Making My Own Sausage

[dragonslayer]

I am interested in making my own beef sausage. I am not looking for a recipe as much as a technique. No pork product I am strictly kosher. I have about 10 feet of a platic like casing that is ment to come off before eating. Not sure the correct way to use it though. I have a grinder and plan to grind my own meat. What beef cuts should I use? How much fat should I use? What kind of fat should I use? What else do I need to add? How do I set/cook/smoke the sausage. Any help is appreciated.

 

[erain]

i recommend book by rytek kutas, called great sausage recipies and meat curing. it will answer all above. not sure what sausage type you intend on making so kind of hard to help. not sure what size casing you have and is it rite size for type of sausage you want to make. book will cover all ur ? and then some. good luck

 

[earache_my_eye]

Read through the posts in the sausage forum........I believe most, if not all of the various recipes you'll find there could be adapted to "all beef" sausages.

I just made my second batch of summer sausage today in which I used a mix of ground deer meat and 80% ground beef, and it turned out great. That is due in large part to the posts from others on this forum and my willingness to research and to experiment.

If you could give us a more specific type, or types of sausage you want to make, perhaps I or someone with more sausage-making experience can be more specific with the methods you are looking for.

L8r,
Eric

 

[jerrykr]

Maybe my web site will help.

http://homesausagemaker.blogspot.com/

I like to use a beef briskett, and hog casings.

If you get a Packer Briskett, you will have plenty of fat to use. Approximately 30% fat is about right. Look at some of the "store bought" sausages at the supermarket. They usually list about 30-35% Fat. I've tried around 20-25% and the sausage is good, but comes out a little bit dry and crumbly.

I also have a vertical stuffer now, but I still like to stuff right out of the grinder. Takes a little practice to get the swing of it, but it's not difficult.

I like to grill my sausages over charcoal, but there are a number of ways to cook them.

If you plan to "cold smoke" the sausages, be sure to add a cure, such as Prague Powder, or Tenderquick to guard against bacteria growth while under the low smoke temps. I prefer Prague Powder, as Tenderquick in the ground meat makes them really salty.

Jerry

 

[geob]

Most of the fat in beef will cook away so the amount required might supprise ya. If you purchase a pack of seasoning, it should explain how to prepare whatever your season is for.
Good luck and post some q-view

Smoking

 

[pgeobc]

Well, I am not too sure what all is involved with making Kosher products, but there are plenty of cuts on the forward half of the beef that can be used for sausage. Not only that, but one can get synthetic casings made of cellulose or collagen and avoid any problem there (pork casings are out).

I guess that one can always make all beef summersausage or add some lamb or mutton. There are Kosher salamis and hot-dog recipes, to name a couple. You can always cure and smoke fish and use it like Herring or Whitefish, or even Lox. Rytek Kutas' book, available from www.sausagemaker.com is a good book. Ask your own butcher for recommendations.

Most sausages will contain a fair amount of fat--say 25% or more, sometimes. It is needed for good taste and texture, but there are restrictions on fat content for Kosher meats.

If you don't really need it to be Kosher for Passover, or super Kosher, there might be an everyday standard that you can live with. That is outside my area of knowledge.

There are synthetic fat replacers to help your sausage.