Making sausage

[Pam Leavy]

The sausages you can get here are not very good. They are bland.

I miss fresh Italian sausage and the Polish sausage we used to have in The States.

So...I want to make sausages. The meat grinders with sausage attachements are available here. Before buying one I want to do some research. Have any of you ever made your own sausage?

What was it like? Pros and cons?

Thanks.

Pam

 

[buckytom]

pam, there are several keys to making good italian sausage. firstly, don't use too much fillers like breadcrumbs. it detracts from the taste. second, don't grind the pork too fine. leave it somewhat chunky, with a good amount of white pork fat chunks included, upwards of 25 percent total volume. so much of the flavor will come from the pork fat. finally, make sure you add a good amount of fennel seed for sweet italian sausage, and don't be shy with the finely ground red pepper flakes when making hot italian sausage. it's supposed to be hot; don't be shy. also, use natural casing when possible.

 

[DampCharcoal]

I ran across a recipe for Italian sausage (no casing) that looked suspiciously simple. Having never made it, I always figured it was a complicated process and a wave of a magic wand. Guess I'm wrong?

 

[ronjohn55]

I've been gearing up to give sausage making a try. I've been getting a lot of info from this website:

http://home.pacbell.net/lpoli/

John

 

[Pam Leavy]

ronjohn55, what a fabulous site! Every recipe I could ever want is there. I do have a recipe for Italian sausage somewhere in a cookbook. I used to make it but then do patties.

thank you all for your advice. when it happens I will report back.

Pam

 

[DampCharcoal]

Cool site, John! I'm glad I downloaded Adobe last Friday! I don't have the equipment to stuff casings but that's not a concern of mine right now. Thanks!

 

[SierraCook]

Making sausage is fun. One of my friends had a sausage making party. She passed a sausage making book around ahead of time. Everyone picked out a recipe and then brought all the ingredients to the party. She provided all the casings and equipment.

 

[buckytom]

very cool site ronjohn, thanks! i guess the sausages i am used to are sicillian, neopolitan, and luganega. i'll have to ask the guys at the italian deli i frequent if they add coriander to their sausage.

 

[Saltygreasybacon]

Hi Pam,,,sausage making,,,,it's a beautiful thing. I've been making sausage for a few years now and let me tell you, you can't buy stuff that taste this good in stores. My biggest piece of advice is get good equipment. Started with the hand meat grinder and tube thing and almost got discouraged. Then went to the electric grinder and tube and that wasn't much better either. After talking to butchers and meat people and invested in a water pressure piston and tube sausage maker. Water pressure pushes a piston inside a cylinder that pushes the meat out the tube into the casing. Best investment I ever made, so much simpler and easier. Spend a couple hundred bucks, it'll be the best thing you'll ever do, believe me,,,been there, done that.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

RonJon; Incredible site. Thanks.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Catseye]

My biggest piece of advice is get good equipment. Started with the hand meat grinder and tube thing and almost got discouraged. Then went to the electric grinder and tube and that wasn't much better either.

Hi, Salty, welcome to DC. I've been holding off on making my own sausage 'til I get the sausage grinding attachment to my KitchenAid mixer. Is that what you're referring to by electric grinder and tube thing? Any thoughts on the KA attachment?

TIA.


Cats

 

[thumpershere2]

RonJohn, that was a great web site you gave. So many good recipes to try. I am making my first batch of pickled sausage, now I have to wait the 2 weeks to try it. I am also trying the link sausage made with venison. Then on to the potato sausage witch I have made before but did the patties. They turned out great and are good in the am with eggs. Thanks again.

 

[JohnL]

Hi Cat,
I have the KA attachment and it's perfectly serviceable for small batches of sausage. My only coplaint is with the cutting discs. Mine is approx 3 yrs old and only came with a fine disc and a medium disc. I don't know if KA offers one, but I would like to have a course grind disc. I like my sausage to have a good bit of texture.
John.

 

[Raine]

Try this one.

http://www.sausagemania.com/

 

[JohnL]

Great site Rainee!
John.

 

[thumpershere2]

My venison sausage links came out great. I will be making more in about a month. Was fun making them and learned alot at my first try.