Homemade Sausage

[joea132]

My wine partner and I are looking to start making cured sausage. We need to start from scratch. Anybody do it here? We want to get a meat grinder but we weren't sure if we should buy the one with the sausage stuffer attachment or a seperate machine. Also we don't know what "number" grinder we should get for doing a moderate load of sausage. Any recipes or insight would be appreciated!

Merry Christmas

 

[Flem]

Check out the Cabelas website. They have several different grinders/stuffers.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/sear...eat+grinders&WTz_l=Header;Search-All+Products

Might want to Google for a recipe. Good Luck!

 

[GerardVineyard]

As a chef I would not suggest a separate machine, just get a stuffing horn attachment for your grinder and use natural casings and grind your meat twice. Also, what do you consider " a moderate load" ?

 

[ibglowin]

If you make sausage you have to build a "smokehouse" of sorts! Nothing better IMHO!

 

[djrockinsteve]

Neighbor and I made hot sausage a few months ago. Used pork butt, fennel seed, garlic, kosher salt, bk. pepper and hot pepper. It was awesome and no fat.

We ground pork twice, added spices and blended. Cooked a sample then made into patties and vac. sealed.

A grinder. Another item on my list.

 

[joea132]

As a chef I would not suggest a separate machine, just get a stuffing horn attachment for your grinder and use natural casings and grind your meat twice. Also, what do you consider " a moderate load" ?

Good advice thank you. Do you use the coarse grind plate then the fine grind plate? Me and my friend are both a little crazy and tend to overdo everything. I don't know how much we would do but I am a hunter and can end up having a huge amount of meat in a day... Plus we tend to overdo everything and go way overboard. We would probably do around 50-75 lbs of meat in a sitting.

I plan on using my smoker for a bit of it too. I'm not beyond building a smokehouse either! My buddy wants to hang it in his basement. I think he just enjoys the sausage hitting him in the face while he tends to his wine...

 

[jtstar]

I just put up 200 lbs of sausage last month and a smoke house is a must if you want it to taste great. We use a one horse grinder from Cabelas and it come with a stuffing horn as far as their commercial stuffer goes don't waste your money we went through three of them that week they kept stripping out the gears. I do like their sausage kits though

 

[joea132]

I just put up 200 lbs of sausage last month and a smoke house is a must if you want it to taste great. We use a one horse grinder from Cabelas and it come with a stuffing horn as far as their commercial stuffer goes don't waste your money we went through three of them that week they kept stripping out the gears. I do like their sausage kits though

Good to know, I don't typically go for Cabelas gear. I find it's overpriced and not the highest quality. I'm looking at www.sausagemaker.com. They make all their stuff in New York and it seems to be high quality.

 

[ibglowin]

When we made snausage (a long time ago) we used the shed where we stored the lawnmower and tools (fairly good sized one). We had to move out all the flammables obviously and place the grill in the center with nothing around it. The shed was metal so it wouldn't burn but you had to make sure the fire was not so hot it (the heat) would melt the top. It also had a high ceiling.

Hung up the rings on strands of wire going from one side to the other (literally hundreds of them) and then built a small fire in the webber grill using mesquite (it was Texas after all). Put the lid on and closed it up as well as the door but checked on it regularly. Kept it going for a day or so IIRC.

Man did that shed smell great for months afterwards!

 

[joea132]

That reminds me of my buddy's garbage can cooker. He cooks seafood like clams, lobster, and crabs in a metal garbage can with its lid on over a hot fire. Some of the best seafood I've ever had.

If any of you are interested I'll get his recipe and method for you.

 

[toddrod]

I do fresh and smoked sausage and snack sticks. I use a Cabela's #12 grinder and the Northern Tool 15lb stuffer. I have a really good cajun style sausage recipe (works for both fresh and smoked) that is spicy but not hot, and has alot of flavor, I can post if you need it. I have a pretty good fresh Italian style sausage recipe too.

