# Homemade Sausage



## joea132

My wine partner and I are looking to start making cured sausage. We need to start from scratch. Anybody do it here? We want to get a meat grinder but we weren't sure if we should buy the one with the sausage stuffer attachment or a seperate machine. Also we don't know what "number" grinder we should get for doing a moderate load of sausage. Any recipes or insight would be appreciated!

Merry Christmas


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## Flem

Check out the Cabelas website. They have several different grinders/stuffers. 

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/sear...eat+grinders&WTz_l=Header;Search-All+Products

Might want to Google for a recipe. Good Luck!


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## GerardVineyard

As a chef I would not suggest a separate machine, just get a stuffing horn attachment for your grinder and use natural casings and grind your meat twice. Also, what do you consider " a moderate load" ?


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## ibglowin

If you make sausage you have to build a "smokehouse" of sorts! Nothing better IMHO!


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## djrockinsteve

Neighbor and I made hot sausage a few months ago. Used pork butt, fennel seed, garlic, kosher salt, bk. pepper and hot pepper. It was awesome and no fat. 

We ground pork twice, added spices and blended. Cooked a sample then made into patties and vac. sealed. 

A grinder. Another item on my list.


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## joea132

GerardVineyard said:


> As a chef I would not suggest a separate machine, just get a stuffing horn attachment for your grinder and use natural casings and grind your meat twice. Also, what do you consider " a moderate load" ?



Good advice thank you. Do you use the coarse grind plate then the fine grind plate?  Me and my friend are both a little crazy and tend to overdo everything. I don't know how much we would do but I am a hunter and can end up having a huge amount of meat in a day... Plus we tend to overdo everything and go way overboard. We would probably do around 50-75 lbs of meat in a sitting. 

I plan on using my smoker for a bit of it too. I'm not beyond building a smokehouse either! My buddy wants to hang it in his basement. I think he just enjoys the sausage hitting him in the face while he tends to his wine...


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## jtstar

I just put up 200 lbs of sausage last month and a smoke house is a must if you want it to taste great. We use a one horse grinder from Cabelas and it come with a stuffing horn as far as their commercial stuffer goes don't waste your money we went through three of them that week they kept stripping out the gears. I do like their sausage kits though


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## joea132

jtstar said:


> I just put up 200 lbs of sausage last month and a smoke house is a must if you want it to taste great. We use a one horse grinder from Cabelas and it come with a stuffing horn as far as their commercial stuffer goes don't waste your money we went through three of them that week they kept stripping out the gears. I do like their sausage kits though



Good to know, I don't typically go for Cabelas gear. I find it's overpriced and not the highest quality. I'm looking at www.sausagemaker.com. They make all their stuff in New York and it seems to be high quality.


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## ibglowin

When we made snausage (a long time ago) we used the shed where we stored the lawnmower and tools (fairly good sized one). We had to move out all the flammables obviously and place the grill in the center with nothing around it. The shed was metal so it wouldn't burn but you had to make sure the fire was not so hot it (the heat) would melt the top. It also had a high ceiling.

Hung up the rings on strands of wire going from one side to the other (literally hundreds of them) and then built a small fire in the webber grill using mesquite (it was Texas after all). Put the lid on and closed it up as well as the door but checked on it regularly. Kept it going for a day or so IIRC. 

Man did that shed smell great for months afterwards!


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## joea132

That reminds me of my buddy's garbage can cooker. He cooks seafood like clams, lobster, and crabs in a metal garbage can with its lid on over a hot fire. Some of the best seafood I've ever had. 

If any of you are interested I'll get his recipe and method for you.


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## toddrod

I do fresh and smoked sausage and snack sticks. I use a Cabela's #12 grinder and the Northern Tool 15lb stuffer. I have a really good cajun style sausage recipe (works for both fresh and smoked) that is spicy but not hot, and has alot of flavor, I can post if you need it. I have a pretty good fresh Italian style sausage recipe too.


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## Rocky

djrockinsteve said:


> Neighbor and I made hot sausage a few months ago. Used pork butt, fennel seed, garlic, kosher salt, bk. pepper and hot pepper. It was awesome and no fat.
> 
> We ground pork twice, added spices and blended. Cooked a sample then made into patties and vac. sealed.
> 
> A grinder. Another item on my list.



That is the same recipe we used at home when I was a kid. We had the butcher double grind it for us and then we brought it home and mixed it and stuffed it. We used to dry it in the old garage that we also used as a wine cellar. My Mom would also put some up in olive oil in gallon jars. Some of that sausage, some good cheese, homemade bread and wine. What else could you want?


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## djrockinsteve

What is so nice is when you fry it up there is no fat. It was very lean. Gotta make more we finished the last of it 2 weeks ago. Wine, cheese, sausage, good music and great friends plus your dog....it doesn't get much better than this.


