Check out this answer from Consensus:
To ensure the safety and quality of sausages, they should be cooked to an internal temperature of at least 72°C. Higher temperatures can improve texture and sensory qualities but may also increase cooking losses. Grilling at 80°C is particularly effective for maintaining nutritional quality. Overall, achieving the right balance between safety, texture, and flavor is key in sausage preparation.
Cooking sausages to the correct internal temperature is crucial for ensuring food safety and achieving desirable texture and flavor. Various studies have examined the effects of different cooking temperatures on the quality, safety, and sensory attributes of sausages.
Key Insights
- Optimal Internal Cooking Temperature for Safety:
- Effects on Texture and Sensory Quality:
- Higher internal cooking temperatures (up to 105°C) improve the sensory scores and tenderness of sausages, as well as the solubilization of connective tissues, leading to better texture5.
- Cooking sausages at temperatures between 60°C and 70°C has a moderate effect on the microstructural properties, such as water and fat binding, and texture3.
- Cooking Loss and Emulsion Stability:
- Sausages cooked at higher temperatures (up to 78°C) exhibit higher cooking losses but also result in harder meat emulsions, particularly in high-fat sausages4.
- Cooking at temperatures above 75°C is necessary for certain starches (e.g., corn starch) to achieve good freeze/thaw stability and minimize cooking losses7.
- Impact of Cooking Method:
- Grilling sausages at 80°C maintains a high amino acid profile, crude protein content, and lower fat content, making it a preferred method for breakfast sausages2.
- Cooking sausages in water at 80°C for 20 minutes results in increased cooking losses, especially with higher meat content, but dry cooking methods produce more flavorful sausages6.