# Country-Style Breakfast Sausage



## pops6927 (Feb 10, 2009)

Made another batch of breakfast sausage, wanted to share with the newer members the process if they're hesitant.

1st, the equipment I used: Grinder, knives, cutting gloves, sanitary gloves, fry pan for sampling and my apron!








2nd, weighed lug for tare:






filled up a cup to zero so I have a tare duplicate to reset tare when the bucket is full:






Bought two butt pack at Sam's, good price!






Cut up pork into chunks and weighed, set aside 8lbs. for breakfast sausage and 7.5 lbs. for sweet sausage - here's the breakfast sausage meat:


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## bassman (Feb 10, 2009)

We're waiting for the rest of the post.  Don't forget to post the recipe, Pops.


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## pops6927 (Feb 10, 2009)

Ran out of seasoning, so I had to make more, here's the ingredients:



Salt, 8 oz.






Black Pepper, 2 oz.






Ground Sage, 1 oz.






mixed in a ziploc, measured out 4 oz. seasoning for 8 lbs. of meat (Â½ oz. per lb. of meat):





Mixed with meat:






Ground twice with fine plate:


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## pops6927 (Feb 10, 2009)

Patties made onto cookie sheet lined with double sheets of wax paper sprayed with light coating of olive oil, made 41 patties, about 5 per lb:






and the best part, testing!






You can use virtually any grinder to make breakfast sausage, don't need a stuffer, and can make it with homemade seasonings. For any meat processing you need a good scale, this one shown can weigh from oz. to grams to 55 lbs. and is invaluable. It's one of the cheapest, easiest sausages to make and tastes sooo good!


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## pops6927 (Feb 10, 2009)

BTW, put the sheet into the freezer overnight, will separate and put into ziplocs, then take out as many as needed (usually 3) for breakfast. They stay nice and loose once frozen like that and are easy to take out. Unthaw them on defrost cycle in the microwave and fry 'em up (or if you don't like them crisp, bake in the oven)! Hope this encourages others to join into the sausage making enterprise, it's really easy to do!


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## pineywoods (Feb 10, 2009)

Looks great thanks for sharing


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## txbbqman (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks for sharing, sure looks good


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## grothe (Feb 10, 2009)

Nice posts Pops...sure looks good!!


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## dysartsmoker (Feb 10, 2009)

Great job POP'S looks good did you make any link's?


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## pops6927 (Feb 10, 2009)

No links, I've made them before but my wife prefers the patties so patties it is!  I personally prefer the links but harmony is more important! lol!


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## venture (Feb 12, 2009)

Pops, thanks for the post.  Your posts are very helpful.  Nice pics, too.  Points!


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## jerseyhunter (Feb 13, 2009)

Looks fantastic, I would opt for no iodine in any of my sausage recipes, I use it on the table, I believe it reacts with certain metals.


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## kurtsara (Feb 22, 2009)

We made 10 lbs of your sausage today, if I wasn't laid off I would be buying a electric mixer, anyways, I see in your post you added the seasoning to the cubes of meat before grinding, I never noticed that when I copied your seasoning recipe and we grinded twice and the the wife mixed in the seasoning, the taste was excellent, we used your seasoning but we added 1.5 oz. onion salt to the seasoning and still did 1/2 oz. per lb

Also smoked two brisket flats, did two whole briskets last weekend for a pot luck party and thought there would be leftovers, only 1 cup left over so we had to smoke some more for us

And we bought some fresh turkey sweet italian sausage and smoked them, should have been higher temp maybe, had them in with briskets, I think the casing might be better at higher temp

Also smoked 8 boneless pork chops, if your going to smoke you might as well fill the smoker, and now our freezer


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## kydave (Dec 13, 2011)

Hey Pops - as I said in another thread, I'm using your seasoning as the base for my breakfast sausage experiments tonight. I never thought of weighing the ingredients before but I think I can handle it.

I'm going to do one batch with just your seasoning. Then test it.

I will do another batch adding an equal amount of marjoram as the sage as well as some of my homemade garlic powder. Then test it.

