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First run at sausage with the new Kitchenaid meat grinder

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    First run at sausage with the new Kitchenaid meat grinder

    So, the Kitchenaid grinder I ordered for $59 on sale with a discount coupon a while back, along with some other folks, arrived while we were at the hospital, and sat in the box until last night. On a whim last night, as Yvonne dozed in her recliner, I got an 8 pound butt out of the refrigerator (had not frozen it yet, and had a use or freeze by date of 6/30/2020 on it), cut it into 1" chunks (time consuming with the bone in there), and followed the recipe for breakfast sausage on the free side.

    Why buy pre-made breakfast sausage when you can make your own more flavorful version at home? Breakfast sausage is an American invention, we think, and its distinctive character comes from a touch of maple syrup. Our homemade breakfast sausage recipe amp up any breakfast and is wonderful as either links or as patties.


    Unfortunately, only while in the middle of this did I realize we had no sage, and a Google search said to sub rosemary, thyme, etc. So I did half rosemary and half thyme, both of which were probably already in the MMD that was in the recipe. I ended up filling my bowl almost up with this homemade sausage mix.

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    Regardless, a couple of observations.

    First, I think you NEED the sage. Rosemary and thyme were not a good sub. It's edible, and has a nice flavor, but not the flavor I would expect.

    The second observation is that this is very lean sausage, even with all the fat cap and such on the butt mixed in. I think I need a slab of much fatter meat, like pork belly, to mix in. Observations of the skillet below show that little fat rendered out, and I cooked it to 165-175. I just thought I would have a decent fat to lean ratio with a bone in pork butt from Sam's Club, but apparently it needs more. The 75/25 ratio called for in the recipe, and I just went with carving up the butt with a boning knife willy nilly.

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    Sorry - didn't think to take any pics after flipping the sausage over, as I was busy feeding eggs, sausage and buttered toast from homemade bread to myself and Yvonne!

    I don't see eating 5-6 pounds of this very quickly, so plan to make patties and freeze on parchment paper on a cookie sheet, then vacuum seal and into the freezer in 1 pound portions. I will probably end up giving at least half away to the kids as they come to visit.

    Jim
    Last edited by jfmorris; June 27, 2020, 01:39 PM.

    #2
    A few observations from a fellow rookie.
    - I think fennel is way more important than sage.
    - Your butcher will sell you pork fat. Grind it with the meat.
    - I don't bother to patty what I'm freezing, just vacuum seal bulk. If you want patties it works after you thaw just fine. Usually I am making sausage gravy anyway.

    Still, a pretty good first run. I thought my first run was rather bland and I would use more spices next time.

    Comment


    • jfmorris
      jfmorris commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks. This was not too bland, I just don't prefer the flavor mix with the sub for sage.

      There was no fennel in the recipe on the free side. Do you have a recipe to suggest?

    • Reds Fan 5
      Reds Fan 5 commented
      Editing a comment
      JCGrill I second the fennel. I season ground pork for sausage gravy rather than using packaged sausage. It requires more fennel than one thinks and it is the key spice.

    #3
    How did the Kitchenaid do?

    Comment


    • jfmorris
      jfmorris commented
      Editing a comment
      Ran great! Just don't over tighten the ring or it will be too tight against the blade, and potential have trouble turning. Cleanup was pretty easy, and I like the box to store it in with all the custom fit compartments.

    #4
    Here's one. It's sweet Italian sausage, but I like it.


    He's got a whole website. Most of his stuff is in casings, but you don't have to do it that way.
    Homemade sausage recipes for pork, beef, venison, duck, chicken, and other meats, with 50 tested recipes for making sausage at home.


    I've been acquiring a lot of sites with sausage recipes. Many of the ones that are called breakfast sausage don't include fennel, but I really like it in sausage. There's a sausage made by the butchers where I grew up that is made into "rings". No fennel to my knowledge. Coarse grind, maybe an inch and a half or two in diameter. Primary ingredients are pork and garlic. I could not tell you what else, but it's so good you can't wait to burp!

    Comment


      #5
      I have been making sausage since 1979 when a church member gave me 2 deer (minus the backstraps) and a lot of trim from a couple of hogs he had raised and butchered. Learned a lot since then. You can find some interesting recipes on the LEM website among others. They make lots of meat processing things, including my grinder and sausage stuffer. One of the most important things to get the fat fully incorporated in the mix is temperature control. Everything has to be a cold as possible. I put the head to my grinder, fully assembled, in the freezer at least a couple of hours before making sausage. I also put the bowl I am grinding into and the cubed meat in the freezer about half an hour before grinding. As soon as the meat is ground it goes into the refrigerator while I clean up and set up the stuffer (which I put in the freezer while I am grinding the meat).
      Spices and flavors are really a matter of personal taste. Like JCGrill I like a lot fennel in my sausage, enough that I plant fennel every year to harvest the seeds for my sausage. I also like a lot of fresh garlic, in pretty much everything (again I grow my own because I use enough for it to get a bit expensive) including sausage. Some people prefer more sage, especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas when I use more if it as well.
      Sausage making can become addictive. Its fun and there are almost an endless variety of flavors and textures you can create. When I bought my stuffer from LEM they sent me a whole book dedicated to sausage making. There is another great book on the subject that I bought a few years back CHARCUTERIE The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing Meat. by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. It covers more than just sausage but it has a great section on the subject.
      Anyway have fun with it. I began with a grinder for my Kitchen-aide also. In fact I still have it somewhere.

