First time Sweet Italian Sausage

[link]

Well the new LEM 5lb stuffer has been calling me from the basement so I had to try something new today. I was at Gander Mountain and picked up a seasoning pack for Sweet Italian Sausage.

Followed the directions on the pack and made 6lbs tonight. I used a shoulder i had in the freezer and ground it up (I think an electric grinder is in my near future). It came out pretty damn good I think. Here are some pics.

Step 1: Cubed up and grinding.

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• link
• Jan 14, 2017

Step 2a: All ground up, seasoning measured out.

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• link
• Jan 14, 2017

Step 2b: Seasoning mixed with the proper amount of water.

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• link
• Jan 14, 2017

Step 3: Seasoning all mixed into the ground pork

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• link
• Jan 14, 2017

Step 4: All stuffed and linked.

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• link
• Jan 14, 2017

I ended up getting 21 and a half (you can see the short one on top). I really enjoy this process and look forward to trying different sausage recipes. My wife says Kielbasa is next.

Thanks for looking.

Link

 

[SmokinAl]

They look fantastic!

Nice job on the linking!

Al

 

[crazymoon]

L, They look quite tasty! Nice job !

 

[realtorterry]

Very nice! Are those collegen casings?

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Nice links, Link! What kind of casings did you use?

If you remove the handle on your grinder and attach a drill you'll have an electric grinder.

Point!

 

[crankybuzzard]

Great work for sure!

Point for the sore arm and nice sausages!

 

[link]

Thanks for the kind words all (and Points) I did use collagen casings on these. I am taking this in steps. First step was the breakfast sausage (collagen casings) and I cut them into links. Second step were these bigger Italian sausages (collagen casings) I twisted into links. next will be bigger Kielbasa (I think) with natural casing.

I have been looking around the Sausage sub forum for a good kielbasa recipe to try If you have a recommendation please let me know. 

Link

 

[redheelerdog]

Very nice Link, those are going to be delicious.

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• redheelerdog
• Dec 31, 2016

 

[smokin jay]

Italians look great,link! Nice job!

 

[driedstick]

Great job Link,,, also on the linking everything looks spot on!!

DS

 

[crankybuzzard]

Thanks for the kind words all (and Points) I did use collagen casings on these. I am taking this in steps. First step was the breakfast sausage (collagen casings) and I cut them into links. Second step were these bigger Italian sausages (collagen casings) I twisted into links. next will be bigger Kielbasa (I think) with natural casing.

I have been looking around the Sausage sub forum for a good kielbasa recipe to try If you have a recommendation please let me know. 

Link

Try this one

Kielbasa Cranky Style

2 pounds pork butt coarse ground
2.25g cure #1
16g salt
2g dextrose
2g fresh cracked black pepper
1g dry marjoram
1 clove garlic ( ground with meat) or 1tsp powder
1/4 cup red wine
Mix all dry ingredients into wine
Mix wine into meat really well until the meat mixture is very tacky
Stuff into hog casing and refrigerate overnight
Place sausages into smoker preheated to 120 without smoke for 2 hours
After 2 hours, add smoke and raise temp to 130
Each 30 minutes, raise temp 10 degrees until smoker temp is 170
Continues to smoke/cook sausage until IT is 152
After IT is reached, place sausages into an ice bath until IT drops below 100
Allow to bloom for a couple of hours at room temp, and then package or eat!

 

[bladeguy]

Try this one

Kielbasa Cranky Style

2 pounds pork butt coarse ground
2.25g cure #1
16g salt
2g dextrose
2g fresh cracked black pepper
1g dry marjoram
1 clove garlic ( ground with meat) or 1tsp powder
1/4 cup red wine
Mix all dry ingredients into wine
Mix wine into meat really well until the meat mixture is very tacky
Stuff into hog casing and refrigerate overnight
Place sausages into smoker preheated to 120 without smoke for 2 hours
After 2 hours, add smoke and raise temp to 130
Each 30 minutes, raise temp 10 degrees until smoker temp is 170
Continues to smoke/cook sausage until IT is 152
After IT is reached, place sausages into an ice bath until IT drops below 100
Allow to bloom for a couple of hours at room temp, and then package or eat!

