There's a reason the idiom "how the sausage gets made" has survived for over a century. Knowledge is a welcomed missing link, and carnivores are happy to claim ignorance, as there may be fewer people willing to eat hot dogs, chorizo, or kielbasa if they knew how they were made.
There are thousands of types of sausage out there. And, they all involve different proteins and spices depending on their use and region of origin. Traditionally the ground meat (which can be anything from pork or lamb to plant-based protein) is squeezed into an edible tube that's either "natural" or man-made. The latter casing type is sometimes crafted from animal hide collagen, but can also be manufactured from cellulose or plastic, which must be removed before eating. On the other hand, "natural sausage casings are made from the submucosa of the intestines of meat animals (beef, sheep, and swine)," according to the USDA. We warned you.
Unless you're making your own sausage, you're probably purchasing it pre-formed. Removing the casing at home can be a slippery, messy task — until now. As it turns out, freezing the links on a baking sheet for 20 minutes allows the meat to harden enough to peel off the casing easily. Use the tip of a chef's knife to pierce the length of the link, then grab hold of the casing and pull it off the meat. If the casing sticks, return the links to the freezer for another 10 minutes.
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