I will do a third batch adding a little thyme, crushed red pepper and anything else I think it needs. We like our food to taste strong so I usually have to modify recipes to taste. 

Yes - I'm doing this with a Q-View post in mind.

Wish me luck and thanks so much for heading me in the right direction.

David

(Change of plans - will be foodsperimenting tomorrow.)


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## couger78 (Dec 13, 2011)

I've found weighing _ALL_ ingredients the surest way to get good results.

Thanks for posting this simple recipe! That's the beauty of good breakfast sausage—no mystery ingredients nor any advanced culinary training to crank out some good eats! 

Additionally, one could add a bit of sugar (to help balance the saltiness) or maple syrup— and/or some pepper flakes for heat.

—Kevin


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## skully (Dec 13, 2011)

looks great....did U use carbonated water????


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## BGKYSmoker (Dec 13, 2011)

MMMMMMM    MMMMMMMM

And some scrambled eggs

Looks great


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## venture (Dec 13, 2011)

I couldn't agree more.

Some of the simpler recipes are much closer to what some of us old guys grew up with out in the country.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## michael ark (Dec 13, 2011)




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## johnnie walker (Dec 14, 2011)

These look great Pops, and pretty darn simple too! I've been thinking of trying some breakfast sausage. Can you use the collagen casings to stuff these or not?


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## africanmeat (Dec 14, 2011)

looks good thanks. like you i love links


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## kydave (Dec 18, 2011)

Okay - I'm finally finished. I ended up testing in 1lb increments so the scale for the seasoning was useless. That said, I made Pops seasoning to the letter (with the scale). It had a good sage flavor but was too salty for us. Based on what I learned, I did 3 more lbs a little differently and thanks to Pops and y'all, I think I have my recipe. I will work on a q-view post to help describe the journey. 

Thanks to all!


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## redwood carlos (Apr 29, 2013)

Great recipe! Had Breakfast for dinner last night using left over rib trimmings for the grind. Thank you very much.


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## disco (Sep 5, 2013)

I just made this recipe and will be doing a post of it. However, I had to give my sincere thanks to Pop's for posting this recipe and the tutorial. This will be my base recipe for sausage from now on.







Disco


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## runnerbl (Dec 21, 2013)

Pops...

Can I use the recipe but smoke the patties?  If so, will I have to use a cure?

Thanks


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## grouse (Dec 21, 2013)

I use a similar recipe but ad 5tbs of fresh ground ginger per 5lbs


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## shoneyboy (Dec 21, 2013)

runnerbl said:


> Pops...
> 
> Can I use the recipe but smoke the patties?  If so, will I have to use a cure?
> 
> Thanks



Yes to both........


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## venture (Dec 21, 2013)

You could hot smoke (220 to 250 deg) patties without cure.

For cold smoke you will need cure and that will change the flavor profile.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## palladini (Dec 21, 2013)

nepas said:


> MMMMMMM    MMMMMMMM
> 
> And some scrambled eggs
> 
> Looks great


And do not forget the Grits.   Great with Eggs and breakfast sausage,

Now you never thought you would hear that statement from a person born and raised in Canada, did ya?


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## fished (Dec 22, 2013)

LOL, I didn't know Canadians knew what grits were.  You are right they would go good with eggs and breakfast sausage.  I have made breakfast sausage twice with Pop's recipe, it's very good.  My next breakfast sausage will be the Tennesee breakfast sausage.  I have everything I need to make it except the pork.  Getting that today.


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## palladini (Dec 22, 2013)

Fished said:


> LOL, I didn't know Canadians knew what grits were.  You are right they would go good with eggs and breakfast sausage.  I have made breakfast sausage twice with Pop's recipe, it's very good.  My next breakfast sausage will be the Tennesee breakfast sausage.  I have everything I need to make it except the pork.  Getting that today.


I guess I am one lucky Canadian know what they are and loving them.  I grew up on Tobacco farm, in the early 60s, when I was just a young lad, my dad brought up some migrant workers from the Georgia I do believe and they brought grits with them.  In those days, the hired help ate their meals with us and the rest is History, as they say.  Then a good 30 years of driving truck and like I say, get a map of North America out, put it on a wall, blindfold yourself, get a dart, throw it at the map, where it lands, I have been there, probably more than once.


