Why Grind (2) Times?

[ringodad]

I like to separate the lean and fat, grind once and mix in the spices in cold water to make the meat easier to work with. Then stuff without using the knife in my grinder. I don't have a press-type stuffer. Hold the stuffed sausage at least overnight in the fridge to get the cure equalized and smoke.
If you decide to do as Meat Hunter does, just remember that folks say that the fat won't take cure so you can just season the lean, then grind and stuff. I suppose Rytek Kutas, being a pro was much more into the appearance of the sausage than I am, and did the extra grinding as necessary to produce the emulsified product you'd expect when buying some bolognas and wieners. I can't taste any difference between coarse and finely ground bologna or wieners, so why hassle with a second grind?

 

[hog warden]

On Ryteks' book, the vast majority of those sausages are stuffed into casings. Meat is ground, spices and cure mixed with water, then water and spices mixed into the meat and stuffed into some type of casing. Some of the finer textured stuff, he has you run through a food processor first to emulsify.

For stuffed sausages, I follow that plan. Grind once, mix and stuff. Texture is about perfect that way.

For bulk breakfast sausage that I'm going to form into patties to fry, I'm coarse grinding once through a 1/2" plate, mixing in the spices (dry......not mixed with water), then grinding a second time through the 3/16" plate. That grinding method, along with the right amount of fat, gives me the best texture and taste once it hits the plate. For this, I add more fat to most pork butts......maybe 10% to 20% more....enough it won't stick to the pan when you fry it, but not enough that it shrinks up much from cooking.

On the texture of bulk sausage, to me, crumbly that I can cut with a fork is better than something that resembles a chewy pork cutlet or tenderloin that has to be cut with a knife.

 

[davef63]

thanks meathunter.
dave