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Wrench_H
12-06-2010, 09:17 PM
I've been wanting to try sausages for a while now, and finally got around to buying the grinder and stuffer attachments for my wife's mixer. I wanted to do some summer sausage, but realized that there are quite a few ingredients that I need to order online as nobody seems to seel this stuff aroung here. Eventually I'd like to get creative with these, but for my first try, I just went with some basic hot Italians which I found a recipe online for.

I started with a 7 lb pork butt and cut the whole thing into cubes small enough to fit in the grinder. Wasn't sure about the fat to meat ratio, so I just used everything.

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Put it through the grinder once with the bigger of the two plates

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Added paprika, salt, fennell seed, crushed red pepper, anise seed, garlic, and vegatable oil to the first grind and sent it back through using the smaller plate.

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I had no idea how to stuff them, and my wife found this to be quite amusing. After the first fail, I realized that I need to put the whole casing on there and move it down as I went....yes I'm a moron.

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Here is are a couple shots of the finished product...I was pretty excited that they at least looked like sausage.

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Did all that yesterday and left them in the fridge over night. I cut up some fries to go with them tonight. I realize that he seems kind of like a jerk, and most of you guys like making fun of him, but the best fries I've ever had were at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grille in New York, so I usually use his recipe. Fry once at 325, and then again at 375 and sprinkle ancho and salt over them.

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I cooked the sausages and some kraut on the grill on high heat. Cooked them for about 20 minutes to 175 (does this sound right? can I pull them sooner?)

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Here is my wife's on the plate with some fries. I don't like the mustard no mine, but I thought the pictue would look better with it so I used hers for my throwdown entry.

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Lastly, my attempt at getting sympathy votes :becky:. She's a little young for the sausages, but she loved the fries.

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This was a lot of fun, and as I said, something I've been wanting to do for a while. I thought they turned out really good too for my first try. I'm excited about trying some new stuff in them next time. Thanks for taking a look.

Lessons Learned -
1. I'll add a little more red pepper next time as I like them hot.
2. Make them a little bigger, they drew up a little more than the Johnsonvilles.

Questions for next time -
1. They were a little dry, should I try cooking them less or adding more fat or something else?
2. I bought natural casings that are in a salt brine. The bag I bought seems to be enough to package all the sausage made in north america over the next ten years. How long does this stuff last, and is there anything I need to do to keep it usable?

boatnut
12-06-2010, 09:43 PM
It all sounds good but I can't see any pics!!!!

I've never heard of a recipe calling for veggie oil? While a lot of folks will just grind a butt and assume there is enough fat, I always add about 10% more pork fat. I get mine from local meat locker for free. Fat adds a lot of flavor to sausage. I like to shoot for around 70/30 min. ratio of meat to fat. Cooking your sausages to 160-170 is plenty.

the casings should keep for long time. as long as they are salted, you won't have a problem.

landarc
12-06-2010, 09:47 PM
Hmm, no pics here either, although it looked good in the TD thread

bigabyte
12-06-2010, 10:05 PM
A pork butt is typically about 80/20 lean/fat, which can be a tad on the dry side for folks accustomed to store bought sausage or most standard sausage from butchers which is probably closer to 70/30, so adding some more fat is a good way to go. Just remember the percentages are by weight when figuring out how much fat to add.

I use collagen casings so I have no advice on the casings.

Mister Bob
12-06-2010, 10:23 PM
The first three pictures look like you made a good start of things. After that, no pics, I'll check back.

Wrench_H
12-06-2010, 10:27 PM
Okay, I got the pics updated now. Not sure what happened. It sounds like both adding some fat and pulling them off a little earlier will help. As always thanks for the advice.

Alan in Ga
12-06-2010, 10:45 PM
Gonna be trying this real soon also so thanks for the thread....and they look really good by the way good job

Mister Bob
12-06-2010, 10:48 PM
Great pics, especially the last one! For a first timer, it looks like you did a pretty good job figuring things out.

Crazy Harry
12-07-2010, 01:41 AM
I usually mix the spices with the cubed meat then do a single grind and then stuff.
I've had natural casings packed in salt for 18 months in the refrigerator and they were still good.

Phubar
12-07-2010, 06:07 AM
Nice work on those sausages Wrench!
I dig that plate too!

deguerre
12-07-2010, 06:50 AM
I've never made sausages so no advice here but looks like you really did good on your first try! I want one with kraut.

bluetang
12-07-2010, 07:04 AM
Those look dang fine from here!! I want some:thumb:
I'm pretty much in agreement with the above posts. I too add fat when using butts for sausage. I cube the meat as well, but I add my seasoning to the cubes before grinding. I seem to get a better mix. I don't add oil. I let that chill overnight and then grind once , add cold water, or wine, and regrind. I flush my casings out and soak them for a few hours then stuff. I keep my excess casings in one of those zip loc suc bags and always throw in a bit more salt each time I open the bag, lasts, and lasts!