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## jimmy jam (Jan 3, 2014)

Thanks much for the tutorial, Pops!  I just got done with my first batch, pics to follow.  I used your measurements for a baseline and tweaked to my preference;

1 oz sage
2 oz coarse black pepper
8 oz fine medeterranian sea salt(no iodine)
2 tsp cayenne pepper
Dry ingredients mixed, I used the .5 oz/lb ratio you recommended.

4 cloves fresh garlic(minced)

I used an 8lb boston butt, cut down seasoned and par frozen, one pass thru my kitchen aid with the coarse plate in.


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## jimmy jam (Jan 3, 2014)

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After resting in the freezer seasoned













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I'm kind if OCD, so I rolled it into log form, let it rest in the freezer for 45 min,












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...and then sliced into uniform sized patties.













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The test batch, little on the salty side for the wife's taste, so I'll adjust to 7 oz sea salt on next mix.


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## JckDanls 07 (Jan 3, 2014)

the wife and I feel the same way...  to salty... and needs a little more sage for our liking....  otherwise good stuff


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## fished (Jan 4, 2014)

Pops

We have made your sausage twice, we both love it.  The first time we made it we used your recipe without modification.  But I like to play with my food.  We made two pounds using your recipe with some red peppers flakes to kick up the heat.  Next was two pounds with some added garlic powder, we used too much.  I noticed yours looks like you used the fine grinder plate.  Going to try that on the next batch, so far we have only used the course plate.  We both like the tasted of your recipe and appreciate you posting it.  Home made is so much better than store bought.  I would like to make some links, but have to figure out how to work those sheep casing first.


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## GaryHibbert (Jan 7, 2014)

Hey Jimmy 

You lost me just a little bit. what is "par frozen"?? Sorry for having to ask these "obvious" questions.  LOL

Gary


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## jimmy jam (Jan 7, 2014)

GaryHibbert said:


> Hey Jimmy
> You lost me just a little bit. what is "par frozen"?? Sorry for having to ask these "obvious" questions.  LOL
> Gary



Kinda the opposite of par boiled, par boil = bring to boiling point and take off...
Par frozen, brought to freezing temp or close then removed, firm but not solid.

I guess I invented it since you can wiki parboil or par bake, but par frozen gets you nothing.


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## GaryHibbert (Jan 8, 2014)

Hey Jimmy

Thanks for the info on par frozen.  Now---the next obvious question.  Why would you par freeze something.  I'm the first to admit, I'm a cook but simply don't have the "vision" to be a chef--much as I would like to be.  IPlain and simple, I just can't visualise.  Some things are simply not to be  LOL

Gary


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## Dutch (Jan 8, 2014)

Gary-I think in Jimmy's case he's partially freezing the sausage log so when he slices the log in to patties, they maintain their round shape without flattening out.

I do the par-freeze thing with brats. Link them up-par freeze them to get them firm and vac seal them without having to worry about ending up with flat brats.

YMMV :biggrin:


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## chevy16001 (Jan 10, 2014)

I'd like to make this but I have rubbed sage not ground.....how would I change the measurement?


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## Dutch (Jan 10, 2014)

chevy, you can use rubbed sage but because its density is lighter than ground sage you will need to use 2 1/2 times the amount of rubbed sage to equal ground sage. Pops recipe calls for 1 ounce of ground sage so you will need to use 2 1/2 ounces of rubbed sage.

I would start with 1 1/2 ounces of rubbed sage, mix it well and fry a small piece and taste it. If it needs more sage then add more, mix and test again.  Some folks really like the taste of sage and others don't so this way you can adjust the taste to suit your taste buds.


