So I'm getting a sausage stuffer......


 
S

Seth Boardman

TVWBB Fan
I'm finally getting a sausage stuffer so I can make some good sausage and not have to deal with a grinder as a stuffer which is a pain! I've made summer sausage once and will plan on making that again. However, I am looking for different types of sausage to make. Can you guys give me some ideas of what you like to make and recipes for those sausages. I am open to just about anything. My primary meat will be venison because I hunt and I don't know when the last time was that I bought beef at a store besides for steaks. I will plan on adding pork fat to make the ratio right but I need some recipes on what to make. Thanks!
 
I like to make Italian (sweet and hot), Chorizo (spanish style), bratwurst, knockwurst, kielbasa (which is really just Polish for sausage, so there's infinite varieties of this one), and the list goes on and on. I started out with Rytek Kutas' book called "Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing", which has a ton of good ones, as well as meatsandsausages.com is a great site affiliated with Stan Marianski (who is a master of all things sausage, curing, etc. in the Polish style....he has a great book, too.) If you like a hot Texas style sausage, Dustin Dorsey has posted his version here. There are really a million ways you could go. Give us an idea on what your top 3 favorite links are, and I'm sure we can help point you to good recipe sources.

I've never made game sausages, so I'm not too much help there, other than I know that you need to add some sort of fat (usually pork) to bring it up to the right level for a juicy product.

One recommendation, when making a new recipe, make a small batch so you can be sure it's to your liking before making 5-10 lbs of it. Also, ALWAYS fry a small test patty of your mix before stuffing......you can adjust seasoning at this point if needed.

For staters, here's what I use for a sweet (ie: not hot.....it's not actually sweet) Italian:

Salt 1.8%
Black Pepper .2%
Sugar .2%
Fennel Seed .3%
Coriander (ground) .1%
Ice Water 9%

The percentages are all of the meat/fat quantity. For Italian, I'd use all pork, and aim for 30% fat. Weigh out your meat, then multiply that number by the percentages above to get your spice amounts. I use grams for better accuracy with small numbers......and it helps to have a scale that can weigh out small amounts (I have a small one I got off Amazon for cheap.)
 
Rich G said:
I like to make Italian (sweet and hot), Chorizo (spanish style), bratwurst, knockwurst, kielbasa (which is really just Polish for sausage, so there's infinite varieties of this one), and the list goes on and on. I started out with Rytek Kutas' book called "Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing", which has a ton of good ones, as well as meatsandsausages.com is a great site affiliated with Stan Marianski (who is a master of all things sausage, curing, etc. in the Polish style....he has a great book, too.) If you like a hot Texas style sausage, Dustin Dorsey has posted his version here. There are really a million ways you could go. Give us an idea on what your top 3 favorite links are, and I'm sure we can help point you to good recipe sources.

I've never made game sausages, so I'm not too much help there, other than I know that you need to add some sort of fat (usually pork) to bring it up to the right level for a juicy product.

One recommendation, when making a new recipe, make a small batch so you can be sure it's to your liking before making 5-10 lbs of it. Also, ALWAYS fry a small test patty of your mix before stuffing......you can adjust seasoning at this point if needed.

For staters, here's what I use for a sweet (ie: not hot.....it's not actually sweet) Italian:

Salt 1.8%
Black Pepper .2%
Sugar .2%
Fennel Seed .3%
Coriander (ground) .1%
Ice Water 9%

The percentages are all of the meat/fat quantity. For Italian, I'd use all pork, and aim for 30% fat. Weigh out your meat, then multiply that number by the percentages above to get your spice amounts. I use grams for better accuracy with small numbers......and it helps to have a scale that can weigh out small amounts (I have a small one I got off Amazon for cheap.)
Click to expand...
I too make sweet & hot Italian as well as Polish, I can't believe you are staying away from Garlic! Obviously I am giving you a hard time & to each there own, especially in the Italian community, such a debate fennel or no fennel.

In my recent Italian sausages, I have really cut back on the fennel, garlic of course!
 
It's hard to find Texas beef sausage in large parts of the country. When we lived back east, I started making my own since I couldn't source it local. Pretty simple: Mostly beef with some fatty pork, salt and pepper for spice, water and maybe a little hot sauce for the liquid. On the smoker to 150° internal. My east coast friends had never tasted it before and raved over it.

You are making the right move to get a stuffer. The KitchenAid grinder is ok, but the stuffer is a struggle.

Jeff
 
Seth Boardman said:
Also has anyone made turkey or chicken sausage? Is the process the same for red meat sausage?
Click to expand...
Process is basically the same as beef and pork sausage.

For added fat, double grind almost frozen chicken skin thru a 4.5mm plate. About 10-15% by weight should be a good start. Thighs have maybe 10% fat. Chicken can be ground with a 6mm or 7mm plate. Double grinding thighs comes down to personal preference.

Use chicken or turkey thighs for sausage making. IMO Breast meat is very lean and does not provide a lot of flavor.

It’s a good idea to keep a sausage making journal.

Rich G hit on a lot of good points. Probably the most important thing is using a gram scale and measuring everything as a percentage. That way you can scale a recipe up or down with simple math.

Good luck and post a few pics of your first sausage run with your new stuffer.

Cheers
 
Last edited:
Seth Boardman said:
Also has anyone made turkey or chicken sausage? Is the process the same for red meat sausage?
Click to expand...
Yep, as RJ said, process is pretty much the same. I usually just use pork fat for my poultry sausage, but if you prefer not to, the skin tip is a good one. Here's a great chicken sausage recipe:

Chicken, Spinach, Feta sausage

5 lbs. deboned and skinned chicken thighs and legs
8 oz. raw baby spinach chopped
1/2 medium onion chopped fine
1/2 lb. Feta cheese, crumbled
1 Tbs. Coarse salt
2 cloves garlic chopped fine
1 Tbs. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. Marjoram
1/2 cup milk powder

5 oz ice water.
Grind chicken in a semi frozen state through a medium plate. Add water and all other ingredients, mix well then stuff into natural casings.
 
RJ Humphrey said:
Process is basically the same as beef and pork sausage.

For added fat, double grind almost frozen chicken skin thru a 4.5mm plate. About 10-15% by weight should be a good start. Thighs have maybe 10% fat. Chicken can be ground with a 6mm or 7mm plate. Double grinding thighs comes down to personal preference.

Use chicken or turkey thighs for sausage making. IMO Breast meat is very lean and does not provide a lot of flavor.

It’s a good idea to keep a sausage making journal.

Rich G hit on a lot of good points. Probably the most important thing is using a gram scale and measuring everything as a percentage. That way you can scale a recipe up or down with simple math.

Good luck and post a few pics of your first sausage run with your new stuffer.

Cheers
Click to expand...
A sausage journal is a great idea! I would've never thought of that
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

 

Back
Top