As I understand it, historically "sausage" was a way to reduce waste.
There were some exceptions, but generally this is how sausage came about:

Once you took all the 'good cuts' and 'less good cuts' off the animal,
you then scraped off all the little bits and chunks and bivots and
clankers of edible but ugly meat off the carcass. You ground it up with
spices and stuffed it in the intestine. Viola! You just created
delicious and gorgeous meat-product.

In modern times, do you suppose that Johnsonville, or Klements or any of
these other places that churn out (probably) thousands of pounds of
sausage per shift are doing the same? Is there enough tonnage of lips
and asses, ears and hooves in the world en route to these places to make
this volume of sausage, or do you suppose they are also using "good cuts"
and "less good cuts" as well?

-J



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"/dev/phaeton" > wrote in message
...
> As I understand it, historically "sausage" was a way to reduce waste.
> There were some exceptions, but generally this is how sausage came about:
>
> Once you took all the 'good cuts' and 'less good cuts' off the animal,
> you then scraped off all the little bits and chunks and bivots and
> clankers of edible but ugly meat off the carcass. You ground it up with
> spices and stuffed it in the intestine. Viola! You just created
> delicious and gorgeous meat-product.
>
> In modern times, do you suppose that Johnsonville, or Klements or any of
> these other places that churn out (probably) thousands of pounds of
> sausage per shift are doing the same? Is there enough tonnage of lips
> and asses, ears and hooves in the world en route to these places to make
> this volume of sausage, or do you suppose they are also using "good cuts"
> and "less good cuts" as well?
>
> -J

You forgot fat. Lots of fat goes into sausages. Yes, the percentages may
have changed over time ,but the lesser cuts are still in there. We have a
local butcher that will take care of your pigs for you and you get back
everything but some bone. I've had him do a couple of pigs for me and we
got lots of sausage and it has a higher fat content than if I buy primal
cuts and make my own.

"/dev/phaeton" > wrote in message
...
> As I understand it, historically "sausage" was a way to reduce waste.
> There were some exceptions, but generally this is how sausage came about:
>
> Once you took all the 'good cuts' and 'less good cuts' off the animal,
> you then scraped off all the little bits and chunks and bivots and
> clankers of edible but ugly meat off the carcass. You ground it up with
> spices and stuffed it in the intestine. Viola! You just created
> delicious and gorgeous meat-product.
>
> In modern times, do you suppose that Johnsonville, or Klements or any of
> these other places that churn out (probably) thousands of pounds of
> sausage per shift are doing the same? Is there enough tonnage of lips
> and asses, ears and hooves in the world en route to these places to make
> this volume of sausage, or do you suppose they are also using "good cuts"
> and "less good cuts" as well?
>
> -J
>
>
Years ago, as part of a class, we went to one of the Oscar Meyer plants. It
was their main plant, near the origin of the company. We first saw the pig
being sedated. After, their jugular vein was severed and the pig was bled to
death. Then they made the Oscar Meyer products. They used the whole pig, I
believe. Whatever, the execution was humane, far more than you would expect.

Kent





Kent