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## rexlan (Jan 10, 2014)

Dutch said:


> chevy, you can use rubbed sage but because its density is lighter than ground sage you will need to use 2 1/2 times the amount of rubbed sage to equal ground sage. Pops recipe calls for 1 ounce of ground sage so you will need to use 2 1/2 ounces of rubbed sage.
> 
> I would start with 1 1/2 ounces of rubbed sage, mix it well and fry a small piece and taste it. If it needs more sage then add more, mix and test again. Some folks really like the taste of sage and others don't so this way you can adjust the taste to suit your taste buds.


Hum .... so a pound of lead weighs more than a pound of feathers ?????


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## Dutch (Jan 10, 2014)

No- a pound of feathers (rubbed sage) has more volume than a pound of lead (ground sage). That is why I suggested that chevy start out with only part of the 2 1/2 ounces (1 1/2 ounces) and adjust from there.

Since this is Pops recipe that chevy is using-maybe Pops could weigh in with his 2¢.


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## Dutch (Jan 13, 2014)

Dutch said:


> chevy, you can use rubbed sage but because its density is lighter than ground sage you will need to use 2 1/2 times the amount of rubbed sage to equal ground sage. Pops recipe calls for 1 ounce of ground sage so you will need to use 2 1/2 ounces of rubbed sage.
> 
> I would start with 1 1/2 ounces of rubbed sage, mix it well and fry a small piece and taste it. If it needs more sage then add more, mix and test again.  Some folks really like the taste of sage and others don't so this way you can adjust the taste to suit your taste buds.



What the heck was I thinking. . . I really shouldn't be answering questions like this while dealing with a 2 day migraine.  IF you are using scales then an ounce of rubbed sage is equal to ground sage. If you are using dry measurements such as teaspoon, tablespoon, ect, then you would need to use the 2 1/2 rule. 2 1/2 teaspoons of rubbed sage is equal to 1 teasspoon of ground sage. 

I apologize for any confusion my first answer may have caused.


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## fished (Jan 13, 2014)

This is Pop's recipe, and it's very good.  We have made it twice.  The second time we modified if by adding some more sage (mostly because we didn't have ground sage, only rubbed, and didn't take into account the difference).  We have since added some more heat and a little more salt.  This is a very good recipe just as it is.  It seems like almost everyone on here follows someone elses recipe to start with then midifies it to suit their own taste.  That's the part I like best about this site.   And it's probally the best part about making your own stuff, it gives that flexibility that can't get wit store bought.  I'm very glad to have found this site and all the helpful people on here.


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## idaho (Jan 13, 2014)

I just made 21 pounds of this I adjusted it just a tad.

7.5 oz salt will go less next time

2 oz sage

2.3 oz fresh ground peper

.5 oz Onion powder

.5 Oz Garlic powder

.3 oz crushed red peppers which a ran through grinder to powder it

This is probably the best sausage I have ever had and will tweak it a little more next batch.

Thanks to Pops for all his contributions and the stories with the history behind them, I explained this to my kids as I was making it. I am sure this will be a fav for years in our home.

Adam

 No looking I can see I screwed up and doubled the sage lol


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## runnerbl (Jan 13, 2014)

Idaho said:


> I just made 21 pounds of this I adjusted it just a tad.
> 
> 7.5 oz salt will go less next time
> 
> ...


Noticed you did not use any sage.


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## idaho (Jan 14, 2014)

runnerbl said:


> Noticed you did not use any sage.


LMAO OPPS will fix that


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## mikewysuph (Jan 15, 2014)

I did my first batch of Breakfast Sausage over the holidays and something went wrong. I used a pork shoulder. I de-boned and cubed the meat, all the while trying to keep around a 30-40% fat content percentage.

Problem is when I ran it through the grinder (cheapo Eastman Outdoors Grinder...not sure if that's the issue). The grinder gummed up. Mostly on the ligaments, but on some of the fat too. The grinder couldn't cut that stuff up.

So I had to trim all that stuff off to get the grinder to function....and that meant a really lean product. That and having WAY too much fennel made for a far inferior sausage.

Thoughts??

Mike


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## JckDanls 07 (Jan 15, 2014)

don't know if you partially froze the meat or not after cubing...  but it does grind the fat and such much better if it's almost frozen when grinding...  try that next time and see if it's not better....

