Home made sausage

[akdutchguy]

I have been smoking meat for a few years. I have never done sausages. I just found out that my youngest has a corn allergy. It is amazing how corn products are in most everything. Found out some sandwich has cornstarch in it. The little man loves meat. What book would you guys recommend for beginning sausage making? I would like some good reliable information for recipes and techniques that won't kill anybody and don't taste like a flip flop

 

[mdboatbum]

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0393240053/?tag=smokingmeatforums-20

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470197412/?tag=smokingmeatforums-20

Both are great reads. This forum is also a great resource, just do a little searching and reading. Anything you can't find on your own, feel free to ask. There are a lot of great sausage makers here who are happy to share their knowledge.
Good luck!

 

[stanjk]

Take a look over at this site: http://www.meatsandsausages.com/

A lot of good info and recipes.

 

[crazymoon]

Rytek Kutas book-" Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing" is a good start also.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Reading the sausage forum here has been one of my favorite resources for sausage making and charcuterie.

 

[themule69]

The search bar will get you a long way.

Happy smoken.

David

 

[timberjet]

Lenpoliwebs is a great site with lots and lots of great recipes. Do a lot of research and a lot of reading and make some sausage.

 

[akdutchguy]

Will try some of the books. I will look thru this site a little harder. So far the recipes have all been winners. Thanks for the info.

 

[stevensondrive]

Rytek Kutas book-" Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing" is a good start also.

+1
Great resource
:welcome1:

 

[smokin phil]

The easiest sausage to start with is "breakfast" sausage. Do them in patties and all you need is a grinder. Ingredients need be no more than salt, pepper and sage. And the pork, of course. I grind up whole pork butts. Seems to be a good fat/lean ratio for us. Fatty enough to not be dry, while not swimming in it either. I generally have to add a bit of butter when I make sausage gravy cause there's not quite enough. From there, if you wanna stuff cases, you'll need to get a stuffer. I got a LEM 5 pound model. Works great for my needs! I use a Kitchenaid mixer/grinder. It works good, but a steady 15 pounds through it and the grinder starts heating up and much past that you'll have "fat smear". NOT good eats. Get into it, you'll love it!!! I'm hooked now and have just started dabbling in dried fermented sausage!

Get started! It's fun, tasty and rewarding!

 

[akdutchguy]

After doing some research and lots of drooling, I have a few more questions.
1. Can sugar be substituted for dextrose?
Dextrose is derived from corn. That eliminates it for me.
2. Good source for spices. Where. Is a good supply house?
3. LEM 12 or LEM 22?
Can get both local to save on shipping to Alaska.
4. Stuffer. Vertical or horizontal
5. Better fat back, side, or belly for links
I'm sure there will be more. I can't wait to get started

 

[dingo007]

After doing some research and lots of drooling, I have a few more questions.
1. Can sugar be substituted for dextrose?
Dextrose is derived from corn. That eliminates it for me.
2. Good source for spices. Where. Is a good supply house?
3. LEM 12 or LEM 22?
Can get both local to save on shipping to Alaska.
4. Stuffer. Vertical or horizontal
5. Better fat back, side, or belly for links
I'm sure there will be more. I can't wait to get started

1. Generally yes...unless fermenting...

2. I use ButcherPacker as I can most everything I need for making sausage and jerky. Im sure there are plenty of others

3.Depends on how much sausage you intend to make. If money is no object then bigger is better

4. Vertical

5. I tend use butts as they have a pretty good meat/fat ratio. Sometimes I'll ass some belly if needed.

HTH

 

[crazymoon]

After doing some research and lots of drooling, I have a few more questions.
1. Can sugar be substituted for dextrose?
Dextrose is derived from corn. That eliminates it for me.
2. Good source for spices. Where. Is a good supply house?
3. LEM 12 or LEM 22?
Can get both local to save on shipping to Alaska.
4. Stuffer. Vertical or horizontal
5. Better fat back, side, or belly for links
I'm sure there will be more. I can't wait to get started

1. yes ,1/2 as much sugar as dextrose called for in the recipe

2.Buy all the spices and make up your own seasonings for different sausages(Eldon Cutlips book-Sausage and Jerky Handbook is a good start)

3.bigger the better

4.horizontal

5. Pork butt,pork shoulder or a pork backstrap with pork backfat added all make delicious sausage

6. its easy to make delicious sausage ,have fun and get going !

 

[akdutchguy]

Well I bit the bullet and got the lem22. Now to work on the recipe while I wait I'm waiting impatiently for the grinder to arrive.

 

[crazymoon]

Well I bit the bullet and got the lem22. Now to work on the recipe while I wait I'm waiting impatiently for the grinder to arrive.

AKD, You will thoroughly enjoy your new hobby !

 

[bluewhisper]

As a side note, now your son will also learn how to make sausage exactly the ways he likes it.

 

[boykjo]

 

Well I bit the bullet and got the lem22. Now to work on the recipe while I wait I'm waiting impatiently for the grinder to arrive.

AKD, You will thoroughly enjoy your new hobby !

Nice score...... I would look at getting a vertical stuffer along with the grinder. You can learn a lot here at SMF on how to's and recipes for making sausages before moving on to books.....

Welcome to your new addiction

Joe

 

[akdutchguy]

Well I got the grinder in the mail today. The poor mailman I think gota hernia. This thing is stout. I will have to give him some when I get a good batch. I got some pork cuts and fat from my brother-in-law. He raises barley fodder fed pigs. He had some cuts that didn't seal the vac pack. Bummer for his clients but good for me. I'm thinking of starting with a breakfast sausage. Looks pretty straight forward and I have all the spices on hand. Will let you know how it turns out.

 

[crazymoon]

Well I got the grinder in the mail today. The poor mailman I think gota hernia. This thing is stout. I will have to give him some when I get a good batch. I got some pork cuts and fat from my brother-in-law. He raises barley fodder fed pigs. He had some cuts that didn't seal the vac pack. Bummer for his clients but good for me. I'm thinking of starting with a breakfast sausage. Looks pretty straight forward and I have all the spices on hand. Will let you know how it turns out.

Its really hard to screw up sausage as long as you measure your spices correctly ! Have fun .