1st timer making Pops recipe: Country-Style Breakfast Sausage - Simple ingredients = Excellent flavo

[R Blum]

I usually cut the meat into about 1" pieces then add the spices and mix real good. Then I put into the fridge overnight. The next day I just grind thru a coarse grind, them mix a little bit more. I always stuff mine using natural sheep casing. At first I would twist each link but it was kinda slow so I started stuffing a long link then twisting. It takes a little learning not to stuff too tight, but once you learn how, it works great. I like my breakfast sausage real spicey.

 

[bluewhisper]

Nice work! Most of your method is like mine. I use the same seasoning, sometimes with a little tweak like a SMALL amount of some aromatic spice like mace or maybe cardamom.

I double-grind, too. It takes much less effort to go through the coarse plate. I sometimes use a really coarse plate and the meat blasts through that. The finer the plate, the more effort to go through, and the more of a nuisance to clean it properly. Using a medium or fine plate is easier if the meat has already been coarse-ground. I begin by cutting into stew-sized chunks and I sprinkle the seasoning over those before any grinding.

I chill the meat but not too much because the fat can stiffen and resist the plate. Weather permitting I like to grind outside on a day that's 40F or so. I don't trim fat nor add fat; it is what it is, which varies from one butt to another, but regardless, when frying I never come close to the amount of leftover grease that store-bought sausage will leave.

I make patties, too. I use a scale and a press to make uniform portions. I'll chill them, wrap them individually in plastic, then freeze. It takes only a short time to thaw them before frying.

 

[LanceR]

For breakfast sausage I cut the meat into 1-1/4 to 1-1/2" chunks then place them n a sheet pan in the freezer to the "frost crust" stage for a cleaner grind and usually just grind once at 3/16".

I like links in Syracuse Casings sheep casings for the more tender bite, the wife prefers bulk....so, usually it gets split half and half. I also like a light smoke on the links so I generally add the cure with the other seasonings, mix and link and let the links sit in the fridge overnight for the cure to fully incorporate before about an hour of light cold smoke. With just the two of us the links are vacuum packed and bulk is bagged in 1/2 pound (400g) bags.

When I have used collagen casings I found that letting them hydrate overnight in the fridge after stuffing generally makes them pliable enough to link but that they sometimes unwind at the twists anyway.