Makeover 2: The Nitrate Negation

The more I research on harmful ingredients, the harder it gets to accept the truth.

This has to rank as one of the toughest ever - nitrates.

A seemingly innocuous substance, I could not believe my eyes when I read that the common table salt, known as sodium nitrate, had the potential to transform into a cancer-causing chemical. And the next hard-hitting truth: they are found mainly in packaged sausages.

Now, if my favourite foods were ranked like the English Premier League, sausages will be the equivalent of Manchester United: consistent, satisfying, simply out of this world.

But nitrates ruined the whole picture. They are actually harmless on their own, but when combined with chemicals in the stomach, form nitrosamines, a powerful carcinogenic substance. They are apparently so harmful that the United States Department of Agriculture ruled that fresh sausages contain no nitrates. However, they are allowed as preservatives in packaged sausages, and that worries me. Badly.

The problem is, ever since I tasted Master Butchery's excellent sausages, I have never envisioned myself quitting them.

But I had to face the problem.

And well, it wasn't that bad after all. Nitrite salt sounded like the least worrying of all ingredients. Sodium lactate, phosphate, and ISP. ISP? What on earth could that be? Other than MSG, any ingredient whose name is in the form of acronym sounds fishy, dangerous even.

So Master Butchery goes into the dustbin, and I'm off to find a new soulmate. A search on the net for sausage alternatives brought to my attention a few communities and websites that were devoted to putting a stop to unhealthy meats by introducing recipes where one can come up homemade sausages. After looking through a few, I decided on the Italian Fennel Pork Sausage.

It sounded like the easiest of the lot, with few ingredients that are readily available. Obviously, I couldn't get my hands on two skinned, boned and chunky Boston pork butts, and thus settled for air-flown minced pork from the friendly supermarket.

Ah, fennel seeds. My first encounter with them were Tortino's delightful Sausage Party Pizzas. The Italian spices packed a punch with its distinctive taste, so it was a pleasant surprise to find them in this recipe. Other than being a flavourful addition to any Western meal, they help to protect against cancer! Take that, nitrites!

I decided to add a creative touch. Instead of sausages, the meat mixture will be turned into patties. And what are patties without burger buns? But here's the interesting alternative: Focaccia bread!

Healthy (no trans fats), flavourful (with more than 4 spices) and absolutely delicious, it is the perfect companion for homemade Italian patties.

Preparation was relatively hassle free. Mix all the ingredients together with the pork and leave it overnight in the fridge. Lifting up the PVC food wrap the next day produced a pleasant treat. If Famous Amos can proudly proclaim "Free Smells" for their cookies, Prodigy Benjy can do the same too for his meat patties. An intricate concoction of smells ranging from the strong fennel seeds to the spicy black pepper teased the senses.

In the short history of my cooking years, this has to rank among the most satisfying meals. Every bite packed a punch. The rich taste of fennel seeds and black pepper, combined with the pork juices forms a truly unique experience.

After two mouthfuls, my girlfriend quipped, "Wah, this is better than Botak Jones."

Indeed, and without the cancer-causing nitrates!

Benjy's Italian Fennel Focaccia Sandwich
Taste: 5/5
Out of this world.

Value: 5/5
After calculations, each sandwich costs $2.50. Try getting something anywhere else for that price.

Nutritional Value: 4/5
We need more vegetables the next time round!

Makeover Success: 5/5
One less processed food in the house, one more tasty recipe in the library.