Sausage Question

[bombdawgity]

Hey everybody, hope all is well. So I just started dabbling in sausage making so I still have plenty of questions. I just picked up two butts ($1.29/lb really good for what I've seen around Colorado Springs), I deboned them and got them in the freezer till the weekend. Gonna have 25lbs of meat and I want to do 5ea 5lb batches.
1- breakfast sausage
1- chorizo
1- sweet Italian
1- sweet/hot Italian
1- sweet Italian with green peppers and onions in it (and here's where the question is)
- I spend a ton of time drooling and searching on this site but this is one thing i haven't seen or been able to find on the site. I want to mix diced raw green peppers and onions with the meat and seasoning before stuffing into 32mm casings. I know they will fit through the stuffing tube and in my head it makes sense that they will cook just like the meat cooks, but I'm not sure if there would be an issue I can't foresee. I will be fresh freezing almost all of these cause obviously I can't eat 25lbs of meat in one sitting, although sometimes I feel like I did after meals.

Any input will be appreciated, and of course I know "no pics = didn't happen" so pics to come regardless of what responses I get.

Kyle

 

[pc farmer]

I dont have a answer but i will be watching. I just started myself

 

[rgautheir20420]

That's a load of sausage! There's no issue in your plan. The veggies will likely still be raw by the time the sausages get cooked though. So as long as your ok with that flavor. You may simply saute them for a few minutes to soften them up prior to mixing with the meat if raw isn't what you're looking for.

 

[oldhead]

read your question, and have done the same thing with my sausage.

I cooked my peppers and onions a little then let them cool, Stuffed

them and they turned out great!!! Even froze the extra sausage.

                 Good luck

read

 

[chef jimmyj]

Depending on the size chunks you add, they can be raw if small <1/4" or if larger they can be Blanched in boiling water for 15-30 seconds and refrigerated until cold. For a sweeter pepper and onion flavor, a quick Saute in lard or bacon fat will  soften them a bit and distribute the flavor more because of the cooking fat mixing with the meat.. If sauteing first, they need to be cooled before adding, less than 70°F. 
I like the flavor of cooked veggies better for most recipes I make. Example, most folks make soup by adding meat and veg to the pot, cover in water and simmer. I always saute the veg first to bring out the sweetness and get rid of the raw taste they can leave in soups and recipes...JJ

 

[bombdawgity]

Thanks everybody, I'll probably go with the partially cooking in bacon fat. I'll post some pics this weekend sometime.

Kyle

 

[ajbert]

If you don't mind my asking, where did you find that price on the butts?  Best I've been able to find has been about a buck seventy-eight.

 

[gary s]

$2.29 at the store today

gary

 

[crazymoon]

Dehydrated veggies  will work also.

 

[bombdawgity]

If you don't mind my asking, where did you find that price on the butts?  Best I've been able to find has been about a buck seventy-eight.

Got them at Peterson Air Force Base Commisary.

 

[bombdawgity]

$2.29 at the store today

gary

Yikes, I guess it's still worth homemade food!

 

[bombdawgity]

Dehydrated veggies  will work also.

Still need a new dehydrator, I guess I know what will be one of my first experiments will be when I get one. Thanks for suggestion

 

[ajbert]

Got them at Peterson Air Force Base Commisary.

Never thought of going on one of the bases to check things out.  Guess next time I'm in town I'll have to check out Peterson and Carson.

 

[sopchoppy]

$2.29 at the store today

gary

From 1.78 to 2.19 in two weeks. Also, beef is getting higher by the week.

 

[bombdawgity]

Never thought of going on one of the bases to check things out.  Guess next time I'm in town I'll have to check out Peterson and Carson.

The only thing with that is you need a ID(active duty/retired/civilian base ID) to get on base and buy anything.

 

[ajbert]

The only thing with that is you need a ID(active duty/retired/civilian base ID) to get on base and buy anything.

I'm retired military and even got one of those cameras put in my backside a few months ago at Evans on Carson.  Stayed on Peterson a couple of times while we were looking for our house.

I'm assuming that even though they don't charge taxes they still charge a "surcharge"?   The few times in the past that we shopped at various commissaries the surcharge ended up being more than local taxes.

 

[bombdawgity]

I'm retired military and even got one of those cameras put in my backside a few months ago at Evans on Carson.  Stayed on Peterson a couple of times while we were looking for our house.

I'm assuming that even though they don't charge taxes they still charge a "surcharge"?   The few times in the past that we shopped at various commissaries the surcharge ended up being more than local taxes.

Awesome, and thank you for your service. Yes they do charge a surcharge but I'm pretty sure it was for meat only. It wasn't to much. I have been paying 1.99/lb for boneless butts at Costco, so even with the surcharge 1.29 was a great price. I have processed my own deer for the last ten years but had never deboned a Boston butt. A quick YouTube video and I had two butts deboned in just a few minutes. The bone in each weighed just under a pound (I like to actually do the price for the meat I got) it works out to 1.42/lb with bone removed and meat surcharge.
Side note: I've ran across quite a few people on this forum that are in this area, I think we need to get together and do some smoking. I went to the North Florida Gathering a couple times when I lived there and it was a blast.

 

[ajbert]

I'd be up for a meet but really don't know what I can bring to the table.  Only been smoking for just over a year and although I love it, my wife isn't nearly as much into smoked goodies as I am.  She loves the PP and ribs, anything else not so much.  She won't even make me a meatloaf to smoke, and she makes the best meatloaf I've ever had!

Of course, I do have a little bit to do with the meatloaf as she makes it out of the elk I bring home most years...lol

 

[boykjo]

IMHO, I would add dehydrated green bell pepper flakes and dehydrated onion flakes to the meat. Anyway, I dont think you are going to get what your looking for if you add them to the meat. Adding any type of onions to sausage will give the sausage a bologna type flavor so if you add it to the italian sausage the flavor its not going to taste like a Italian sausage sandwich with green peppers and onions

My 2 cents

 

[gary s]

Br looking forward to seeing it as you go

Gary