Another source of fat

[albinva]

Hey all,

My sausage supply is getting low so it's time to plan another grind. I typically use boneless pork shoulder from Costco as the main ingredient. My first attempt at sausage making a few years back revealed that there just wasn't enough fat in the pork shoulder so I started adding fat where I could find it. The big box grocery stores have a policy of NOT giving or selling the scrap fat from their trimming tables which is typically beef fat. Beef fat works well with the sausage but is becoming harder to get. My latest source just cut me off. The risk averse culture has spread. I typically add 2 to 2.5 pounds of fat to a 12 pound shoulder recipe. I am very happy with my LEM #12 Big Bite grinder if anyone is looking for an unsolicited recommendation.

Notwithstanding the cost, has anyone used pork belly as a fat adder for sausage. The fat profile is definitely there and as a bonus, you get belly meat. I use pork belly often for making bacon and smoke straight up pork belly which I like it a lot. I am thinking of splitting a 10 pound belly in half. Half for sausage, half for my next bacon cure.
Any feedback/experience with adding pork belly to the sausage grind? Any good data on the fat to meat ratio in a pork belly slab? Any alternative ideas?

Thanks,

Al

 

[smokinq13]

Shoulder should have enough fat, I'm too cheap to buy boneless, so i usually buy the bone-in shoulder/ butts... but i know the bone-in usually has a skin side that has a good layer of fat... almost too much for sausage personally me.. your local butcher should be able to give you some fat trimmings as well

Sausage you really can throw anything into it as the whole purpose for sausage was to not let any of the meat/fats left over go to waste... also why they are usualy stuffed into intestine castings!

 

[daveomak]

I often use bacon ends and pieces from the grocery store, if I'm out of saved fats in my freezer...

 

[atomicsmoke]

The risk averse culture has spread
-----
I don't think that's the reason. If it were they wouldnt sell belly.

Like the other poster said shoulder has enough fat (too much some say) for sausage. Boneless is likely already trimmed, so buy boneless.

Belly fat works well in a sausage, but is almost like grinding fillet mignon for sausage. It too good of a cut to put in sausage.

At the supermarkets around here belly is the most expensive pork cut.

Backfat if you can find works too.

 

[peelmaster]

+1 to what atomicsmoke said. I've used belly a number of times where I've had lean shoulder, and tried to add some extra fat into the mix. It works fine, but agree that it can be more expensive. Fatback is best, because it makes the calculation of the lean/fat % much easier. If you can find a source then you're laughing. Keep the belly or fatback almost frozen when grinding to avoid smear.

 

[jimmyinsd]

if you have a butcher shop in your area inquire into buying some pork trimmings. I just bought a 60# case for about a buck a pound. its roughly 70-75% lean so it will make a nice pork sausage on its own, but is fatty enough to get a decent blended product with some leaner wild game or beef. The price is right and after a few hours of grinding, weighing, and packaging we have enough ground pork to carry us through the summer and likely fall.

I was a little nervous about buying "trim" as I wasnt sure how nasty it was going to be, but I was very happy with what I was working with, clean, quality meat and fat. I think I maybe threw about 2# total to the dog as I was chunking it up for the grinder. very happy with the product. I made 5# of italian with it straight last night for pizza topping and while it had more fat that I am used to when using ground pork butt, the pan had less drippings than if I had bought some jimmy dean or other store sausage.

I also buy what I can for casings from my local guy as they get better pricing than the online guys we buy from. of course some things like sheep casing he hates so if I want those I will have to go online.

a good butcher shop/sausage maker can be your best friend in this... as long as your arent after his customers and he gets to make a little profit off you he should be more than happy to help you out.

 

[biteme7951]

Check any slaughter houses in the area. I stopped in a local one and asked for a bag of backfat and some casings. He set the casings on the counter and said be right back. Came back with a 10lb bag of backfat and asked if it was enough? I asked what I owed him and he said just pay for the casings and have a nice day!!!!

Barry.

 

[albinva]

Thanks all,

Another reason I ask is that the price difference between the boneless shoulder and the pork belly is pretty insignificant ($1.99 versus $2.99).

 

[myownidaho]

Do you have an independently owned butcher shop in the area? I order ten pound boxes of back fat as needed and store the rest in the deep freeze.

 

[tallbm]

I buy trimmed pork backfat from the one butcher shop in the area. They order it in big boxes and I buy 10 -20 pounds at a time. Makes sausage making a breeze since most of my sausage making is done with wild game meat that has basically no fat.

 

[bregent]

Yup, the shoulders from Costco are trimmed too much to use in sausage without additional fat. Like others, I've used belly fat and it works just as well.

 

[indaswamp]

If you buy untrimmed bone-in pork butt, it will have 20~25% fat and you will not need to add any more. OR do like suggested-find a meat market, butcher, asian market, or mexican store and order back fat in bulk if they can not sell it to you in small quantities.

 

[indaswamp]

Might also ask for a large box of mis-cuts and trim. It will be very cheap and will run 25~30% fat. Cheap like 50~60 cents a pound. Might have to buy a 75# box though but for less than 40 bucks it's a great deal and will make a lot of sausages!

 

[jimmyinsd]

Might also ask for a large box of mis-cuts and trim. It will be very cheap and will run 25~30% fat. Cheap like 50~60 cents a pound. Might have to buy a 75# box though but for less than 40 bucks it's a great deal and will make a lot of sausages!

I just tried boxed trim for the first time and I am very impressed with the quality. i would guess it is closer to the 30% as a straight run, but it would be pretty easy to trim away some of the fattier sections and end up with a product closer to that of a bone in pork butt and grind the fattier pieces separate to add with wild game if you wanted to cut the amount of pork in those products. I straight ran all but about 5# of mine and made a couple packs of straight ground pork fat to mix in for sausages that I didnt want to have pork in like beef sticks, but otherwise its less labor of bone in butts with about the same quality and about half the price. I dont see the draw backs to using quality pork trim.