1

I've been buying some various types of precooked brand-name sausages from the grocery store over the last few months, and while they've been pretty good I have consistently found these little white globs in the sausages. They don't taste very good and they're not particularly soft or easy to chew. If I had to describe them in more traditional terms, I'd say it's similar to the "grit" that I don't like on some steaks.

The sausages that I'm speaking of are small 4-6 inch links that come in plastic packaging.

It occurred to me eating it recently that maybe these were little globs of fat that hadn't been melted, and in that case maybe I was cooking the sausages incorrectly. I have a fairly limited set of instruments to work with in my kitchen right now, so I've been cooking them on the stove in the single saucepan that I have in my possession. I don't have a frying pan or anything else like that.

I'd like to know what these globules are and if there's anything I should be doing to cook my sausages differently.

8
  • What type of sausages are they? What manufacturer?
    – J Crosby
    Oct 9, 2019 at 14:18
  • @JCrosby Several types. "Chicken Sausage Roasted Garlic & Gruyere Cheese", "Chicken Sausage Cajun Style Andouille" to name a few I have right now. The first is from 'aidells' and the second is from 'Nature's Promise'. This has been the case in quite a few other types of sausages and brands, however.
    – Onyz
    Oct 9, 2019 at 14:21
  • Ok - if this has been an issue across brands and types of sausages could you add a picture? I
    – J Crosby
    Oct 9, 2019 at 14:24
  • @JCrosby That may take awhile as I've just eaten the last of the sausages I have now, sorry! I can try next time I buy them, though.
    – Onyz
    Oct 9, 2019 at 14:25
  • Tag me in a comment, and I will come back. Also, when you update a post it gets bumped to the homepage, so either way people will see it.
    – J Crosby
    Oct 9, 2019 at 14:27

1 Answer 1

7

Largish white bits like that will be either fat, cartilage, or (other) connective tissue. Once cooked, if they can be squished apart with your fingers they're fat; if they're crunchy when you bite into them they're cartilage; if they're very chewy they're connective tissue.

Fat should be quite soft once the sausages are cooked to a safe temperature, so I assume they're not that. The other substances get their structure primarily or entirely from collagen, which will break down during long, slow cooking, but that's not a normal way to cook a sausage and will probably result in a dry, grainy texture overall. If they're a problem, I would suggest trying a different brand rather than trying to cook them differently.

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge that you have read and understand our privacy policy and code of conduct.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.