Bluesman
12-07-2010, 07:23 AM
Thanks, just Farkin THANKS!!!! Now here is something else I need to do. Buy a grinder and make sausage. It never ends with you people, always pounding new ideas into my head. Outstanding job Wrench. They look great :clap2:

Zak
12-07-2010, 07:37 AM
I do things just a little different. I find the medium plate grinders the meat just fine for sausage, I don't want it ground as fine as burger. I will grind it once, mix it with the seasonings and water(or whatever liquid i'm using) then stuff right away. I let the sausage sit in the fridge overnight then vacuum pack what i'm not gonna eat in the next couple days.

I've never seen a recipe for oil in sausage either but if it works for you, go for it. I see you're using the mixer to stuff the sausage which is the tougher way to do it but without a crank style stuffer, it'll do the trick only a little more difficult. The instructions that came with my Lem stuffer warns not to let the sausage "set" after salt is added because it becomes difficult to stuff. Just something to consider. Looks great though.

There's a lot of recipes out there for sausage so your next biggest decision is deciding which one to make next. And don't forget you can always do bulk sausage which is a great time saver over stuffing. I've made all different kinds from hot italian to chicken/jalapeno. Len Poli's site is great for recipes and tips. Check it out.

Oh, and another use for the grinder is for making your own fresh ground hamburger for the best burgers you've ever had. I typically use chuck roasts and don't add anything else, just cut it up and grind. I ground a point from a brisket a couple times and although it was a good burger, it was a little tough on my grinder. But i had the same flavor as chuck. I use the medium plate for it also and think it gives it a great texture. I only buy hamburger in the store if it's a time crunch issue or if it's going in a dish where the beef flavor is overshadowed by other flavors.

Wrench_H
12-07-2010, 07:51 AM
Zak - thanks for the info. I actually ended up with about a pound and a half of bulk sausage just because I was tired of stuffing and already had 23 links. I'm planning to make some ziti with it one day this week. Funny you should mention Len Poli's site, that is the site where I found the summer sausage recipe that I want to try. Seems like there is a good recipe for just about any sausage you would ever want on there.

AUradar
12-07-2010, 08:36 AM
i love making sausage, vension sausage anyway. Just butts does make for a leaner sausage. I think typical sausage is about 50/50 meat to fat. I used to use 50/50 vension and pork trimmings. Pork trimmings is basically pork fat. I then went down to 75/25 and then started using about 66/33 just butts. The pork trimmings are a pain to deal with because they come in 60 pound frozen blocks. With vension, 66/33 using just pork butts makes for a very lean sausage. We like it. Just experiment.

Sometimes the butcher will save pork fat you can buy. And the next time you smoke a butt or something cut off that layer of fat on the bottom and save for your sausage.

using that mixer sausage grinder is hard. Especially using it to stuff. What you did looks great to me.

I typically use AC Leggs suasage seasoning. Its about $3 for a bag that does 25 pounds of meat. Its really good. I usually do 100 pounds at a time so trying to make my own seasoning just gets to expensive.

One thing to try is mixing honey in the meat before stuffing. Thats really good.

http://www.aclegg.com/

http://davesbutchersupply.com/images/LeggsSumSaus.jpg

Schraufy
12-07-2010, 09:38 AM
I have a Kitchen Aid mixer as well. Where did you get the grinder attachments for it and does the stuffer come with it? I've been wanting to make my own sausage for awhile now. Thanks. Pics look great.

AUradar
12-07-2010, 09:53 AM
i got mine from lowes

carlyle
12-07-2010, 09:56 AM
Admire your courage just to tackle something new plus the extra courage to document your efforts with pictures. Thanks. You really made me hungry.

We have a grinder like that with our Kitchen Aide. It works very well. Set up , operation, and clean up are all a breeze. Anyplace that sells Kitchen Aide will likely
have them or just check with the company.

They also make a shredder attachment that is great for slaw making, or kraut cutting
if you make your own. I use it for shredding cheese like parm. It too works great.

Thanks and keep sharing.

Wrench_H
12-07-2010, 10:05 AM
I have a Kitchen Aid mixer as well. Where did you get the grinder attachments for it and does the stuffer come with it? I've been wanting to make my own sausage for awhile now. Thanks. Pics look great.

I got the grinder from bed bath and beyond, I think it was $49. The stuffer was a little more difficult to find, but I found one at Williams Sonoma for $14. All in all, it is much cheaper than buying a grinder and stuffer individually. However, when you open up the box for the stuffer, it is hard to figure out why you just paid $14 for two small pieces of plastic.

Chef Jim
12-07-2010, 10:06 AM
Wrench, That is awesome. I asked for the stuffer attachment for my Kitchen Aid for Xmas. Can't wait to see if I get it. Where do you all buy your casings?

Gore
12-07-2010, 10:14 AM
Great job and I especially like the last pic. Personally, I enjoy and appreciate a good, dry sausage. They're very different than a moist one, which I also enjoy.

The Anchorman
12-07-2010, 10:26 AM
A nice easy way to retain moisture with out adding extra fat is the addition of Dry Milk Solids, DMS. It is relatively cheap, shelf stable, and adds no flavor making it a good choice for an additive. I use it all the time with straight pork butt, no additional fat. Always delicious results :clap2:

Good Luck

Check this out for the DMS tip and many more.

http://lpoli.50webs.com/Tips.htm

dannypat21
12-07-2010, 11:20 AM
Now I have to get a grinder....great thread and helluva job!