After being mostly disappointed with my last attempt at sausage I decided to try some new recipes and ditch the ones that I wasn't happy with. So Thursday night I cut up two pork shoulders and a chuck roll to make kielbasa, a medium hot italian, summer sausage, hot links and a country style sausage. Friday I ground and mixed the meat and seasonings for the hot italian, summer sausage, hot links and country style. I also sliced up 20 lbs of bottom round and marinaded it for jerky. Saturday some buddies came over to help. While they were here we also made 10lbs of chorizo and 5 lbs of breakfast sausage. I didn't have any white vinegar for the chorizo and used cider vinegar instead. Based on the results this morning I don't think I will use cider vinegar for chorizo anymore as it just wasn't the way I like it.
Summer sausage on top, jerky next to it and below, hot links and country sausage at the bottom. The weather made it difficult to smoke around here yesterday and today seems like more of the same.
Beef summer sausage stuffed.
I wasn't paying attention and the summer sausage got up to 163* before I pulled it. Still tastes good though. I think next time I will use some buttermilk to see if I get a little more tang.
Hot links finished and ready for bagging:
Country smoked sausage also ready for bagging.
And perhaps the thing that I am most proud of so far from this weekend, the medium hot italian. These are incredible! We cooked some up, sliced em, and then had sausage and peppers for dinner.
Still got the cured pork to grind up and mix for kielbasa plus I have some more beef leftover that I am probably gonna use for another batch of summer sausage.
I feel that this weekend was mostly successful and wiped a lot of bitterness away.