Discover how to soften a dry sausage in three simple tricks, with ideas for cooking a hardened sausage. This will help you salvage your artisanal sausage (because yes, it's not something you throw away like a common industrial sausage!) without losing its flavor. A simple solution: just add moisture to tenderize the meat.
How to soften a dry sausage with a simple trick?
The most common method is to moisten the sausage with a cloth:
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dampen a clean cloth without soaking it completely;
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wrap the sausage in it, then place everything in a cupboard for a day;
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Check the texture after 24 hours and repeat the process if necessary.
Warning: Do not leave the sausage sealed for more than 24 hours to prevent mold formation.
If the sausage is slightly dry, you can also wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator . Check the condition of the meat after a day, then switch to the cloth method if necessary.
How to soften a dry sausage while keeping all its flavor?
Adding water to a dish will necessarily reduce its organoleptic qualities, and sausage is no exception to this rule. To prevent the meat from becoming too bland, you can moisten it with a mixture of vinegar and wine. To do this:
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Take some absorbent paper and lightly moisten it with a mixture of vinegar and wine ;
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Wrap your dry sausage inside and then place it in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator.
This method is preferable if you plan to serve the sausage in thin slices .
A quick tip for softening a sausage that's too dry?
If you're in a hurry, hang the sausage over a pot of hot water so it can soak up the steam . A few minutes will be enough to soften it.
How to enjoy a sausage that's too hard?
If the texture doesn't bother you, simply slice the sausage with a slicer or guillotine , taking care to make the slices as thin as possible. You can then savor and chew to your heart's content...
Otherwise, soften it using the techniques mentioned above before serving. You can add it to a salad or dish of your choice.
You can also:
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Remove the skin before use for extra tenderness.
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Cook the sausage in a dish where it will slowly tenderize.
How to cook a sausage that's too dry?
Consider lightly stewed recipes that will give you the opportunity to add water and let the sausage soften slowly. For example, you can prepare a very simple tomato sauce where you add slices or cubes of (very) dry sausage. It's also possible to vary the flavors by stewing the sausages with other ingredients:
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"Devil's style": with onions and apples and seasoned with paprika, mustard and Worcestershire sauce, a real festival of flavors.
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Sausage on a bed of dried beans and potatoes : ideal for fans of hearty meals.
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One-pot pasta with vegetables and sausage : slow cooking that softens the meat while infusing the dish with flavor.
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In a soup : add slices or cubes at the end of cooking for a unique flavor.
How to preserve dry sausage and prevent it from hardening?
Dried sausage is prone to desiccation, so it naturally dries out when exposed to air and sun. If you plan to keep your sausage for a while before consuming it, consider ordering a softer sausage . You can hang it in your cellar or put it in your cupboard for a few days: even if it dries out, the texture will remain correct after a few days.
If you receive a perfectly cured dry sausage upon delivery, store it in a cool, dry place, away from light. To ensure proper preservation, wrap it in a clean cloth.
Once opened, the sausage can be stored in the vegetable compartment of the refrigerator, wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in an airtight container. A tip is to place a slice of lemon on the cut end to prevent the proliferation of bacteria.
