the above processing of raw meat, the water retention of the product is improved, the meat granular texture on the cut surface is stronger, and the meaty flavor is more intense.
1.3 Control of the curing process
The curing of meat is a decisive step in the production of Harbin red sausage. The quality of the curing directly affects the meat texture, taste, flavor, and color of the product.
The stirring time before curing should be short, mainly to mix the salt and nitrite evenly, without destroying the natural structure of the meat or extracting salt-soluble proteins. The curing environment temperature should be controlled at 4-10℃, and the meat temperature at 3-8℃ is optimal. If the temperature is too low, the meat's color development will be poor. A suitable temperature is conducive to natural microbial fermentation of the meat, resulting in a better flavor. If the meat temperature is too high, such as reaching around 15℃ and curing for 2-3 days, the meat color will turn brown or gray, and the elasticity will be lost.
The cured meat pieces are a beautiful rose red, and the red meat granules are clearly visible after each process of secondary mixing, stuffing, and drying in the smokehouse.
1.4 Use of additives
The fat content of the lean meat in Harbin red sausage should be low, and the fat should not be emulsified to ensure the product has a good structure. Excessive phosphate should not be used to prevent the extraction of salt-soluble proteins from the meat, which would result in a brittle texture.
Adding 50% potato starch and 50% modified starch to Harbin red sausage can significantly improve the product's hardness, elasticity, and chewiness. No flavoring is used; the product's aroma mainly comes from the natural flavor of the meat and the spice of pepper. One third of the fresh garlic added can be replaced by garlic powder, which can enhance the garlic flavor while reducing the bitter taste of raw garlic.
2. Altering the steaming and smoking processes to achieve a strong smoky flavor, a wrinkled surface, and a shorter production time
In the production of Harbin sausages, smoking is an important process. Smoking not only adds flavor to the product but also dries it, giving the surface a luster and a walnut shell-like texture. Moreover, the phenols and aldehydes in the smoke have a bactericidal effect, which is beneficial for the preservation and anti-mold of the product, extending its shelf life. The same meat filling produces significantly different products when processed in traditional and modern smoking ovens. Traditional smoking ovens take a long time, which is not conducive to production. By adjusting the temperature and other aspects of modern smoking ovens, the production cycle can be shortened while ensuring product quality.
2.1 Control of the steaming process
The steaming process is the most critical factor affecting the formation of wrinkles. Using a modern steaming oven, the pre-drying temperature should be high, around 90°C, for about 90 minutes. This is to allow the product to lose water rapidly at high temperatures, forming uniform wrinkles. Post-drying is to stabilize the wrinkles on the product.
2.2 Control of the smoking process
The smoky flavor of Harbin sausages is usually very strong, which is one of its main characteristics. Using the current Western-style sausage smoking method, after 4-6 hours of smoking, there is almost no smoky flavor. Through analysis and experimentation, a special smoking process was found to produce a strong smoky flavor. The specific method is as follows:
2.2.1 Smoking after the product is air-dried
The air-drying stage determines the formation and stability of the pure smoky flavor of the product. After 1 hour of air-drying in the drying room, the product surface is generally cool and moist. When smoked at a low temperature (generally controlled at 70-90°C) in a traditional oven, the product surface is very humid when exposed to hot air, and the smoke particles produced by the burning of wood sticks can easily adhere to the product surface.
2.2.2 Smoking process
Through comparison and experimental verification, to obtain a pure and rich smoky flavor of the sausage, it is best not to use sawdust and sugar during smoking. Otherwise, the product will have a mixed caramel flavor from the sugar at high temperatures, and the smoky flavor will become impure. Use hard wood to produce smoke, with the oven temperature around 80°C. A temperature that is too low makes it difficult to impart flavor, while a temperature that is too high can cause the sausage to burst and release oil.
3. Altering packaging and secondary sterilization processes to prevent the disappearance of surface wrinkles
The sales mode of Harbin sausages is mainly traditional bulk sales, and they can be found in large, medium, and small supermarkets. Their shelf life is generally no more than 7 days, and in the hot summer season, they may spoil within 1-2 days. The short shelf life severely limits their market promotion.
