Making Sausage

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user 22118

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I am having a devil of a time getting the consistency and texture that I am looking for in sausage. Anyone have any insight? I am using the Kitchen Aid attatchment.

I have tried three times and had poor luck each time.
 
I am talking about the grind as well as the fat content. If you buy say a Johnsonville brat, the texture is very nice. When I bite into mine I get either too coarse and kinda dry and then I tried more fat and a smaller grind and it came out like mealy and way too fatty.
 
For a firmer texture with a very smooth texture, I find it best to use a large food processor for the grind.

1. Grind per usual with a medium plate.
2. Chill meat to fridge temps.
3. Prepare a pitcher of ice water.
4. Setup your food processor.
5. Process the meat in the food processor using the ice water to keep the meat from chunking up. It should turn into a kind of paste.
6. Stuff the paste into the casings.

Another good tip is to use some soy protein to help with binding. That will also help your texture out.

What kind of sausage are you making?

If you don't have this: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0025668609/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 get it.
 
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The meat AND fat have to be VERY cold. If it warms up, you will get funky consistancy.
 
Let me tell you my last process.

Buy meat and fat (70/30)
Cut into 2" strips for ease of plunging
Place in freezer for five hours along with plates and blade
grind with largest plate in Kitchen Aid stand mixer
season to taste
grind through small plate
stuff sausage in medium casing

I just did that and the texture was small and mealy. In the past I have done the same, just keeping the texture larger and chunkier and it came out very tasty, but dryer and tougher tasting. I figured that there wasn't enough fat, but I also figured the grind was too large. So I changed both and got some funky sausage in casings. In chili as ground sausage, beautiful. As a link it was pretty nasty.
 
Are you stuffing with the processer after your last grind? I know when we make venison sausage, the grinder kinda mashes the meat into a paste as it is going into the casings. On my hand grinder, I just grind one time into the casings. Turns out much better, consistency-wise.
 
Yeah, we did too. Put star washers as spacers. What happens is the auger mushes the meat after it has been ground. Grinding straight into the casing worked for me. YMMV.
 
Using the Kitchenaid for stuffing might be your problem. I have one and it works fine for grinding but is pretty much worthless for stuffing. I am just going to get a vertical stuffer soon.
 
Ditto on not using the Kitchenaid stuffer. Also I like to add some textured soy protein (for brats) which also helps to retain more moisture. For weisswurst I add high temp powdered milk and a bunch or cream

I've also found that overstuffing can ruin the texture.

Same for overcooking.

Another trick, which sounds a bit odd but works, is to mix a bunch of crushed ice in with the meat just before the second grind. This helps to keep the meat cold, but also it stays solid long enough through stuffing to help improve the texture, plus adds some more moisture.
 
I very highly suggest this book. The recepies are right on, and he explains the process in detail, and the why. Which is more important.

Charcuterie

I also use the Kitchen aid to grind, and mix the meat, then use a piping bag to fill. I would love a stuffer, but I don't think I would use it enough to part with the space.
 
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Well I just bought a stuffer so that I can enjoy my sausage making. Using the kitchen aide was just a pain in the ass.

Amazon Stuffer Sausage Making Book

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I look forward to making some up.
 
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I would be interested in a review of that stuffer after you have used it a few times. That is a pretty good price if the quality is there. Luck!!
 
I would be interested in a review of that stuffer after you have used it a few times. That is a pretty good price if the quality is there. Luck!!


+1. I use a hand grinder and it works ok but I want to get a stuffer. Interested to hear what you think of this bit of gear after you use it a few times.

PTN
 
+100 on the vertical stuffer. A minor investment, but totally worth the money.
Charcuterie is a good book to pull ideas from but don't look to it as a step by step recipe guide or you will be sorely dissappointed. (The author was one of my instructors at culinary school). Also, you didn't mention any chilling being done between the first and second grind. My second concern is that you mentioned a mealy, crumbly (?) texture. This could be due to the lack of establishing a "primary bind". This is a key step that many people forget. After you grind the meat, you want to mix it thouroughly. If you are using your Kitchenaid to grind still (eek) throw it in the bowl with the paddle and mix just until it starts to look sticky.

Temperature control is the most important thing that you can do for both your brewing and sausage making! In a commercial kitchen that produces a lot of sausage, the meat grinding equipment is often kept and used right in a walk in cooler. If not, as much of the equipment as possible is kept in the freezer. All the time. This is why I like the old cast iron meat grinders a bit more than the Kitchenaid. Not only do they look cooler but they hold the cold of the freezer for a lot longer!


*forgot to mention the stuffer* it's a good entry level stuffer. You can do a lot with it, it's not terrible to clean, and you cant beat the price. If you're looking for something that's going to last a bit longer keep an eye out for a stuffer with metal gears. The cogs on this stuffer are plastic and if you go crazy (which, lets face it, we all know you will) on the sausage making you'll wear them out after a while.
 
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