Pork shoulder trimmingcc

[SkipB]

I was told that this was a better forum to be asking this question. This has to do with sausage making and I want my sausages to have about 25% fat content, but I don't know if the shoulder fat cap is included when using pork shoulder. I guess I'm asking should I trim that fat cap off or include that in the sausage? Guessing a fat percentage of a piece of meat appears to be more art than science.

 

[Itsdone]

In my opinion its not included. Most grocery stores take it off and sell it as trimmings for rendering. Pretty sure without it, a shoulder is 80/20. That said, one time i grinded a whole pork butt fat cap and all and it was way too much fat, couldn't even see meat in the sausage casing was almost all white.

 

[cdhbrad]

When I was in High School, I worked as a Butcher in a family owned Grocery Store. We made the bulk sausage for a local Restaurant, about 100# a week. I would start with a case of Boston Butts, about 60#, slice them about 1” thick, bone them and cut the meat for grinding as I went. We never trimmed fat and sometimes added it. Pork now is leaner than it was 50+ years ago. Hope this helps.

 

[SmokinEdge]

Pork butt quality is all over the map depending on your source(s) some butts are heavily marbled some are leaner, so to me each shoulder is addressed differently. In a well marbled shoulder I would trim the fat cap and save it for other leaner meats I may grind, if it’s a leaner shoulder I leave the fat cap. The picnic is leaner than the butt still makes great sausage though and a good place to use any fat cap you have trimmed.

 

[SkipB]

Thanks everybody your comments did help. If the meat looks well marbled, I'll take the fat cap off. Otherwise I'll leave it on.

 

[thirdeye]

When I break a butt down for grinding, I will keep some of the hard fat and cut it into strips about 1/2" wide. Then I chill cubes or strips of meat and the fat. As I move into leaner meat from the center muscles, I'll add a couple of strips of the fat.