First time breakfast sausage maker with a question or two

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kelbro

Smoking Fanatic
Original poster
SMF Premier Member
Mar 22, 2009
596
490
N. Carolina
Finally got around to making a boston butt into breakfast sausage. I have an LEM Big Bite #8 and used Rick's Country Breakfast Sausage recipe.
1. Cubed up the pork butt and seasoned it.
2. Put the meat and grinder parts in the freezer for an hour or so.
3. Ran the meat through the coarse (10 mm) plate. Slick as poop through a goose.
4. Put everything back in the freezer for another hour or so.
5. TRIED to run the meat through the fine (4.5 mm) plate. It was just too sticky. Would hardly go through.
6. Gave up and ran it back through the coarse plate and the consistency was just fine for pan sausage.

My question is, is the fine plate normally used for sausage and if so, what did I do wrong?

I was following the instructions that came with that recipe so I'm a little puzzled right now.

The good news is that I fried some up and it tastes great!
 
My grinder came with 8mm, 4.5mm, and 3mm plates. I grind most of my sausage, including breakfast, through the 4.5mm one pass. I like a coarser grind for brats and use the 8mm for those. I have yet to use the 3mm plate, but would go with it for bologna, hotdogs, etc.
 
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5. TRIED to run the meat through the fine (4.5 mm) plate. It was just too sticky. Would hardly go through.
A chilled grinder head is fine, but one that is below freezing (32*) will make any meat that is warmer stick to the metal parts. Think tongue on the flag pole in dead of winter.

I find it more important to keep the meat cold than the grinder parts. The cold par frozen meat will chill the grinder head. And remember to grease that nylon bushing on the back end of the grinder head with Crisco shortening, this will kill a lot of heat.
 
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^^^^what SE said.....

and I will add:
The correct size for first grind will vary depending on the size of the grinder. Look at the auger....the distance of the space between twists of the auger is the correct size for first grind. Any smaller than that and it will make it difficult to regrind a second time. Ideally, you want the meat a little colder for second grind, but not frozen. This will help keep the fat solid for a clean cut.
 
Thanks folks. I'll keep these in mind next time.

I was re-reading the instructions and I might have done something a little wrong. I thought that I had read to tighten the retaining ring that holds the plate down and then back off a little. The LEM instructions did not say to back it off. Maybe my blade was not making good contact with the plate.
 
Thanks folks. I'll keep these in mind next time.

I was re-reading the instructions and I might have done something a little wrong. I thought that I had read to tighten the retaining ring that holds the plate down and then back off a little. The LEM instructions did not say to back it off. Maybe my blade was not making good contact with the plate.
Yep. Just get it snug so the knife is in good contact with the plate. Too tight and it will just bind the motor and create excess heat...not good. Also be sure to lube the nylon washer with petrol silicone grease or crisco.
 
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On most grinders , hand tighten the ring not too tight and bump the on and off switch till you just see meat coming out the plate then tighten it a little more . That will keep the knife from burning up .
 
It also isn't a bad idea to hit the plate with a little crisco so it isn't running dry until the meat gets there.
 
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