However, in recent years, meat processing enterprises have vacuum-packed traditional sausages to improve their competitiveness. This can effectively slow down the changes in the physical and chemical indicators, microbial indicators, and sensory quality of the product, effectively extending the shelf life of Harbin sausages. However, after vacuum packaging and sterilization, the product becomes dry and the wrinkles disappear. By modifying the existing process, product quality can be ensured.
3.1 Selection of packaging bags and vacuum degree
The packaging should use high-temperature resistant and high-barrier materials to avoid the production of defective products after sterilization. Under the premise of ensuring the product is tightly packed, the vacuum degree and vacuuming time should be shortened as much as possible to maintain the sensory quality of the product.
3.2 Control of secondary sterilization
It was found through experiments that after secondary sterilization, if the product is cooled in water at 10-20°C, the wrinkling effect is poorer. If it is cooled in cold water at 0-5°C, the product surface cools and contracts rapidly, and the wrinkles return to their pre-sterilization state. The lower the water temperature, the more obvious the wrinkles. Through the above production process adjustments, Harbin sausages can have a pure fat aroma, a strong smoky flavor, a prominent garlic flavor, a tight structure, visible small red meat particles, a dark red surface, and obvious walnut-like wrinkles.
After over 100 years of development, Harbin red sausage has become a symbol of Harbin's specialties. It is renowned for its fine production process, with a glossy and wrinkled surface, a smoky aroma, a delicious taste, dry texture, high protein content, and rich nutrition. However, in modern production, due to changes in production cycle and packaging form, the product's characteristics have become less distinct. Through repeated experiments, the following measures have been taken to find the most suitable production method for modern Harbin red sausage:
1. Altering the mincing and curing process to highlight the meat granular texture
One of the important features of red sausage is the uneven meat granular texture on its surface. High-quality red sausage has visible red meat granules and fine wrinkles on the surface. In the production of red sausage, the raw meat is usually minced through a 6mm sieve and then cured. After curing, the red meat is thoroughly mixed with starch, water, and other ingredients during the stuffing process, which gives the product a good structure, flavor, and texture. However, in modern production, the processing needs to be reanalyzed and redesigned for convenience in production and circulation.
1.1 Processing of raw meat
The raw meat is trimmed to remove excess connective tissue. 50% of the No. 4 meat is cut into appropriately sized pieces for curing to ensure that the cured meat has strong elasticity and maintains a good granular texture.
The fat is cured separately, using large pieces of back fat. During curing, 2% of salt is evenly sprinkled on the surface of the fat to extract the moisture and ensure the hardness and shape of the fat granules.
1.2 Chopping and mixing of raw meat
The remaining 50% of the No. 4 meat is chopped and then cured. The emulsified meat paste is more delicate and viscous, with better water retention, and the product surface is more likely to develop fine wrinkles. Through the above processing of raw meat, the water retention of the product is improved, the meat granular texture on the cut surface is stronger, and the meaty flavor is more intense.
1.3 Control of the curing process
The curing of meat is a decisive step in the production of Harbin red sausage. The quality of the curing directly affects the meat texture, taste, flavor, and color of the product.
The stirring time before curing should be short, mainly to mix the salt and nitrite evenly, without destroying the natural structure of the meat or extracting salt-soluble proteins. The curing environment temperature should be controlled at 4-10℃, and the meat temperature at 3-8℃ is optimal. If the temperature is too low, the meat's color development will be poor. A suitable temperature is conducive to natural microbial fermentation of the meat, resulting in a better flavor. If the meat temperature is too high, such as reaching around 15℃ and curing for 2-3 days, the meat color will turn brown or gray, and the elasticity will be lost.
The cured meat pieces are a beautiful rose red, and the red meat granules are clearly visible after each process of secondary mixing, stuffing, and drying in the smokehouse.
1.4 Use of additives
The fat content of the lean meat in Harbin red sausage should be low, and the fat should not be emulsified to ensure the product has a good structure. Excessive phosphate should not be used to prevent the extraction of salt-soluble proteins from the meat, which would result in a brittle texture.
