first time sausage this weekend

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chowderpants

Fire Starter
Original poster
Sep 29, 2010
52
10
Richmond, Illinois
I've been wanting to make my own sausage for quite some time now, and I've decided to try it this weekend. Just got off the phone with my local butcher and their price on boneless butts is $3.69 a lb. I told her I was going to make some Italian Sausage and would the boneless butt be the proper choice. She suggested using their 80% lean pork trimmings. These are $1.69 a lb. I told her I was told to use something closer to 70% lean and she said they also sell 50/50 trimmings as well. You folk think that I would be ok to use the 80/20 trimmings and mix in some of the 50/50, or should I just pay the extra and get a butt? I plan on making a 10 lb batch of the sausage. Thanks in advance for the help

as a side note, I checked Walmart and they have a boneless picnic for $2.48 per lb, and a bone in butt for $2.08. I wanted to stick with the boneless if possible as this is my first attempt and dont want too many extra steps. Not sure how suitable the picnics would be as all my recipes call for butts.
 
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I use bone in butts for all my sausage. but ususlaly dont have to pay over 1.70 for them

I would go with the pork trim get some of both and add a little 50/50 with the 80/20.

picnics are ok to use too and wold probably be pretty close to 70/30
 
I use bone in butts too. It's pretty easy to get the bone out, besides you have to cube up the meat anyway. Whats a little more cutting.
 
Thanks for the quick replies. I guess I shouldn't be so lazy about this and buy the bone in butts. cheaper than the boneless I'm sure (didn't get a price on those), and more preferable than the trim. I'll let you know how it goes
 
The 80 /20 trim would work for me if it was mostly back fat for fat.

on a side note I get bone in butts for 1.29,  but 2.09 ain't bad if they look good and have a nice fat cap on them
 
The butts usually work for me.  Sometimes I have to add or remove a little fat.  But I like my sausage in the 25 to 30% fat range.  20 is a little lean for me.

Good luck and good smoking.
 
Let me put it this way. When I make my fresh sausage I buy what ever is the cheapest. I gotta cut it in cubes any way to grind so no problem regardless what cut it is. I have used every thing from butts to discounted pork chops. I will not do the chops again as I like too stay out of trouble. Wife was 
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 that I ground them up for sausage instead of vac sealing and freezing them. She had seen them in the fridge and was planing on having some for dinner
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I say your butcher is pretty proud of them boneless butts for 3.69 per lb........ I would get the 80 percent pork trimmings... Buy a couple of pounds at first and do a test and see how they come out... I use 80/20 but some use 70/30. It all depends on how thick the fat cap is any way when your using butts. If they sell the trimmings and you don't want the extra work see if they will grind it for you

Looks like you will be hot smoking these or are they just grillers

Good luck with the Italian and dont forget the Qveiw

Joe
 
Well, went to the butcher last night to pick up the meat. They convinced me to get the trimming. She said that what they use for all their sausage sold in the store (they claim to have won many awards from them). I got just over 8 lbs of the 80/20 and about 2.5 lbs of the 50/50.

Joe - Yes, this place is quite expensive. That's what happens when the closest butcher shop is in a touristy town. Everything is expensive (they sell their brats and Italian for $8 a pound). I'll be grinding them myself, I'm excited to take my new LEM grinder for a spin. I'll be making a combination of sweet and hot Italian sausage in both links and bulk style. I'll hot smoke some in my new MES when the time comes, but about half (if not more) will be given out to friends and family for their input. This is my first attempt at sausage making and want all the opinions I can get on how to improve the final product.

Q-View (and Bear-view) to come this weekend

-Brian
 
Well, did the grinding and stuffing last night. Have not had a chance to try any yet (other than the fry tests).

The dry spices ready to be mixed with the wine.

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Just took the business end out of the freezer and ready to grind!

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First load in to the hopper

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Wouldn't all fit into my biggest bowl, so I had to break out the chili pot. A lug is on my list to buy

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Got it all mixed up and did a fry test

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Well, Caleb thought it went well with his lunch of blueberries and homemade pirogi, so I went with it

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First attempt at making links

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All the links have been separated and are waiting to be sealed up and sent to the freezer

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