Why the Small Cubes???

[cliff43j]

I'm just starting to make sausage. I  notice that just about everyone is cutting their meat into rather small cubes.  I guess that this is fine if one wants a soft chew; however, I can recall my grandparents cutting the meat into strips about 1"x1" and grinding it with a coarse cutter.  I rather preferred it that way as it was something to chew on and enjoy.  My biggest beef about too many sausages today  is that the meat is so finely ground that it almost mushes instantly in the mouth into a porridge consistency.  I grind my own ground chuck for hamburgers and do it just as my grandparents did - very nice eating :-) 

Question:  Is this just a matter of personal preference or is there a more profound reason for the "small cubes" for grinding?

Just Smokin' Along,

Cliff.

 

[chef jimmyj]

Strips pretty much have to be fed lengthwise and individually. 1" X 1" Cubes can be loaded in the feed tray and coaxed in a bit faster The Cut of the meat, unless really small pieces, has little impact on grind size. Strips or cubes, use a coarse plate and you get a coarse grind...JJ

 

[cliff43j]

Thanks Jimmy :-)

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I have found with my grinder, that it feeds better using the strips. With chunks I have to push them in to get the grind going. The strips self feed and take half the time. When we hand cranked chunks work d better.

 

[cliff43j]

Sailor, thanks as this about what my experience has been.  I was just taken aback a wee bit when I read several threads in which they were cutting their meat into 1/2"x1/2" cubes - geez, that's a lot of cutting!

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Sailor, thanks as this about what my experience has been.  I was just taken aback a wee bit when I read several threads in which they were cutting their meat into 1/2"x1/2" cubes - geez, that's a lot of cutting!

There are several sausages that I make where I hand cut some of the meat. This does not get ground. Linguica is one of those, as is Taylor ham. It's more like 1/4"-3/8" which is then added to the ground before stuffing. Sometimes back fat is also hand cut and added prior to stuffing. The cut meat or fat is added for texture.

Everything that I grind though is strips, 1 1/2 square or so as that fits through the throat on my grinder.

 

[muddydogs]

I never understood the cube deal either, I cut my meat 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick as 2 inches is about as big as I can fit in the grinder throat and as long as the chunk of meat will let me. As fast as I can shovel the strips into the throat the grinder just keeps pulling them through the plate.

 

[crankybuzzard]

I'm a bit haphazard in my cubes. If it fits in the throat, it's good. I haven't tried strips, sounds like an experiment is coming soon.

 

[SmokinAl]

I do strips too, they feed themselves, you don't even need the pusher.

Al

 

[pops6927]

I cut my meats into approx. 1" cubes as I don't have a mixer and add the seasonings before grinding and let the grinder do the mixing for me, esp. when I use the coarse plate and regrind it again.  And, after my strokes, I could not hand-mix seasonings into coarse or fine ground meats with one hand.  Just me is all.

 

[tallbm]

I do things a little unconventionally and have never had an issue. I also agree with the larger grind like you do.

I do strips about 1 to 1.5" wide and as long as I want.  They self feed with no issue in my grinder.

I process about 5-7 animals (deer and/or feral hogs) a year and usually all at once by myself.  So as I'm grinding I'm also cutting the meat and fat to grind for sausage or just the meat for straight ground.  Working alone like this is how I learned that my grinder can get away with a 12 inch long strip if I want.  It self feeds while I cut more. 

Other unconventional stuff I do is that I don't put my grinder parts in the freezer before using.  I don't have time or space and my grinder does not heat up so I am in luck there.  

I also only refrigerate not freeze my meat that will be grinding.  Again I don't have the freezer space when doing 100 pounds of wild game meat grinding all alone.

Now I only season sausage after grinding so it get's mushier than I like, BUT I could see how someone who wants to grind right into a sausage casing for a course ground sausage would cut meat and fat into 1 inch cubs so seasoning better coats the meat as it is ground.  I believe that this is how Czech Klobase is seasoned, ground, and stuffed but good luck getting any Klobase making information out of Czech Klobase makers :)