Basic Q's for newbie

[raselkirk]

Hi All,

Been hankering to try homemade sausage, got a grinder/stuffer attachment for the Kitchen-Aid and just ordered some 19mm and 32 mm casings from Amazon (LEM brand). Wanted to ask first on which casings to buy, but with the forum down... Anyhow, the smaller are sheep with the larger being hog. Way more than enough for one batch, so how do these store? I'm assuming refrigerate after opening, but in what container and how long will they stay fresh enough to use?

Beef and pork are all that's readily available here, so what's a good blend to start with and what cuts to buy?

I'd like to do jalapeno cheese over smoke for the large, and a good basic hotdog for the smaller. Would you recommend smoking the dogs or boiling or ???

Thanks!

Russ

 

[SmokyMose]

Hi All,

Been hankering to try homemade sausage, got a grinder/stuffer attachment for the Kitchen-Aid and just ordered some 19mm and 32 mm casings from Amazon (LEM brand). Wanted to ask first on which casings to buy, but with the forum down... Anyhow, the smaller are sheep with the larger being hog. Way more than enough for one batch, so how do these store? I'm assuming refrigerate after opening, but in what container and how long will they stay fresh enough to use?

Beef and pork are all that's readily available here, so what's a good blend to start with and what cuts to buy?

I'd like to do jalapeno cheese over smoke for the large, and a good basic hotdog for the smaller. Would you recommend smoking the dogs or boiling or ???

Thanks!

Russ

Hog casings should be packed liberally in non-iodized salt and refrigerated. Don't freeze! They keep a long time. I've never used sheep casings but I assume they store the same way.
I either use the plastic container they came in or Tupperware.
Beef and Pork are what most sausage is made from so you're ok there. Shoulder butt is used mostly for pork. I'm partial to 75/25 ground for beef sausage but I've used a lot of 80/20. Can't really help with the recipe mix. If you don't want to mix your own you can get them at SausageMakers.com or search the internet. Rytek Kutas has a book that I use a lot. You'll want "hi-temp" cheese. You should get some Instacure #1 as well.
I would grill the hot dogs :-)
Good luck!

 

[PolishDeli]

Welcome to a rabbit hole.

I get casings here

Home - NEW

The Sausage Maker produces sausage making equipment & supplies for home and commercial use. Meat smokers, sausage stuffers, casings and more.

www.sausagemaker.com

I like to store them packed in salt. Lasts forever. Others store them in very salty water.

If you go with natural casings (my preference), start with hog. It's the most versatile.
Sheep casings are difficult, especially stuffing with that kitchen aid attachment (i know from experience).

Pork butt and picnic have a good meat:fat ratios. Loin, way too lean. Belly, way too fatty.

Hotdogs are emulsifued meat. Thats a another level of complexity. Smoking requires curing. Not a big deal, but for a first attempt, its easy to get overwhelmed.

I'd recommend starting with this recipe. It's simple, and delicious. Just made a batch last night. Pan fry, or grill. You don't need to poach it.

White Sausage (Kiełbasa Biała Surowa)

White Sausage (Kiełbasa Biała Surowa) is a popular Polish fresh sausage

www.meatsandsausages.com

 

[SmokyMose]

Welcome to a rabbit hole.

I get casings here

Home - NEW

The Sausage Maker produces sausage making equipment & supplies for home and commercial use. Meat smokers, sausage stuffers, casings and more.

www.sausagemaker.com

I like to store them packed in salt. Lasts forever. Others store them in very salty water.

If you go with natural casings (my preference), start with hog. It's the most versatile.
Sheep casings are difficult, especially stuffing with that kitchen aid attachment (i know from experience).

Hotdogs are emulsifued meat. Thats a another level of complexity. Smoking requires curing. Not a big deal, but for a first attempt, its easy to get overwhelmed.

I'd recommend starting with this recipe. It's simple, and delicious. Just made a batch last night. Pan fry, or grill. You don't need to poach it.

White Sausage (Kiełbasa Biała Surowa)

White Sausage (Kiełbasa Biała Surowa) is a popular Polish fresh sausage

www.meatsandsausages.com

Thanks for the link! That Polish may be my next batch!
I used to get Weisswurst at a German butcher shop here and we really loved it. The only recipe I could find was on a German site a lot like this one, but since Veal is hard to get and expensive here and I'm not ready for emulsifying it went to the back burner....

 

[raselkirk]

Thanks for the tips! Is "instacure #1" the same as pink salt? I've got a large container of that already. Never knew about the hi-temp cheese, I'll be ordering some soon. Found a couple recipe sites not SMF related:

http://thespicysausage.com/sausagemakingrecipes.htm
https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-recipes
https://www.meatprocessingproducts.com/sausage-recipes.html

I have not tried any of these, just got hungry looking...

Russ

 

[SmokyMose]

Thanks for the tips! Is "instacure #1" the same as pink salt? I've got a large container of that already. Never knew about the hi-temp cheese, I'll be ordering some soon. Found a couple recipe sites not SMF related:

http://thespicysausage.com/sausagemakingrecipes.htm
https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-recipes
https://www.meatprocessingproducts.com/sausage-recipes.html

I have not tried any of these, just got hungry looking...

Russ

If you're talking about the pink salt you get at the grocery, like Himalayan, no they aren't the same thing!! Cure #1 is Sodium Nitrite and you would probably have to get it on line. If you aren't planning on slow, warm or cold smoking but just making "fresh" you won't need it. I like to use it even in fresh because I like to let the links air-dry a bit before packaging. I think it adds a bit of color and I feel a little safer about it hanging at room temp. Just me.
"thespicysausage.com" is where I got the Hot Italian recipe I use. I've played with the recipe, though.....

 

[raselkirk]

The pink cure salt, I've used it for meat sticks before. IIRC, it's 1/8 tsp per 5# meat. So is this the same as the Instacure #1?

Russ

 

[SmokyMose]

The pink cure salt, I've used it for meat sticks before. IIRC, it's 1/8 tsp per 5# meat. So is this the same as the Instacure #1?

Russ

Yeah that's the right stuff. #1 cure whether Prague Powder or Instacure. The rule is 1 tsp for 5#, though!

 

[raselkirk]

OK, thanks, my memory is shot! I haven't made meatsticks in awhile, but I usually do 2# batches...

Russ

 

[Polka]

Don't ruin it for yourself with trying to stuff with the KA. Grinding is okay -- stuff? no no. At first change get your self a dedicated stuffer for about $100. You will be so glad you did. The frustration of trying to stuff anything with KA will kill your enthusiasm. Just my two cents. Take care. R