Grinding fresh peppercorns adds a much bolder black pepper taste to sausage than you get when using store bought ground black pepper. I like the taste much better grinding my own pepper so that's what I always do.
Grinding fresh peppercorns adds a much bolder black pepper taste to sausage than you get when using store bought ground black pepper. I like the taste much better grinding my own pepper so that's what I always do.
I have a 1/2 hp from Cabela's , it grinds as fast as I put the meat in . I have been perfectly happy with it .
No turning back , No turning back !
It was the 1/2hp one... typo on my part https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...1267_200451267 it is the one most food and BBQ forums recommend for light home use.
To get more seasoning flavor in your meat cube it to fit the grinder then mix your seasoning in then into the fridge overnight. Lets the flavors soak into the meat.
had two. First one I wore out second one I gave to dad when I bought my big grinder. They work fine if your only grinding up 30 or 40 lbs of meat each year but where they suffer compared to a big one is when you have to grind meat twice. Its a very slow process in them. My big grinder you can about dump a 1/2 of ground meat at a time in the throat and do it about as fast as you can feed it. This is the one I have now https://www.meatprocessingproducts.com/08-3201-w.html but you have to grind a lot of meat to justify a 700 dollar grinder and its a VERY HEAVY puppy. Id bet it goes north of 75lbs.
I buy my sausage from Fairway stores and its always perfect. I should probably point out that the guy that makes the sausage at the store I frequent makes the store sausage the same way he does his sausage at home. So, there is no need for me to invest in bulk meat or a grinder when I can buy perfect sausage.
Last edited by 6bg6ga; 11-22-2017 at 08:07 AM.
I use pork butts with venison...but only about 20% pork, just enough to give it moisture and hold it together, for breakfast sausage. I like it on the hot side, and there is nothing like it store bought.
When one makes their own sausage one knows what went into it and the cleanliness of the place that produced it in addition to its is cheaper to make your own, it usually tastes better and there are many varieties to make. Next up is to make my own scrapple.
I can't beat $1.99 a lb especialy when I figure my time and trouble.
I keep my venison scraps for summer sausage and burger. I like fresh sausage made from just pork buts. I buy it a 100lbs at a crack when I find it below 1.50 a lb. Big meat sale once a year that its down around a buck a lb and I try to stock up then. At that price I cant even justify the venison that cost me gas money go and shoot. Good lean burger goes for about 3-4 bucks a lb so I makes using venison for it economic sense. Pork buts for this guy and the fattier the better.
"SUBSCRIBED"!!!!
Great thread folks!
I've been wanting to buy a grinder and to make/grind my own, as I have no doubt the 'grind' I buy at the store is full of "nasties".
Very eager to get started on this.
(But speaking of 'Scrapple', is anyone familiar with "Jersey Pork Roll"? and the process of making it at home?)
Recipe for it from ChefTalk. I have never tried it so can't comment
Pork Roll (Taylor Ham) ingredients: 7lbs. pork butt
3lbs. bacon
kosher salt 34 grams,
dextrose 18 grams,
cure #1 10.5 grams,
white pepper 11 grams
Port wine 2 Tblsp.,
Encapsulated Citric Acid (ECA) 17 grams - 34 grams.
1. Partially freeze bacon and pork
2.Grind bacon and pork through medium plate.
3.Mix pork,bacon & all spices,cure & port- except for (ECA).
4 Regrind the mixture with a fine plate (3mm)-if smoother consistency is desired.
5. Add (ECA) & mix well before stuffing.
6. Fry a sample,& adjust seasonings if necessary.
7. Stuff into muslin sacks(cloth casings) I bought them through Butcher Supply Company,Inc 1040 3rd Ave. South Nashville,Tn. 37210 you should be able to find thier website online . Smoke: Prewarm smoker to 120 degrees . Hang chubs for an hour or so to dry. Smoke at 130-150 degrees for 3-4 hours until it reaches 125 degrees or higher
I grind mine with the spices added and let the ground meat sit in the fridge overnight before I either stuff it into sheep gut link casings or package it bulk. I actually prefer it in link version. I use most of my bulk for making sausage gravy. Once you make it yourself out of good pork but youll never want store sausage again. If I have a good year killing deer I will maybe add some venison to the mix but never more then 20 percent because it gets to dry and looses flavor in my opinion. Same with brats. They need pork fat to taste right and I wont add any venison to those.
GFS normally has pork butt at $1.49/lb IIRC.
Don Verna
most places around here have it on sale occasionaly for 99 cents a lb. I like picking the ones out with the most fat showing
Mix your seasonings in water then pour the slurry throughout the meat. Much more effective.
East Tennessee
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |