I am almost out of sausage after having several sets of visitors and then I was out of town. So now is the time to make more sausage. As stated in earlier posts, I believe in learning by making proven classic recipes and then adjusting them to my tastes. So, it is time to try a classic from this forum, Pop's Country Breakfast Sausage.
Should you wish to see the post of the expert as opposed to this newbie, the link is:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/73350/country-style-breakfast-sausage
The cheapest pork available was pork shoulder steaks, bone in. When I had finished deboning, there was just under 6 pounds of meat which I cubed.
I mixed the cubes with 2.7 ounces (by weight) of Pop's sausage seasoning. Salt, Pepper, and Sage. The proportions are in Pop's post http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/73350/country-style-breakfast-sausage.
I ground the cubes through the Kitchen Aid on the smallest plate.
Here it is after the first grind.
As per Pop's instructions, I ran it through the Kitchen Aid's smallest plate a second time. The texture was definitely finer.
I put the pork in the fridge. One thing I was never told in these forums and have learned for myself, do the clean up right away. Waiting even 10 minutes gives the pork a chance to get stickier and the clean up is a lot easier if done right away.
I did the test fry. Very nice indeed.
Pop made patties but I am a traditionalist. Unfortunately, She Who Must Be Obeyed (SWMBO) doesn't like casings. So I ran the sausage through my LEM stuffer with the 1/2 inch tube to make a sausage shape. Have I mentioned I love my LEM.
Here's what 6 pounds of sausage links look like. I will be putting them in the freezer overnight and then wrapping in packages of 6 and put into plastic bags. I will post pictures of that tomorrow.
The verdict: Excellent. A tasty, finely textured sausage that will be easily adjusted to personal tastes. I have only had the test fry and I know it will change a bit as it rests but this is really good. I thought it was a little salty but I have been cutting back on salt in my diet for the last year and I am a little bit more sensitive to salt taste. SWMBO says it is perfect, so is is perfect. In my prior sausage attempts, I ground the sausage and then beat it with the Kitchen Aid set up with a paddle. The double grinding made a much better textured sausage. I will be adding some fresh herbs (thyme, savory, rosemary) when I have it but this is a minor tweak.
We should all be grateful for all the great information on these forums. I could have searched for years for a sausage recipe this good.
Pops, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Disco
Should you wish to see the post of the expert as opposed to this newbie, the link is:
http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/73350/country-style-breakfast-sausage
The cheapest pork available was pork shoulder steaks, bone in. When I had finished deboning, there was just under 6 pounds of meat which I cubed.
I mixed the cubes with 2.7 ounces (by weight) of Pop's sausage seasoning. Salt, Pepper, and Sage. The proportions are in Pop's post http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/73350/country-style-breakfast-sausage.
I ground the cubes through the Kitchen Aid on the smallest plate.
Here it is after the first grind.
As per Pop's instructions, I ran it through the Kitchen Aid's smallest plate a second time. The texture was definitely finer.
I put the pork in the fridge. One thing I was never told in these forums and have learned for myself, do the clean up right away. Waiting even 10 minutes gives the pork a chance to get stickier and the clean up is a lot easier if done right away.
I did the test fry. Very nice indeed.
Pop made patties but I am a traditionalist. Unfortunately, She Who Must Be Obeyed (SWMBO) doesn't like casings. So I ran the sausage through my LEM stuffer with the 1/2 inch tube to make a sausage shape. Have I mentioned I love my LEM.
Here's what 6 pounds of sausage links look like. I will be putting them in the freezer overnight and then wrapping in packages of 6 and put into plastic bags. I will post pictures of that tomorrow.
The verdict: Excellent. A tasty, finely textured sausage that will be easily adjusted to personal tastes. I have only had the test fry and I know it will change a bit as it rests but this is really good. I thought it was a little salty but I have been cutting back on salt in my diet for the last year and I am a little bit more sensitive to salt taste. SWMBO says it is perfect, so is is perfect. In my prior sausage attempts, I ground the sausage and then beat it with the Kitchen Aid set up with a paddle. The double grinding made a much better textured sausage. I will be adding some fresh herbs (thyme, savory, rosemary) when I have it but this is a minor tweak.
We should all be grateful for all the great information on these forums. I could have searched for years for a sausage recipe this good.
Pops, thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Disco