Here's some more info on Sausage Making from a few years ago. It's a fun journey with lots to read and make your own adjustments as you move through the process. I'm no expert. You've gotten lots of good advice already. I will say I put a lot of stock in PS Seasonings & 2 Guys and a Cooler Videos.
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I buy casings at my local Ace Hardware and I live ten minutes away from a Cabela's.
I have Cabela's mid-priced meat grinder and their 5 lb stuffer (pretty sure it's just LEM).
I call BS on "high temperature cheese." That's just aged cheddar and I buy the two pound block at Kroger and make my own tiny little cubes.
I will also mention that ChatGPT has access to all the recipes on the web and does a great job doing recipes with custom amounts. I used it for three different batches of bologna and I really liked the results.
BrianComment
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Agreed on the cheese. Caution though, many MANY online sausage recipes are BS at best and potentially dangerous. Particularly true for those using cures or smoking. There may be others, but the only 2 I would recommend from personal knowledge are the Meats and Sausages site previously linked, and Len Poli's site at http://lpoli.50webs.com/ -
I think I would go broke if I lived 10 minutes from Cabela’s -
DavidNorcross I have one 1.2 miles from my house. I have indeed spent a lot of money there lol.
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One interesting side effect of thing endeavour is that as I was watching a brisket trim video this morning, I realized that I probably won't be as conservative on trimming as I used to be.....as I now know I can use that meat trim for sausage/burgers.Comment
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I have thought about stuffing my own sausages for a while but it has fallen by the wayside for a bit. I appreciate the advice on the MYM stuffer as I thought fairly highly of their vacuum sealer so I thought the stuffer might be a good bet. I have a LEM grinder that is awesome so happy to settle on the LEM stuffer if the day ever arises.Comment
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Making sausage is fun and delicious. There is nothing like freshly made sausage. Fresh sweet Italian is our go to. Always have a dish that I can put it into. Soups, spaghetti, sammy's, etc. Andouille is another favorite. So go for it. You'll have a blast. I had an old, retired butcher teach me how to make sausage. I'll pass along his recommendations from my notes.
1. Keep your stuffer cold. If you're making a lot, put the stuffer back in the freezer in-between stuffings.
2. Mix all your ingredients in water and add to the meat. It gets dispersed more evenly than tossing them in dry.
3. Binders are not recommended. But if you do, use soy protein.
4. Use purified salt and dextrose (instead of sugar).
5. When starting out, have someone help you until you get the hang of stuffing casing. I've been making sausage off and on for 15 years and still have someone help me. Very frustrating when you are by yourself and the casing keeps blowing out.
6. Buy a hand crank stuffer, not electric (kitchen Aide). Much more control.
7. Buy a meat grinder.
8. Use collagen casing. I use to (because he told me to), but went back to natural casing. Collagen casing rarely ever blows out and much easier to use. But.....just not the same.
FWIW.......Have fun.
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Through the generosity of a Pit Member, I will have a tried and true sausage stuffer on Saturday! Can't wait!
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Great. Now, please remember to not forget the Pit's requirement RE: Pictures!Comment
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It is here.
11 lb dual-gear stuffer, very well cared for.
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Jerod Broussard The company makes an accessory of these very large suction cups that can replace the OEM feet. I bought a set. The reviews say they really do stick, so much I will probably have to use a plastic paint scraper to dislodge them.
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Michael_in_TX That looks pretty much identical to the Vevor stuffer I bought a couple years ago. it's a great unit, but I have a couple of nits.
a) Having the handle on the right side is a bit awkward until you get used to it. I can imagine the trying to use this being sinister would be difficult.
b)It leaves about a links worth of farce int the elbow/horn.
Other than that it's a great unit, you night want help your first goaround, but it's totally a one person opperation once you get it down.
Have fun, and be creative!
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Michael_in_TX I do not know this brand of stuffer personally, but a few times, if my guys took their hand off the crank, it would spin backwards. Be careful!Comment
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This may work out well for me. I'm left-handed, so having the crank on the right side feels right (the stuffer would be to my right and push the sausage out to the left).....although it feels less natural to "pull" the handle towards me rather than "push" it away from me.Originally posted by mnavarre View PostComment
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Don't forget that Bradley Robinson sells a few sausage mixes: https://www.chudsbbq.com/collections/sausage-making
I see that his sausage class is way cheaper than Bill "The Sausage Sensei" Dumas' class (he came to 1701 BBQ awhile back, his sausage is excellent BTW).Comment
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And I may grab one just to support him as his videos are effectively the best I have seen, but he lays out the ratios he uses in his "Sausage Masterclass" series he did a few years ago.
In fact, his very recent Texas Hot Guts video is perhaps his most concise and complete demonstration and explanation of his cured and smoked method I think he has done....it's a full start-to-finish video.
Of course as Purc mentioned to me at the Meat-Up, "he makes it look so easy."
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I highly recommend this book. I've made all of the fresh sausage out of it and, once I save up to rig a drying fridge, I'll be trying out the cured sausages. The breakfast "bomb" sausage helped win me my bride!
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I've got the 1st edition, and it was my start on sausage. I've done a ton of recipes from it (not literally, but hundreds of pounds for sure). Love that book, and agree with the recommendation. I emailed the author about modifying some recipes for a family member with food restrictions, and he was awesome. I didn't know there was an update - I'll keep my eye out for a cheap used copy.
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I'm aiming to make my first real batch of ground sausage tomorrow. It'll be some fresh breakfast sausage. I want to get a bit more experience with my Kitchen Aid grinder as well as the stuffer without worrying about casings.
Not sure yet if I will do pork belly or pork butt. I'd prefer pork belly, but it is 3x as expensive as pork butt. Aiming for 3-3.5 lbs of sausage.Comment
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I ordered a new sausage stuffer last night. Should be here Monday. I can't WAIT.
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