Homemade Sausage

[tcards]

Looking for a little advise. Not happy with some sausage I made recently. I was wondering if you mix the spices with the meat before you grind or after? Any tips are appreciated.

 

[BuffettFan]

After the initial grind for me.
I mix the spices with a little ice water, then into the ground meat.
Mix by hand, let sit overnight, mix again and then a second grind.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I have always done after the grind.


Granted, I have made exactly 1 batch of sausage now . . . :becky:

 

[TheHojo]

Still pretty new to the sausage game - but i have mixed mine into the meat after the grind. But i have seen folks do it both ways.

 

[SmokeOCD]

I always do after the grind. I guess from the Q you had pockets of seasoning, maybe a salt bomb here and there? Definitely more water (as already mentioned) while mixing in the spices would help evenly disperse them.

 

[tcards]

I know one problem I had was I left the blade on when stuffing the casing. It made the sausage texture pasty.

 

[BobBrisket]

After the grind. Also, take some and make a patty out of it and cook it up on the stove. That will give you a rough idea as to how the seasoning will turn out. Also, tip I learned on this forum. When ready to stuff, push the mixture until it just pops out the end of the stuffer tube. This will make it a million times easier to slip the casing on the stuffer!! Trust me!

Bob

 

[blackdogbbq21]

I add the spices after grinding. I refrigerate the links overnight before smoking or cooking

 

[kurtsara]

Have a keen lem double grind, don’t remember the exact name but it basically grinds twice the first time, we grind into a lem mixer and add our seasoning and ice water and mix with that.

 

[Itsdone]

I cut into strips and add seasoning before grinding. Its less working the meat that way, and i think its a more even distribution of seasonings on the second pass. To each their own.
That said, are you sure its your technique and not your recipe?

 

[tcards]

I think I have a good recipe. I really think my biggest problem was leaving the cutting blade on when I was stuffing.

 

[woodbutcher1]

I think I have a good recipe. I really think my biggest problem was leaving the cutting blade on when I was stuffing.

John, in order to get that fine of a texture after stuffing, you must have left the
cutting plate (1/8" -3/16" ) hole diameter and the cutter in the grinder.

You should have taken the grinding plate out and replaced it with a stuffing plate ( spacer), which normally has 2 to 3 continuous slots in them to allow a free flowing meat mixture to enter the stuffing tube.

Good luck with your next attempt.

 

[SmokeOCD]

Question for everyone else: wouldn't running the spices through the grinder dull the blade and plate? I'm sure it depends a little on what spices and how much, but it's gritty/sandy texture until it is mixed seems like enough to impact sharpness of the equipment.

 

[TheHojo]

Question for everyone else: wouldn't running the spices through the grinder dull the blade and plate? I'm sure it depends a little on what spices and how much, but it's gritty/sandy texture until it is mixed seems like enough to impact sharpness of the equipment.

I have read the spices can gunk up the grinder - and that you lose some of the spice going thru the grinder and getting stuck to the auger and casing

But there are plenty of folks that do before or after the grind

 

[Dustin Dorsey]

I often will mix up my spices and cure and let that sit on the meat overnight before grinding. That way the cure has time to work and you get a good mix on the spices ahead of time. But it probably doesn't really matter that much.

The biggest things that have helped my sausage lately is using a good binder and especially keeping the meat cold. I didn't really take the "keeping the meat cold" part seriously until I messed up not chilling the meat before a second grind and smeared all my fat out. I learned from the 2Guysandacooler youtube channel to use a thermopen to check the temp of the meat between steps.

 

[tcards]

John, in order to get that fine of a texture after stuffing, you must have left the
cutting plate (1/8" -3/16" ) hole diameter and the cutter in the grinder.

You should have taken the grinding plate out and replaced it with a stuffing plate ( spacer), which normally has 2 to 3 continuous slots in them to allow a free flowing meat mixture to enter the stuffing tube.

Good luck with your next attempt.

I used the correct plate but left the cutter in.

 

[cayenne]

Get a stuffer...

I think I have a good recipe. I really think my biggest problem was leaving the cutting blade on when I was stuffing.

I would HIGHLY recommend you look into getting a separate piston stuffer.

I actually started liking making sausage after I got one....so quick to stuff.

Just my $0.02,

cayenne

 

[Marwendholt]

My family butchers 5 hogs every year. When we do the sausage, we add the seasoning to the chunks of meat before grinding and mix it in, grind it, then mix it again.

 

[tcards]

I am going to give it another try this weekend. Going to make some polish kielbasa. I think I might try adding the seasoning before I grind.

 

[woodbutcher1]

Don't forget to take the cutter blade out. JK