Meats and Sausages
Baloney
Baloney or Boloney is a North American sausage used primarily as an inexpensive cold cut for sandwiches. It is not really known in Europe. Traditionally made from pork or beef, it can be found made from chicken or turkey. The parts of meat used are the tougher parts of meat that are high in collagen. The meat is emulsified (or finely ground) and packed into a large diameter casing. Mortadella, Bologna, Polony or Baloney/Boloney look similar as they all are large diameter emulsified sausages, the difference being in quality of meats selected for the manufacture of the product. Baloney was perhaps originally inspired by the Italian or American Mortadella, though there's no actual proof of that.
North Americans have a knack for transforming nouns, for example Christmas into Xmas or doughnut into donut what offends many Europeans. They definitely don’t want Bologna Mortadella to be associated with “boloney” or “baloney.
The word also has another meaning in English. It is used to describe something – usually something someone says – that is false or wrong or foolish. Baloney is a spelling that represents an Americanized pronunciation of bologna, and it also came to mean "nonsense" in the 1920s. The word "Baloney" is also used now for saying something is "hogwash", "bullshit" or "rubbish". When this meaning is meant, the word is certainly almost always spelt "Baloney" and not "Bologna". Sometimes people merged the two spellings to invent a third word, "boloney."
North Americans have a knack for transforming nouns, for example Christmas into Xmas or doughnut into donut what offends many Europeans. They definitely don’t want Bologna Mortadella to be associated with “boloney” or “baloney.
The word also has another meaning in English. It is used to describe something – usually something someone says – that is false or wrong or foolish. Baloney is a spelling that represents an Americanized pronunciation of bologna, and it also came to mean "nonsense" in the 1920s. The word "Baloney" is also used now for saying something is "hogwash", "bullshit" or "rubbish". When this meaning is meant, the word is certainly almost always spelt "Baloney" and not "Bologna". Sometimes people merged the two spellings to invent a third word, "boloney."
| Materials | Metric | US |
|---|---|---|
| Beef trimmings | 700 g | 1.54 lb |
| Pork trimmings | 150 g | 0.33 lb |
| Back fat or fat trimmings | 100 g | 0.22 lb |
| Potato flour | 50 g | 0.11 lb |
Ingredients per 1000g (1 kg) of materials
| Salt | 18 g | 2 tsp |
| Cure #1 | 2.5 g | ½ tsp |
| White pepper | 2.0 g | 1 tsp |
| Paprika, sweet | 1.0 g | 1 tsp |
| Nutmeg | 0.5 g | 1.4 tsp |
| Garlic | 3.5 g | 1 clove |
| Water | 240 ml | 1 cup |
Instructions
- Grind beef through 3/8” (10 mm) plate.
- Grind pork through 3/8” (10 mm) plate.
- Grind fat through 3/8” (10 mm) plate.
- Using food processor emulsify ground beef with half of water or as much as the beef will absorb. Then add as follows: pork plus salt, cure #1 and spices, fat and flour. Keep on slowly adding the remaining water as emulsifying process continues.
- Stuff into beef bungs, beef middles or large diameter cellulose or fibrous casings.
- Hang in 4° C (38º F) overnight or for 2-3 hours at room temperature.
- Apply smoke at 46° C (115º F) for 3 hours.
- Cook in water at around 72° C (160° F) for 60-90 min according to thickness until sausages reach 68-70° C (154-158° F) inside.
- After cooking place sausages for about 10 min in cold water, cool them in air and refrigerate.
Notes
Beef and pork with connective tissue is allowed. If using manual grinder only, separate connective tissues, freeze for 45 minutes and grind through 1/8” (3 mm) at least twice (refreeze between grinds).
If not using food processor grind meats through 3/8” (10 mm) plate, then place for 45 minutes in a freezer and grind again through 1/8” (3 mm) plate. Mix ground beef with 120 ml (3 oz fl=1/2 cup) of cold water and then mix with pork, spices, fat and flour. Add remaining water if it can be absorbed.
Baloney is usually cut thin and served on a roll, however, it is often cut thickly and fried. If it is cut up thick it can be served on a hamburger bun as a baloney patty.
If not using food processor grind meats through 3/8” (10 mm) plate, then place for 45 minutes in a freezer and grind again through 1/8” (3 mm) plate. Mix ground beef with 120 ml (3 oz fl=1/2 cup) of cold water and then mix with pork, spices, fat and flour. Add remaining water if it can be absorbed.
Baloney is usually cut thin and served on a roll, however, it is often cut thickly and fried. If it is cut up thick it can be served on a hamburger bun as a baloney patty.
