Sausage Making - Resources

[SmokinAl]

Thanks Al! This is helpful. For the breakfast sausage patties, using pre ground pork, are you just adding the seasonings and then vacuum sealing?

I add the seasonings & put the patties in a burger press, so they are all the same size. Then I put them on parchment paper on a cookie sheet & into the freezer for 2-3 hours. Then when you vac pack them they will hold their shape & won't get crushed from the vacuum.
Al

 

[SonnyE]

Thanks for the info Sonny. How did the KitchenAid grinder work for grinding? We have a KitchenAid mixer, but I’m afraid to abuse it too much with trying to grind with it.

It seemed to work fine for me. It tells you by whining a little as it works, but any machine would.
So I feed it conservatively, just let it chew, and don't push too much in.
I watched Disco's video's and how he uses his KA.
They are not cheap. So I don't want to break Mama's tool. But when she was making Christmas Cookies, she brought up the idea of grinding meat with it.
It gets slightly warm, or did for the grinding I've done with it so far.
Would a "real" grinder be better? Yes. And you wouldn't worry about bustin the wife's KA.
But for me, for my 2 pound batches, I think it is a good way to go.
I spent $85.38 for my Stainless Steel grinder attachment. And the mixer itself has a good paddle for mixing the meats and seasoning/cure all together. We got the accessory paddle that scrapes the bowl. I DO NOT use that! I use the aluminum standard paddle so I don't contaminate her cookie tools.
But for me, using the KA eliminates buying a grinder and a meat mixer. Incidentally, I ran across a video of a guy using a bonified meat mixer, and it was certainly not worth the ~$250 price they get for them. Not for my small batch ways, and being able to multi-task the KA for two steps. Grinding and Mixing.

This is Disco's web page about making his Snack Sticks. And it has pictures of his use of his KA mixer for the process.
https://oldfatguy.ca/?p=5910

https://oldfatguy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Spicy-Snack-Sticks-3.jpg

Picture used with Permission of the author.

So You have to decide for yourself. I'm old and retired, I have more time than much else, so I can spend a lot of time playing gently with the KA.
If I was going process animals, NO, the KA would not be the tool for the job.
But for an Old Fart (Me) that wants to make some Slim Jim sort of snack stix...
Oh yeah, it's good.

And before my casings even got here, I decided to order a stuffer. The KA can, in a marginal way, stuff the casings. But not really great at it. So after watching many video's of Snack Stick making, I could justify a stuffer.
napas posted about how he only uses a 5 pound stuffer now because it can do small to large stuffing very well. So bigger isn't always better. Forcing meat mixture through a smaller tube requires a bit of Hydraulics. A smaller stuffer offers that.

As long as one is willing to take the time, and not try and force things, smaller ways can work fine.
I could justify a couple of hundred bucks in my mind to make some tasty stuff.
But no way any giant grinders, 44 pound mixers, or 30+ pound electric stuffers. I could buy a case of Slim Jim's for that cost. Maybe a pallet full.

 

[indaswamp]

I have the LEM #12 Big Bite grinder and can't say enough about it. The big bite auger really flies through the meat. One tip I will pass on regardless of brand grinder you get- always place the wear washer on lubed up good, and hold the auger so the spline is facing up when mating it into the auger housing so the washer does not fall off during assembly. I've had it happen when I've had people helping me. Had to use the spare washer because the first one got messed up pretty bad.

Oh- if your grinder does not have a spare in the box I recommend ordering one. You will need it one day and you will be right in the middle of a batch when you will need to change it, so have one on hand.

 

[illini40]

It seemed to work fine for me. It tells you by whining a little as it works, but any machine would.
So I feed it conservatively, just let it chew, and don't push too much in.
I watched Disco's video's and how he uses his KA.
They are not cheap. So I don't want to break Mama's tool. But when she was making Christmas Cookies, she brought up the idea of grinding meat with it.
It gets slightly warm, or did for the grinding I've done with it so far.
Would a "real" grinder be better? Yes. And you wouldn't worry about bustin the wife's KA.
But for me, for my 2 pound batches, I think it is a good way to go.
I spent $85.38 for my Stainless Steel grinder attachment. And the mixer itself has a good paddle for mixing the meats and seasoning/cure all together. We got the accessory paddle that scrapes the bowl. I DO NOT use that! I use the aluminum standard paddle so I don't contaminate her cookie tools.
But for me, using the KA eliminates buying a grinder and a meat mixer. Incidentally, I ran across a video of a guy using a bonified meat mixer, and it was certainly not worth the ~$250 price they get for them. Not for my small batch ways, and being able to multi-task the KA for two steps. Grinding and Mixing.

This is Disco's web page about making his Snack Sticks. And it has pictures of his use of his KA mixer for the process.
https://oldfatguy.ca/?p=5910

https://oldfatguy.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Spicy-Snack-Sticks-3.jpg

Picture used with Permission of the author.

So You have to decide for yourself. I'm old and retired, I have more time than much else, so I can spend a lot of time playing gently with the KA.
If I was going process animals, NO, the KA would not be the tool for the job.
But for an Old Fart (Me) that wants to make some Slim Jim sort of snack stix...
Oh yeah, it's good.

And before my casings even got here, I decided to order a stuffer. The KA can, in a marginal way, stuff the casings. But not really great at it. So after watching many video's of Snack Stick making, I could justify a stuffer.
napas posted about how he only uses a 5 pound stuffer now because it can do small to large stuffing very well. So bigger isn't always better. Forcing meat mixture through a smaller tube requires a bit of Hydraulics. A smaller stuffer offers that.

As long as one is willing to take the time, and not try and force things, smaller ways can work fine.
I could justify a couple of hundred bucks in my mind to make some tasty stuff.
But no way any giant grinders, 44 pound mixers, or 30+ pound electric stuffers. I could buy a case of Slim Jim's for that cost. Maybe a pallet full.

Thank you!

I have the LEM #12 Big Bite grinder and can't say enough about it. The big bite auger really flies through the meat. One tip I will pass on regardless of brand grinder you get- always place the wear washer on lubed up good, and hold the auger so the spline is facing up when mating it into the auger housing so the washer does not fall off during assembly. I've had it happen when I've had people helping me. Had to use the spare washer because the first one got messed up pretty bad.

Oh- if your grinder does not have a spare in the box I recommend ordering one. You will need it one day and you will be right in the middle of a batch when you will need to change it, so have one on hand.

Thank you!