I don't believe there is any fennel in the ingredients list


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## mikewysuph (Jan 15, 2014)

Thanks JD. Yeah sorry, I used a breakfast sausage recipe from Chef John from his Foodwishes blog. Good stuff, but something happened with the amount of fennel when I up-converted for the amount of shoulder I had.

Mike


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## palladini (Jan 16, 2014)

MikeWysuph said:


> I did my first batch of Breakfast Sausage over the holidays and something went wrong. I used a pork shoulder. I de-boned and cubed the meat, all the while trying to keep around a 30-40% fat content percentage.
> 
> Problem is when I ran it through the grinder (cheapo Eastman Outdoors Grinder...not sure if that's the issue). The grinder gummed up. Mostly on the ligaments, but on some of the fat too. The grinder couldn't cut that stuff up.
> 
> ...


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## mikewysuph (Jan 17, 2014)

Thanks Palladini, will do. I'm no butcher but I'll do my best. Problem is that the wife got a sausage seasoning packet for 25 lbs worth of protein! Don't want to mess that day up!

And now that I think about it a bit, I'll get the technique down for a solid sausage before using that package. I guess I could halve the package but then that would require math. ;-)

Do you partially freeze as well?


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## palladini (Jan 17, 2014)

MikeWysuph said:


> Thanks Palladini, will do. I'm no butcher but I'll do my best. Problem is that the wife got a sausage seasoning packet for 25 lbs worth of protein! Don't want to mess that day up!
> 
> And now that I think about it a bit, I'll get the technique down for a solid sausage before using that package. I guess I could halve the package but then that would require math. ;-)
> 
> Do you partially freeze as well?


Yep, in my big floor freezer for about 2 hours, then I get to cutting, I take about 2 hours to cut up a 13 lb roast to the bone into small enough chunks for my food grinder.  When you cut the meat, this is not hard, all that shiny side of the meat, just cut it off the chunk.  Like I said above, doing this, you might loose some, but if you have dog and a microwave, these little scraps find a user.

25 lbs of sausage, is good days work, especially for one person.  That would be 2 full legs and a good sized roast also to cut up to do all at once.

And once cut up, depending on the next step, either into a fridge or freezer it goes between processes.  I make sure the meat never gets to 40 degrees F in any step of the sausage making process.

I would suggest to you, go buy, rent or steal, whatever it takes, get a digital scale that weighs in grams, ounces and pounds, this makes that math much easier to figure out.  A god calculator helps a lot also.


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## idaho (Jan 18, 2014)

Sure glad my grinder eats it up room temp. My freezer is out in the shed.


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## slots (Feb 7, 2014)

Just wanted to drop by and say that i used this recipe to make my first batch of sausage and following this little tutorial it turned out GREAT!  Thanks Pops.

Happy Smoking

Dave


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## junkcollector (Feb 8, 2014)

thanks again for the recipe Pops!!!! did another batch of with chicken thighs and actually got pics this time. as usual, followed to a T and turned out perfect yet again!!!!!













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just a lite spray of olive oil is all that's needed in the ol CI skillet. 













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## saltwaterwalt (Feb 26, 2014)

Hi Pop

Thanks for the recipe and time taken to help others. I'm not new to smoking, but I'm new to this forum. I'm really looking forward to others such as yourself to guide me on me future smokings.


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## GaryHibbert (Feb 26, 2014)

Hey chevy

you need to use 2 1/2 times as much rubbed sage as the amt of powered sage the recepie calls for

Gary


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## sb59 (Feb 27, 2014)

Looks good and thanks for sharing but I have a question about your butt. When did Canada become part of the United States?


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## palladini (Feb 27, 2014)

SB59 said:


> Looks good and thanks for sharing but I have a question about your butt. When did Canada become part of the United States?


A Good part of the USA Meat diet is Canadian raised beef, chickens and pork.  So as to meet labeling requirements, that is how they label the meat.


