Hello.

Tried this over the weekend. Less than spectacular results when they
were cooked. Very dry.

I used a bone-in shoulder. Couldn't decide if that skin-like cap on
the shoulder should be ground up or not, so I 'skinned' it, running
the knife between the fat & the skin to get the fat to use in the
sausage and discarding the skin.

Should I have done that? Or just grind the whole thing?

Thanks,
Stoney

In article om,
wrote:

Hello.

Tried this over the weekend. Less than spectacular results when they
were cooked. Very dry.

I used a bone-in shoulder. Couldn't decide if that skin-like cap on
the shoulder should be ground up or not, so I 'skinned' it, running
the knife between the fat & the skin to get the fat to use in the
sausage and discarding the skin.

Should I have done that? Or just grind the whole thing?

Thanks,
Stoney

Shoulder is a bit lean...

I'd have mixed in some pork with pork fat.

I've made the mistake in the past myself of making sausage nearly fat
free. It just does not work. ;-)
--
Peace, Om

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"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a bitch" -- Jack Nicholson

wrote:
Hello.

Tried this over the weekend. Less than spectacular results when they
were cooked. Very dry.

I used a bone-in shoulder. Couldn't decide if that skin-like cap on
the shoulder should be ground up or not, so I 'skinned' it, running
the knife between the fat & the skin to get the fat to use in the
sausage and discarding the skin.

Should I have done that? Or just grind the whole thing?

Thanks,
Stoney



The meat was probably too lean. Maybe buy a box of bacon scraps 'n'
ends and grind that in next time?

Some sausages use the skin (especially Chinese sausages), but generally
you boil it until it's soft and then grind it in. It gets really moist
and sticky and has an odd chewiness to it. Boiled skin would definitely
help with the too-lean-and-dry problem without adding fat, but you might
not like the texture.

Bob

zxcvbob wrote:
wrote:

Hello.

Tried this over the weekend. Less than spectacular results when they
were cooked. Very dry.

I used a bone-in shoulder. Couldn't decide if that skin-like cap on
the shoulder should be ground up or not, so I 'skinned' it, running
the knife between the fat & the skin to get the fat to use in the
sausage and discarding the skin.

Should I have done that? Or just grind the whole thing?

Thanks,
Stoney



The meat was probably too lean. Maybe buy a box of bacon scraps 'n'
ends and grind that in next time?

Some sausages use the skin (especially Chinese sausages), but generally
you boil it until it's soft and then grind it in. It gets really moist
and sticky and has an odd chewiness to it. Boiled skin would definitely
help with the too-lean-and-dry problem without adding fat, but you might
not like the texture.

Bob

This is a pretty good book on sausages: "Great Sausage Recipes and Meat
Curing by Rytek Kutas". I got mine at Cabela's.

Al Fansome wrote:
zxcvbob wrote:
wrote:

Hello.

Tried this over the weekend. Less than spectacular results when they
were cooked. Very dry.

I used a bone-in shoulder. Couldn't decide if that skin-like cap on
the shoulder should be ground up or not, so I 'skinned' it, running
the knife between the fat & the skin to get the fat to use in the
sausage and discarding the skin.

Should I have done that? Or just grind the whole thing?

Thanks,
Stoney



The meat was probably too lean. Maybe buy a box of bacon scraps 'n'
ends and grind that in next time?

Some sausages use the skin (especially Chinese sausages), but
generally you boil it until it's soft and then grind it in. It gets
really moist and sticky and has an odd chewiness to it. Boiled skin
would definitely help with the too-lean-and-dry problem without adding
fat, but you might not like the texture.

Bob

This is a pretty good book on sausages: "Great Sausage Recipes and Meat
Curing by Rytek Kutas". I got mine at Cabela's.


I don't like it because it relies on "Fermento" to make salami instead
of a proper fermentation. Fermento is a scam. The rest of the book
might be good, I dunno; I've only skimmed through it a long time ago.

Bob

wrote in message
ps.com...
Hello.

Tried this over the weekend. Less than spectacular results when they
were cooked. Very dry.

I used a bone-in shoulder. Couldn't decide if that skin-like cap on
the shoulder should be ground up or not, so I 'skinned' it, running
the knife between the fat & the skin to get the fat to use in the
sausage and discarding the skin.

Should I have done that? Or just grind the whole thing?

Thanks,
Stoney


The skin is not used, but all the fat is. Shoulder had just about the right
ratio of fat for a good sausage. Leaner than most commercial products, but
I've not had them too dry with butt or picnic. Was this a 100% pork sausage
or did you add other meat?

Steve Wertz wrote:
On Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:51:58 -0500, zxcvbob wrote:

I don't like it because it relies on "Fermento" to make salami instead
of a proper fermentation. Fermento is a scam.

How do let it ferment naturally?

-sw


You inoculate it with a bacteria starter culture (available from
www.butcher-packer.com) and hold it at 90 to 100 degrees overnight.
Just like making yogurt!

Bob

"Steve Wertz" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 04 Sep 2007 06:24:29 -0700, wrote:

Hello.

Tried this over the weekend. Less than spectacular results when they
were cooked. Very dry.

I used a bone-in shoulder. Couldn't decide if that skin-like cap on
the shoulder should be ground up or not, so I 'skinned' it, running
the knife between the fat & the skin to get the fat to use in the
sausage and discarding the skin.

Should I have done that? Or just grind the whole thing?

Usually using a shoulder with a full fat cap should work ok. You
want about 33-40% fat (commercial sausage makers may use up to
50%). You just have to eyeball that part.

In the past I've used chicken skins or unsmoked (and preferably
uncured) pork jowls to add fat - or just use less of the lean
meat from the shoulder. Do not use the pork skin; fry it
instead to make cracklins.

-sw

any good butcher can tell you what to add. Bacon works well or just ask to
pork fat (tell him you are making your own sausage).