This looks similar to the recipe I just used for smoked Kielbasa, and it was great, so I think this one would be a winner as well. I'd suggest using fresh garlic over the garlic powder......I did this last time and the difference is huge. Not bad with powder, but the real garlic takes it to a new level. 

 

[crankybuzzard]

This looks similar to the recipe I just used for smoked Kielbasa, and it was great, so I think this one would be a winner as well. I'd suggest using fresh garlic over the garlic powder......I did this last time and the difference is huge. Not bad with powder, but the real garlic takes it to a new level. 

I agree, fresh all the way, but powder if you don't have the fresh.

 

[worktogthr]

Those look great, especially for your first go at it! You will be hooked now! Thinking about turning every food you love into sausage! Points!

 

[link]

Try this one

Kielbasa Cranky Style

2 pounds pork butt coarse ground
2.25g cure #1
16g salt
2g dextrose
2g fresh cracked black pepper
1g dry marjoram
1 clove garlic ( ground with meat) or 1tsp powder
1/4 cup red wine
Mix all dry ingredients into wine
Mix wine into meat really well until the meat mixture is very tacky
Stuff into hog casing and refrigerate overnight
Place sausages into smoker preheated to 120 without smoke for 2 hours
After 2 hours, add smoke and raise temp to 130
Each 30 minutes, raise temp 10 degrees until smoker temp is 170
Continues to smoke/cook sausage until IT is 152
After IT is reached, place sausages into an ice bath until IT drops below 100
Allow to bloom for a couple of hours at room temp, and then package or eat!

Thanks this looks like a good one to try. I have everything but the dextrose. I will have to find some of that.

Link

 

[crankybuzzard]

Corn sugar is dextrose. Brew shops and health food suppliers carry it.

 

[bladeguy]

Corn sugar is dextrose. Brew shops and health food suppliers carry it.

You could also sub sugar, but it isn't a one to one ratio. My kielbasa had sugar in it rather than dextrose, for two lb.'s as in the recipe above, my recipe used a heaping half teaspoon of sugar. If you want to try it that way before buying dextrose, it would not hurt a thing. Dextrose is preferred over table sugar in sausage making, but I use sugar as well and haven't noticed a number taste or quality difference.

Or, buy dextrose, because you are bound to be addicted to sausage making, and will eventually use it up anyway. Just posted this if you didn't want to wait to have to find it, that's all, and for future reference if you are ever in a bind.

 

[link]

You could also sub sugar, but it isn't a one to one ratio. My kielbasa had sugar in it rather than dextrose, for two lb.'s as in the recipe above, my recipe used a heaping half teaspoon of sugar. If you want to try it that way before buying dextrose, it would not hurt a thing. Dextrose is preferred over table sugar in sausage making, but I use sugar as well and haven't noticed a number taste or quality difference.

Or, buy dextrose, because you are bound to be addicted to sausage making, and will eventually use it up anyway. Just posted this if you didn't want to wait to have to find it, that's all, and for future reference if you are ever in a bind.

I think I am going to be placing an order for some Cure #1, Cure #2 and some dextrose as I will be using these and I am out of the cure. Is there another Suasage item I will need that I should add to this list?

 

[bladeguy]

I think I am going to be placing an order for some Cure #1, Cure #2 and some dextrose as I will be using these and I am out of the cure. Is there another Suasage item I will need that I should add to this list?

That's a loaded question....I could spend a lot of your money answering. That said, look down the road and consider what you might want to make going forward. Will you need casings for that? Is there a spice you use a lot that is less expensive on the site you are ordering? Do you want any binders like soy protein concentrate for future sausage? If money is no object, load up. If budget is tight, get what you need for now and order again later.

Just a few questions to consider.

 

[BGKYSmoker]

Hey now.

Cant go wrong with sweet Italian.

Looking good.