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## GaryHibbert (Mar 10, 2014)

Hey Pops

Just made your sausage patties--great hit with the family.  Thanks for sharing.\

Gary


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## msu33 (Mar 11, 2014)

Got a question.  I am going to use this recipe, and I want to add some heat.  I have lots of Cayenne pepper at the house.  Thinking of adding one tsp.  Enough?  Not enough?

Thanks


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## GaryHibbert (Mar 11, 2014)

I just made a small batcch--2 lbs and cut the salt way back.  Next time will cut the salt even more.  MSU, if you're just making the sausage patties I think you should be OK

Gary


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## msu33 (Mar 11, 2014)

OK.  I am going to try this recipe with a teaspoon of cayenne, and probably only 7 oz of salt.  I dont like for my sausage to be as salty as country ham.  BTW, using some meat from a wild hog I killed two weeks ago.  Probably start with 20% domestic hog fat.


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## redwood carlos (Mar 11, 2014)

FWIW I have been using just over half the salt, 1.5oz black pepper, 1.25oz sage, with 1 TBL nutmeg; 1.5 TBL red pepper flake finely ground; 1TBL Thyme; 1TBL Brown sugar(I feel like the BS takes the "peaks" off of the flavors)


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## junkcollector (Mar 11, 2014)

REDWOOD CARLOS said:


> FWIW I have been using just over half the salt, 1.5oz black pepper, 1.25oz sage, with 1 TBL nutmeg; 1.5 TBL red pepper flake finely ground; 1TBL Thyme; 1TBL Brown sugar(I feel like the BS takes the "peaks" off of the flavors)


thanks for the adjustments, sounds good to try.

i assume you then mix 1/2oz to lb as pops says to do?


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## pops6927 (Apr 3, 2014)

Of course, like all meatheads (lol!) I have to experiment.  From the boneless pork shoulder roasts I did yesterday for Easter, I had trim left and made breakfast sausage from it.  

But, this time I was wanting a little more texture to the sausage.  So, I seasoned the meat chunks, then ground it once through the coarse plate only, then packaged it up.  Of course, had to fry a patty and try it.  The result was favorable!  













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The grind was coarser and the texture meatier and the seasoning was more distinct.  As I consume most all of it (pork bothers the wife) for me it's a win!


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## pops6927 (Apr 3, 2014)

Oh, and my helper liked it too!













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I see the mods others are making to my basic recipe.  That is absolutely wonderful!  Add and subtract to your liking, and share it on here for others to enjoy!  This is a basic breakfast sausage recipe my dad sold for 40 years.  But, not all tastes are like dad's... (unless it had Budweiser in it...lol!).  So glad everyone is making it to their tastes and preferences!


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## oldcanalsmoke (Apr 12, 2014)

Made some of this awesome breakfast sausage too!! Delicious for sure!! I used my Kitchen Aid grinder attachment. The second grind was a pain. I can see myself stepping up to bigger grinder and stuffer. Has to do both as I hate uni-tasker tools. BTW, the shoulder at Sams was $2.48/lb. Not great price, but average around here.













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## foamheart (Apr 12, 2014)

yes sir, I am one of those tried and true believers in Pops magic. It just doesn't get any better even if you try to improve upon it which we all have a habit of doing. When we try, the next time its back to Pop's original again.......... Only think I have not tried is just adding some red pepper flakes to make a hot breakfast sausage, but it would only be for a variance because I don't think you can beat the original.

You are reminding me to get some more out the freezer.


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## smokinvegasbaby (Nov 11, 2014)

Pops6927 said:


> Ran out of seasoning, so I had to make more, here's the ingredients:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


question - why do you grind it twice??  I'm new to sausage making so I need to understand the process.

Josie


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## mickey jay (Nov 12, 2014)

I often grind my breakfast sausage twice as well.  It just leads to a less hamburger-style texture, and holds together better when cooking, rather than breaking up into little pieces of sausage.  It's good either way though, and I usually go for one or two grinds based upon how much time/energy I have to put in one more step.


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## smokinvegasbaby (Nov 13, 2014)

Mickey Jay said:


> I often grind my breakfast sausage twice as well. It just leads to a less hamburger-style texture, and holds together better when cooking, rather than breaking up into little pieces of sausage. It's good either way though, and I usually go for one or two grinds based upon how much time/energy I have to put in one more step.


ok that make sense.  I will try that step in my next sausage making "marathon"

Thanks Mickey Jay for the info.

