Hope I'm posting this in the correct location. I'm going to start making sausage this weekend. I'm relying on Rytek Kudas's book as a reference and instructions. My one question is some of the recipes call for pork and pork trimmings. I'm using Boston butt, do I still need the pick trimmings or is there enough fat in the butt? Thanks
HI Maineman.
I think you have been given some great info above. I just want to throw my 2 cents in when it comes to pork trimmings or meat to fat ratios for the fresh sausages I've been making for years now.
I do 80% meat to 20% fat ratios for my fresh Brats and Fresh all pork Franks and it makes AMAZING sausages that just can't seem to ever go wrong.
I simply buy pork back fat from the butcher to make my sausage and do 80% super lean meat and 20% pork fat. I do also keep fat trimmings, vacuum seal, and weight them for usage as fat as well.
I hunt each year and wild animals often do not have much usable fat PLUS we humans these days really only appreciate pork or beef fat. Other wild game fat and tissue leads to the "gamey" taste people dislike.
I don't like a lot of guess work in trying to figure out my meat to fat ratios so with store bought cuts of meat (not talking ground) I simply trim off the fat, weigh the meat, weigh the fat, and boom I can do simple math to get my 80/20 ratio.
For a quick reference on 80:20 ratio:
-5 pounds of sausage = 4 pounds lean meat
: 1 pound of fat
-10 pounds of sausage = 8 pounds of lean meat
: 2 pounds of fat
-20 pounds of sausage = 16 pounds of lean meat
: 4 pounds of fat
-25 pounds of sausage = 20 pounds of lean meat : 5 pounds of fat
Nice and simple math at 80/20 ratios and little to no guess work if you separate lean meat from fat and weigh. No mysteries here :)
Again, do as you like as there are many ways to make sausage and approaches that will make excellent sausage.
I just wanted to make sure and mention this approach because I RARELY see it mentioned and it seems so simple to me. Also, it is such an easy and elegant approach that takes the mystery out of wild game sausage where there is no fat or that particular animal's fat is not desired due to gamey taste. This approach works for animals in the wild or farm raised store bought meat so it seems fairly fool proof and ALWAYS gets the most accurate meat to fat ratios.
I hope this info gives some great food for thought :D