Adding 50% potato starch and 50% modified starch to Harbin red sausage can significantly improve the product's hardness, elasticity, and chewiness. No flavoring is used; the product's aroma mainly comes from the natural flavor of the meat and the spice of pepper. One third of the fresh garlic added can be replaced by garlic powder, which can enhance the garlic flavor while reducing the bitter taste of raw garlic.
2. Altering the steaming and smoking processes to achieve a strong smoky flavor, a wrinkled surface, and a shorter production time
In the production of Harbin sausages, smoking is an important process. Smoking not only adds flavor to the product but also dries it, giving the surface a luster and a walnut shell-like texture. Moreover, the phenols and aldehydes in the smoke have a bactericidal effect, which is beneficial for the preservation and anti-mold of the product, extending its shelf life. The same meat filling produces significantly different products when processed in traditional and modern smoking ovens. Traditional smoking ovens take a long time, which is not conducive to production. By adjusting the temperature and other aspects of modern smoking ovens, the production cycle can be shortened while ensuring product quality.
2.1 Control of the steaming process
The steaming process is the most critical factor affecting the formation of wrinkles. Using a modern steaming oven, the pre-drying temperature should be high, around 90°C, for about 90 minutes. This is to allow the product to lose water rapidly at high temperatures, forming uniform wrinkles. Post-drying is to stabilize the wrinkles on the product.
2.2 Control of the smoking process
The smoky flavor of Harbin sausages is usually very strong, which is one of its main characteristics. Using the current Western-style sausage smoking method, after 4-6 hours of smoking, there is almost no smoky flavor. Through analysis and experimentation, a special smoking process was found to produce a strong smoky flavor. The specific method is as follows:
2.2.1 Smoking after the product is air-dried
The air-drying stage determines the formation and stability of the pure smoky flavor of the product. After 1 hour of air-drying in the drying room, the product surface is generally cool and moist. When smoked at a low temperature (generally controlled at 70-90°C) in a traditional oven, the product surface is very humid when exposed to hot air, and the smoke particles produced by the burning of wood sticks can easily adhere to the product surface.
2.2.2 Smoking process
Through comparison and experimental verification, to obtain a pure and rich smoky flavor of the sausage, it is best not to use sawdust and sugar during smoking. Otherwise, the product will have a mixed caramel flavor from the sugar at high temperatures, and the smoky flavor will become impure. Use hard wood to produce smoke, with the oven temperature around 80°C. A temperature that is too low makes it difficult to impart flavor, while a temperature that is too high can cause the sausage to burst and release oil.
3. Altering packaging and secondary sterilization processes to prevent the disappearance of surface wrinkles
The sales mode of Harbin sausages is mainly traditional bulk sales, and they can be found in large, medium, and small supermarkets. Their shelf life is generally no more than 7 days, and in the hot summer season, they may spoil within 1-2 days. The short shelf life severely limits their market promotion.
However, in recent years, meat processing enterprises have vacuum-packed traditional sausages to improve their competitiveness. This can effectively slow down the changes in the physical and chemical indicators, microbial indicators, and sensory quality of the product, effectively extending the shelf life of Harbin sausages. However, after vacuum packaging and sterilization, the product becomes dry and the wrinkles disappear. By modifying the existing process, product quality can be ensured.
3.1 Selection of packaging bags and vacuum degree
The packaging should use high-temperature resistant and high-barrier materials to avoid the production of defective products after sterilization. Under the premise of ensuring the product is tightly packed, the vacuum degree and vacuuming time should be shortened as much as possible to maintain the sensory quality of the product.
3.2 Control of secondary sterilization
It was found through experiments that after secondary sterilization, if the product is cooled in water at 10-20°C, the wrinkling effect is poorer. If it is cooled in cold water at 0-5°C, the product surface cools and contracts rapidly, and the wrinkles return to their pre-sterilization state. The lower the water temperature, the more obvious the wrinkles. Through the above production process adjustments, Harbin sausages can have a pure fat aroma, a strong smoky flavor, a prominent garlic flavor, a tight structure, visible small red meat particles, a dark red surface, and obvious walnut-like wrinkles.