Be Blessed,

Josie


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## donr (Nov 14, 2014)

Foamheart said:


> yes sir, I am one of those tried and true believers in Pops magic. It just doesn't get any better even if you try to improve upon it which we all have a habit of doing. When we try, the next time its back to Pop's original again.......... Only think I have not tried is just adding some red pepper flakes to make a hot breakfast sausage, but it would only be for a variance because I don't think you can beat the original.
> 
> You are reminding me to get some more out the freezer.


3.8-4 grams per pound.  Gives a nice zing, but still allows you to taste the seasonings as well.

Your mileage may vary.


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## disco (Nov 14, 2014)

SmokinVegasBaby said:


> ok that make sense.  I will try that step in my next sausage making "marathon"
> 
> Thanks Mickey Jay for the info.
> 
> ...


Just to mess you up, I like my sausage very fine so I grind it once and then beat it with the paddle of the KitchenAid for 1 to 2 minutes to get it really find. However, She Who Must Be Obeyed and my buddy prefer a coarser grind. 

You have tried a single grind (the critical part with a single grind is mixing the ingredients well. Try a batch with a double grind (somewhat finer) and a grind with a beating with the paddle (make sure the meat and equipment is cold (a more emuslified sausage like store bought). Then pick what you like!

Disco


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## smokinvegasbaby (Nov 14, 2014)

Disco said:


> Just to mess you up, I like my sausage very fine so I grind it once and then beat it with the paddle of the KitchenAid for 1 to 2 minutes to get it really find. However, She Who Must Be Obeyed and my buddy prefer a coarser grind.
> 
> You have tried a single grind (the critical part with a single grind is mixing the ingredients well. Try a batch with a double grind (somewhat finer) and a grind with a beating with the paddle (make sure the meat and equipment is cold (a more emuslified sausage like store bought). Then pick what you like!
> 
> Disco


Ok thanks for that info Disco...I saw your video where you gave it a whirl with your mixer.  Will definitely do that the next time for sure.  Thanks my friend!


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## asparky (Oct 23, 2015)

POPS just tried your recipe and it was great.. I  used a pork cushion cut @ $1.20 a pound. It was very lean and boneless..  probably not quite as much fat as it should have had as it cooked a little dry but very good. I wanted to know what you think of your ultra 55 scale? they have it on Amazon at a decent price.

Thanks


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## bdc3 (Nov 24, 2016)

Thanks for the recipe. Will be making some of the patties. Really appreciate all of Pop's knowledge.


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## cliff43j (Jan 16, 2017)

David, well?  How did your experiments go???


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## pops6927 (Feb 10, 2009)

Made another batch of breakfast sausage, wanted to share with the newer members the process if they're hesitant.

1st, the equipment I used: Grinder, knives, cutting gloves, sanitary gloves, fry pan for sampling and my apron!








2nd, weighed lug for tare:






filled up a cup to zero so I have a tare duplicate to reset tare when the bucket is full:






Bought two butt pack at Sam's, good price!






Cut up pork into chunks and weighed, set aside 8lbs. for breakfast sausage and 7.5 lbs. for sweet sausage - here's the breakfast sausage meat:


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## bassman (Feb 10, 2009)

We're waiting for the rest of the post.  Don't forget to post the recipe, Pops.


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## pops6927 (Feb 10, 2009)

Ran out of seasoning, so I had to make more, here's the ingredients:



Salt, 8 oz.






Black Pepper, 2 oz.






Ground Sage, 1 oz.






mixed in a ziploc, measured out 4 oz. seasoning for 8 lbs. of meat (Â½ oz. per lb. of meat):





Mixed with meat:






Ground twice with fine plate:


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## pops6927 (Feb 10, 2009)

Patties made onto cookie sheet lined with double sheets of wax paper sprayed with light coating of olive oil, made 41 patties, about 5 per lb:






and the best part, testing!






