# Making Sausage



## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I want to make sausage. Not just a packet of pork sausage, but actual spiced meat stuffed into casings. I want a smokehouse full of links hanging down. I want them made the way I like them, and in the different types that I like, and without any strange ingredients I don't like (MSG, dextrose, corn syrup, bleh).

Anyone who has gone down this road have any advice for me? (Beyond that which Otto Von Bismarck said)

Any resources where I should start my research?


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## hotzcatz (Oct 16, 2007)

Sausages are actually kinda easy to make. Get a couple recipes which look interesting and test them out in small batches before making a whole lot.

We get a lot of the sausage spices we use from the local health food stores since they have the bulk spice jars where we can get inexpensive spices. Sausages take up a lot of spices! 

Casings were too expensive so we've been saving them when we get a pig. Processing them isn't that difficult at all. The intestines seem to be made of three or four layers, an outer layer which is sorta webbed into curls and then several inner layers. Cut one end off and then pull the long intestines out from the webbed part. It will be like pulling a wet rope out of a mass of buttered water balloons. Kinda squirmy. Then rinse it out by putting it on one end of a garden hose. Once you've done that, you can turn them inside out by getting it started at one end and then putting a bit of water in the part you are turning inside out and the weight of the water bubble will help turn the whole thing inside out. Then you have a clean flat wet "rope". Lay that flat on a cutting board and scrape it with the back of a knife. You will eventually end up with a very thin translucent casing perfect for sausages. It is tougher than you'd expect and it takes a lot of scraping. Store it in salt brine.

Let's see, basic sausage making. Get everything cold to start with. Cut the meat into chunks, put it back in the refrigerator while setting up the grinder. Grind it through the grinder once. Mix the spices in, run it through the grinder again. Take a bit out for a sample and put the rest back in the refrigerator. Cook up the sample to check for flavor. Install the sausage stuffer snout on the grinder, I spray no-stick spray on it. Take several feet - three to four feet - of casing and put it on the sausage stuffer snout. Run the meat into the grinder and it will go into the casing. Kinda twist the sausages one way and then twist the next one the other way as they come out. Don't make the casings too tight or they will burst when cooking.


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## Ohio Rusty (Jan 18, 2008)

I get my casings already cleaned and ready to go at the meat store. They are packed in salt. Pull them out and soak in water. Then work small amounts of water by hand thru the casing from one end to the other to make sure it's open and ready to fill. As other said, don't overfill, and fill the casings in a steady fill so they are evenly filled, and not lumpy. When I'm done, I run a few pieces of bread thru the sausage grinder/filler to push out the last amount of meat that is still inside the stuffer. When the bread appears in the end of the stuffer tube. I know I have all the meat in the casing.
Ohio Rusty


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## fransean (Dec 21, 2002)

Ernie

This is one of my next goals too. I just received the grinder and sausage stuffer attachments to my mixer in the mail and purchased a sausage cookbook from Amazon that has 100 recipes and gives instructions on making the sausage. 
The book is titled : Home Sausage Making. By Susan Mahnke Peery & Charles G Reavis. It is a Storey Publishing book. There is a reference page also that gives company names and websites too.

Good Luck
Bev


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## Paquebot (May 10, 2002)

For the most complete book on sausage making, get "Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing" by Rytek Kutas.

http://sausagemaker.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=413

Martin


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## Savrens (Jun 23, 2007)

I have the book Martin suggested. It's an excellent resource.

Here is an online recipe site http://www.wwf5.com/stuffers.com/content/recipes/sausrecp.pdf

Happy sausage making.


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## Kim_NC (Sep 5, 2007)

Savrens ....Thanks for sharing the link to the PDF! It's great! All kinds of recipes for various sausages (pork, venison, turkey, etc), weiners, even pepperoni. Most use common spices or herbs rather than purchased mixes.


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## jerry.kimbrell (Jun 8, 2010)

Anybody know what to use for Kosher sausage? We don't eat pork, but would love to make some turkey, beef or venison sausage. Will beef fat work? or if we don't want to use the fat, is there another way? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

jd


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## NEfarmgirl (Jan 27, 2009)

jerry.kimbrell said:


> Anybody know what to use for Kosher sausage? We don't eat pork, but would love to make some turkey, beef or venison sausage. Will beef fat work? or if we don't want to use the fat, is there another way? Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.jd


I made some with beef and it was 80 percent--turned out fine. We don't like the fat and have found home made much leaner and really a lot better tasting. I do plan to make some with turkey but it may be a while before it gets made!


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## suzyhomemaker09 (Sep 24, 2004)

Love this food blog...he has tons of sausage recipes that aren't run of the mill pork sausage.

http://honest-food.net/cured-meat/fresh-sausages/


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## Merit (Jul 15, 2009)

I didn't read the links, but when I lived in Mexico everyone made sausage whenever a hog was butchered. It's sort of a back-woods indiginous hearth-y traditional style of cooking. No special secrets, you know? But oh so very flavorful!!!! My thoughts on the fat....when you cook it up you can drain the fat. So don't worry about the fat. It serves an important purpose. I also recall them smearing the finished links with fat before they hang them up to dry. Ah, just the memories..... Yum. Enjoy your next endeavor!


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## bruce2288 (Jul 10, 2009)

Try sausagemaking.org Tons of recipes and links. The people there are knowledgable and helpful. Mostly Brits.


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