Not happy with my sausage

[superlazy]

Made some sausage for the 1st time in years today and Blah

breakfast

Sage
16 ounces ground pork
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon MSG

I left the msg out

2nd was Ita. sausage

2lbs ground pork
3/4 Tbls fennel
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp parsley
2 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 Tlbs pepper

The texture and fat on both were spot on but the breakfast had no real flavor and the Ita. has just a kinda odd taste I can't explain.

I have another 2lbs in the fridge to grind tomorrow using this recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 lbs. pork shoulder cut into rough 1-inch chunks
• 17 g kosher salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 Tbs fennel seed, cracked/crushed in mortar & pestle
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 Tbs cold white wine (cheap, dry, and Italian), to be added on Day 2

PROCEDURE [Needs 24 hrs., ideally]

DAY 1:

• Combine all ingredients EXCEPT WINE in a large bowl and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours.
• Place the meat grinder in the freezer overnight: the feed shaft, screw, blade, and 1/4-inch plate (the larger of the two for the KitchenAid).

DAY 2:

• Chill meat and mixer bowl for 15-30 minutes in freezer before grinding. Grind meat at speed level 4 into the mixer bowl. Make sure it doesn’t “smear” as it comes out: it should look clean and dry and ropey, like fresh ground hamburger.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, ADD THE WINE and beat the sausage meat on medium high speed until it becomes tacky and sticky, about one minute. Wrap in plastic wrap to get out extra air and transfer to a zipper-lock bag and seal. Sausage will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.

I really hope this one comes out better.


Any suggestions?

 

[Arlin_MacRae]

That's what she sai...oh...Q-talk. Right. Ahem.

Going from memory, your Italian sausage recipe seems right on the money. The sage recipe, though... The spice amounts seem low to me, but that's a hip-shot guess from where I'm sitting.

The funny taste... Did you do the Italian first, by chance? If it's been years since you made a batch, might there have been some lingering funk in your grinder?

Arlin

 

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

That sage recipe sounds like a Jimmy Dean clone and should be tasty.

Did you use old spices and herbs by any chance?

 

[slow-smoker]

That sage recipe sounds like a Jimmy Dean clone and should be tasty.

Did you use old spices and herbs by any chance?

This.

 

[plakers]

Add red pepper to the Italian, don't have to make it super hot, but I think the red pepper complements the fennel flavor better then the black pepper.

I have never been satisfied with my breakfast sausage recipe and now rely on Hi-Mountain Seasonings. A bit milder the Jimmy Dean but my kids will eat it.

Because I cant resist,

It really doesn't matter if I'm satisfied with my sausage or not....its what the wife thinks that matters.

 

[rcbaughn]

Well hmm, did you toast the fennel seeds first? I find that is the ONLY way to get that right flavor. And it kinda seems like the proportions of seasonings are really low. I tend to thing of breakfast sausage and Italian sausage as pretty spiced and herbed up.

Here's my go to site for sausage making. It's so farking in depth.

Sausage Making

 

[Ron_L]

Do you taste the sausage mixture before stuffing? I always take a little and cook it in a pan and taste it. that way I can adjust the seasoning before it goes into the casing.

 

[gtr]

Just talking off the top of my head here - as stated, the spice amounts for the breakfast sausage look low. Not sure if I've seen coriander in sage sausage - maybe so, but it doesn't ring a bell right now. Ginger - fresh grated - is a great thing for breakfast sausage as well as fresh sage.

For the Italian - again, just guessing - the fennel looks heavy to me in relation to the other seasonings. I could easily be wrong - I'm at work and not near any of the recipes I normally use, and I have a damaged brain on top of that :twitch:. +1 on toasting the fennel btw.

This may not be related, but I use Kosher salt in sausage recipes and never iodized salt - it probably makes no difference for uncured sausages but just throwing it out there.

You can try letting the flavors develop for a little while before eating. I always do a test patty to get an idea of the balance of the seasonings, but things tend blend a little better after a little time, esp. for cured/smoked sausages. I do breakfast sausage fresh, and that stuff may actually get a little more intense in flavor as time goes on. It's the recipe from the Ruhlman "Charcuterie" book - great stuff!

 

[superlazy]

Thanks Guys, I really need to think about my post titles :caked:

The funny taste... Did you do the Italian first, by chance? If it's been years since you made a batch, might there have been some lingering funk in your grinder?

I did the breakfast 1st then just wiped the grinder out.

Did you use old spices and herbs by any chance?

The Sage and Coriander are pretty old the rest are less than a month old

Well hmm, did you toast the fennel seeds first? I find that is the ONLY way to get that right flavor. And it kinda seems like the proportions of seasonings are really low. I tend to thing of breakfast sausage and Italian sausage as pretty spiced and herbed up.

Here's my go to site for sausage making. It's so farking in depth.

Sausage Making

I did not toast.. I love that sight but went with the other recipes because I didn't want to ruin 4-5 lbs at a shot

Do you taste the sausage mixture before stuffing? I always take a little and cook it in a pan and taste it. that way I can adjust the seasoning before it goes into the casing.

Not stuffing these for pizza and fattys. The 2 batches that are ground up are in the fridge

For the Italian - again, just guessing - the fennel looks heavy to me in relation to the other seasonings. I could easily be wrong - I'm at work and not near any of the recipes I normally use, and I have a damaged brain on top of that :twitch:. +1 on toasting the fennel btw.

I also thought the fennel looked heavy also

I think I answered everybody:grin:

 

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Here is a copycat recipe. Sounds to me like the old sage and coriander are the culprits. No MSG might be responsible also.

Copycat, Jimmy Dean Pork Breakfast Sausage

"RECIPE BY

Food.com
Ingredients

16 ozs ground pork
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp parsley (dried)
1/4 tsp rubbed sage
1/4 tsp black pepper (fresh coarse ground)
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (crushed, optional)
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp msg (accent flavor enhancer)"