You can use virtually any grinder to make breakfast sausage, don't need a stuffer, and can make it with homemade seasonings. For any meat processing you need a good scale, this one shown can weigh from oz. to grams to 55 lbs. and is invaluable. It's one of the cheapest, easiest sausages to make and tastes sooo good!


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## pops6927 (Feb 10, 2009)

BTW, put the sheet into the freezer overnight, will separate and put into ziplocs, then take out as many as needed (usually 3) for breakfast. They stay nice and loose once frozen like that and are easy to take out. Unthaw them on defrost cycle in the microwave and fry 'em up (or if you don't like them crisp, bake in the oven)! Hope this encourages others to join into the sausage making enterprise, it's really easy to do!


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## pineywoods (Feb 10, 2009)

Looks great thanks for sharing


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## txbbqman (Feb 10, 2009)

Thanks for sharing, sure looks good


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## grothe (Feb 10, 2009)

Nice posts Pops...sure looks good!!


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## dysartsmoker (Feb 10, 2009)

Great job POP'S looks good did you make any link's?


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## pops6927 (Feb 10, 2009)

No links, I've made them before but my wife prefers the patties so patties it is!  I personally prefer the links but harmony is more important! lol!


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## venture (Feb 12, 2009)

Pops, thanks for the post.  Your posts are very helpful.  Nice pics, too.  Points!


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## jerseyhunter (Feb 13, 2009)

Looks fantastic, I would opt for no iodine in any of my sausage recipes, I use it on the table, I believe it reacts with certain metals.


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## kurtsara (Feb 22, 2009)

We made 10 lbs of your sausage today, if I wasn't laid off I would be buying a electric mixer, anyways, I see in your post you added the seasoning to the cubes of meat before grinding, I never noticed that when I copied your seasoning recipe and we grinded twice and the the wife mixed in the seasoning, the taste was excellent, we used your seasoning but we added 1.5 oz. onion salt to the seasoning and still did 1/2 oz. per lb

Also smoked two brisket flats, did two whole briskets last weekend for a pot luck party and thought there would be leftovers, only 1 cup left over so we had to smoke some more for us

And we bought some fresh turkey sweet italian sausage and smoked them, should have been higher temp maybe, had them in with briskets, I think the casing might be better at higher temp

Also smoked 8 boneless pork chops, if your going to smoke you might as well fill the smoker, and now our freezer


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## kydave (Dec 13, 2011)

Hey Pops - as I said in another thread, I'm using your seasoning as the base for my breakfast sausage experiments tonight. I never thought of weighing the ingredients before but I think I can handle it.

I'm going to do one batch with just your seasoning. Then test it.

I will do another batch adding an equal amount of marjoram as the sage as well as some of my homemade garlic powder. Then test it.

I will do a third batch adding a little thyme, crushed red pepper and anything else I think it needs. We like our food to taste strong so I usually have to modify recipes to taste. 

Yes - I'm doing this with a Q-View post in mind.

Wish me luck and thanks so much for heading me in the right direction.

David

(Change of plans - will be foodsperimenting tomorrow.)


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## couger78 (Dec 13, 2011)

I've found weighing _ALL_ ingredients the surest way to get good results.

Thanks for posting this simple recipe! That's the beauty of good breakfast sausage—no mystery ingredients nor any advanced culinary training to crank out some good eats! 

Additionally, one could add a bit of sugar (to help balance the saltiness) or maple syrup— and/or some pepper flakes for heat.

—Kevin


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## skully (Dec 13, 2011)

looks great....did U use carbonated water????


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## BGKYSmoker (Dec 13, 2011)

MMMMMMM    MMMMMMMM

And some scrambled eggs

Looks great


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## venture (Dec 13, 2011)

I couldn't agree more.

Some of the simpler recipes are much closer to what some of us old guys grew up with out in the country.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## michael ark (Dec 13, 2011)




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## johnnie walker (Dec 14, 2011)

These look great Pops, and pretty darn simple too! I've been thinking of trying some breakfast sausage. Can you use the collagen casings to stuff these or not?


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