      Comment


        #6
        90% of the time pork butt turns out with a really good fat/meat ratio, but sometimes you just need more fat. I usually keep a couple of pounds of fatback in the freezer for sausage making, just for that reason.

        Also, just to put this bee in your bonnet: You can now grind your own beef for burgers. Chuck, short rib and sirloin is a lovely place to start. Just make sure you've got some extra beef fat in the freezer.

        Comment


        • JCGrill
          JCGrill commented
          Editing a comment
          DavidNorcross if you look at the recipe I linked, that gentleman likes 4 to 1 pork butt to fat.

        • DavidNorcross
          DavidNorcross commented
          Editing a comment
          Got it. Thank you. I have not read it yet but will.

        • JGo37
          JGo37 commented
          Editing a comment
          And I keep the fats I trim off briskets for just that purpose. I wonder if beef fat could be used to up the fat ratio for pork sausage?

        #7
        brisket trim fat...best use other than tallow.

        Comment


        • jfmorris
          jfmorris commented
          Editing a comment
          Problem right now is I've not found a brisket in a long time, plus, I usually don't seem to trim more than a pound or so off the ones I've had from Costco. The ones I see for sale at Sam's usually have a lot more fat, so I've avoided them. Right now I would be happy to find any brisket...

        • texastweeter
          texastweeter commented
          Editing a comment
          jfmorris I have a heard of them in my freezer. Boyscouts motto never let's me down.

        • JCGrill
          JCGrill commented
          Editing a comment
          I render all of mine. Quart of beef tallow in the fridge right now. Lots of good ways to use it.

        #8
        Thank you for sharing. I have the same attachment for my Kitchen Aid and really want to try this.

        Comment


          #9
          Great posts. Sausage making is so fun!

          Comment


            #10
            The problem was that you didn't cook it on your new flattop. That would cover a multitude of sins in the construction of the blend.

            Comment


            • jfmorris
              jfmorris commented
              Editing a comment
              Haha - I thought about it, but it was raining, and rain was blowing in on the flat top. I had to go out there twice yesterday and dry it off with a towel. That was with it about 3 feet from the edge of the overhang. All the furniture cushions had standing water on them as well out there.
              Last edited by jfmorris; June 28, 2020, 06:37 AM.

            #11
            Did you chill the grinder parts or the pork chunks or did you just let 'er rip like HouseHomey does?

            Kathryn

            Comment


            • HouseHomey
              HouseHomey commented
              Editing a comment
              With that statement Im suddenly feeling youthful Doc, like I need a leather Jacket and a Motorcycle.

            • jfmorris
              jfmorris commented
              Editing a comment
              I put the assembled grinder and the cubed up butt in the freezer for 20 minutes. I had no issues with the grinder running through it all on speed 4 of the Kitchenaid mixer, per the grinder directions.

            #12
            This recipe: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...sausage-recipe

            Comment


              #13
              Now that you have the first batch under your belt it is time for adventure: https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-recipes

              Comment


              • JCGrill
                JCGrill commented
                Editing a comment
                Thanks, another site for the collection.

              • jfmorris
                jfmorris commented
                Editing a comment
                Bookmarked!

              • Mr. Bones
                Mr. Bones commented
                Editing a comment
                Many Thanks fer th link, Don!
                What a wonderfully exhaustive reference source....
                Tis late (early) now, but I'll be cruisin their pages...

              #14
              Like JCGrill We are fennel lovers. Here's the recipe we use. I'm supposed to limit salt, 17-20 grams per Kg would be more typical. I don't add any additional fat to the pork butt. The coppa (neck, collar, whatever you want to call it) is removed for smoking.

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              Here's what the grid looks like. Removal of the coppa probably increases the fat content of the rest of the butt some.

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              Comment


                #15
                I did pick up sage and fennel while at the store this evening... not that I will be making sausage until I use up the stuff I just put in the freezer, but I'll have it for next time I get the urge!

                Comment


                • DiverDriver
                  DiverDriver commented
                  Editing a comment
                  add the sage and fennel you just bought after you thaw and before you fry it. I always do a sample fry before stuffing sausage or freezing so I can make mods to recipe.

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