 

[Rocky]

Neighbor and I made hot sausage a few months ago. Used pork butt, fennel seed, garlic, kosher salt, bk. pepper and hot pepper. It was awesome and no fat.

We ground pork twice, added spices and blended. Cooked a sample then made into patties and vac. sealed.

A grinder. Another item on my list.

That is the same recipe we used at home when I was a kid. We had the butcher double grind it for us and then we brought it home and mixed it and stuffed it. We used to dry it in the old garage that we also used as a wine cellar. My Mom would also put some up in olive oil in gallon jars. Some of that sausage, some good cheese, homemade bread and wine. What else could you want?

 

[djrockinsteve]

What is so nice is when you fry it up there is no fat. It was very lean. Gotta make more we finished the last of it 2 weeks ago. Wine, cheese, sausage, good music and great friends plus your dog....it doesn't get much better than this.

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

I have some sources for sausage making supplies, let me look into it and see what I can supply you guys. anything in particular you want let me know

 

[joea132]

I have some sources for sausage making supplies, let me look into it and see what I can supply you guys. anything in particular you want let me know

I also "have a guy" who gets wholesale prices. Were looking into a #12 electric all stainless grinder. It has a 1 HP motor and can do 330 lbs of sausage in an hour. Probably way too much for what we need but what the heck. The best part is it comes with the stuffer attachment like was recommended by another member here. For 2 fat firemen I think this will be more than sufficient!

http://www.sausagemaker.com/6410210electricmeatgrinder.aspx

Toddrod, I would like to see your recipes too. My wine partner went to culinary school so he's the authority on food but I have to bring something to the table!

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

at home I have a Kitchenmaid mixer with a grinder and sausage attachment but haven't used it for that yet

 

[toddrod]

I also "have a guy" who gets wholesale prices. Were looking into a #12 electric all stainless grinder. It has a 1 HP motor and can do 330 lbs of sausage in an hour. Probably way too much for what we need but what the heck. The best part is it comes with the stuffer attachment like was recommended by another member here. For 2 fat firemen I think this will be more than sufficient!

http://www.sausagemaker.com/6410210electricmeatgrinder.aspx

Toddrod, I would like to see your recipes too. My wine partner went to culinary school so he's the authority on food but I have to bring something to the table!

Here they are

Here is the cajun recipe. I normally make 50lbs at a time so that how it is formulated. REMINDER - all measurements are in FLUID OZ, not by weight. It is good fresh but very good smoked with Pecan wood.

50 lbs sausage meat
7 oz non iodized salt (i use fine ground sea or kosher)
2.5 oz black pepper
3 oz cayenne pepper
2.5 oz MSG
1.5 oz granulated garlic
1 oz paprika
2 oz light brown sugar


Italian sausage - These are regular measurements. This one comes from a well known game processor where I live

7 lbs sausage meat
4 tbsp granulated garlic
2 tbsp non iodized salt
2 tbsp fennel seeds
1.5 tbsp Anise seeds
2 tbsp dried Basil
1.5 tbsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp white pepper
2 tbsp dried parsley.

 

[arcticsid]

Joe, came across this the other day, been thinking about sausage myself.

https://www.pwmall.com/p-135487-td10542-meat-grinder-10-with-meat-sausage-stuffer.aspx

Might be a reasonable cost to start with.

Good luck

 

[Brew and Wine Supply]

Just got on line with some suppliers for sausage and jerky supplies, with credit checks, paper work and shipping, looking at about 2 to 3 weeks off for supplies to hit the store. Plan on stocking spices, casings, dehydrators, grinders, jerkey guns and more. any questions let me know.

 

[milbrosa]

I just started making sausage. I bought a #12 electric grinder and a 15 lb vertical stuffer. But so far I've only made bulk sausage, breakfast sausage and chorizo, nothing smoked and nothing in casings. I'm studying up on it a bit before plunging in. There's a lot to learn about sausage making. I don't really have a good way to smoke sausages yet. I'll need to build a smoke house. My first goal is to make good andouille like the kind I always bring back with me from visits back home to Baton Rouge.