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## Brew and Wine Supply

I have some sources for sausage making supplies, let me look into it and see what I can supply you guys. anything in particular you want let me know


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## joea132

Brew and Wine Supply said:


> I have some sources for sausage making supplies, let me look into it and see what I can supply you guys. anything in particular you want let me know



I also "have a guy" who gets wholesale prices. Were looking into a #12 electric all stainless grinder. It has a 1 HP motor and can do 330 lbs of sausage in an hour. Probably way too much for what we need but what the heck. The best part is it comes with the stuffer attachment like was recommended by another member here. For 2 fat firemen I think this will be more than sufficient!

http://www.sausagemaker.com/6410210electricmeatgrinder.aspx

Toddrod, I would like to see your recipes too. My wine partner went to culinary school so he's the authority on food but I have to bring something to the table!


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## Brew and Wine Supply

at home I have a Kitchenmaid mixer with a grinder and sausage attachment but haven't used it for that yet


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## toddrod

joea132 said:


> I also "have a guy" who gets wholesale prices. Were looking into a #12 electric all stainless grinder. It has a 1 HP motor and can do 330 lbs of sausage in an hour. Probably way too much for what we need but what the heck. The best part is it comes with the stuffer attachment like was recommended by another member here. For 2 fat firemen I think this will be more than sufficient!
> 
> http://www.sausagemaker.com/6410210electricmeatgrinder.aspx
> 
> Toddrod, I would like to see your recipes too. My wine partner went to culinary school so he's the authority on food but I have to bring something to the table!



Here they are

Here is the cajun recipe. I normally make 50lbs at a time so that how it is formulated. REMINDER - all measurements are in FLUID OZ, not by weight. It is good fresh but very good smoked with Pecan wood.

50 lbs sausage meat
7 oz non iodized salt (i use fine ground sea or kosher)
2.5 oz black pepper
3 oz cayenne pepper
2.5 oz MSG
1.5 oz granulated garlic
1 oz paprika
2 oz light brown sugar


Italian sausage - These are regular measurements. This one comes from a well known game processor where I live

7 lbs sausage meat
4 tbsp granulated garlic
2 tbsp non iodized salt
2 tbsp fennel seeds
1.5 tbsp Anise seeds
2 tbsp dried Basil
1.5 tbsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp white pepper
2 tbsp dried parsley.


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## arcticsid

Joe, came across this the other day, been thinking about sausage myself.

https://www.pwmall.com/p-135487-td10542-meat-grinder-10-with-meat-sausage-stuffer.aspx

Might be a reasonable cost to start with.

Good luck


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## Brew and Wine Supply

Just got on line with some suppliers for sausage and jerky supplies, with credit checks, paper work and shipping, looking at about 2 to 3 weeks off for supplies to hit the store. Plan on stocking spices, casings, dehydrators, grinders, jerkey guns and more. any questions let me know.


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## milbrosa

I just started making sausage. I bought a #12 electric grinder and a 15 lb vertical stuffer. But so far I've only made bulk sausage, breakfast sausage and chorizo, nothing smoked and nothing in casings. I'm studying up on it a bit before plunging in. There's a lot to learn about sausage making. I don't really have a good way to smoke sausages yet. I'll need to build a smoke house. My first goal is to make good andouille like the kind I always bring back with me from visits back home to Baton Rouge.


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## joea132

Thanks for the info guys. I'm waiting to hear back from my guy and we're jumping in. Thanks for the recipes, ill try them out.


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## WildBill

ibglowin said:


> When we made snausage (a long time ago) we used the shed where we stored the lawnmower and tools (fairly good sized one). We had to move out all the flammables obviously and place the grill in the center with nothing around it. The shed was metal so it wouldn't burn but you had to make sure the fire was not so hot it (the heat) would melt the top. It also had a high ceiling.
> 
> Hung up the rings on strands of wire going from one side to the other (literally hundreds of them) and then built a small fire in the webber grill using mesquite (it was Texas after all). Put the lid on and closed it up as well as the door but checked on it regularly. Kept it going for a day or so IIRC.
> 
> Man did that shed smell great for months afterwards!




Great idea! You must have been out in the sticks aways. If i had a shed with smoke coming out of it here I would have 5 fire trucks and 2 TV news wagons in my yard before I could get the door closed.


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## joea132

WildBill said:


> Great idea! You must have been out in the sticks aways. If i had a shed with smoke coming out of it here I would have 5 fire trucks and 2 TV news wagons in my yard before I could get the door closed.



Do yourself a favor and call the fire Marshall in your town first. That stops the eager firemen like me from screaming in and smashing the door down!


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## Brew and Wine Supply

joea132 said:


> Do yourself a favor and call the fire Marshall in your town first. That stops the eager firemen like me from screaming in and smashing the door down!



From what I know about some firefighter friends, they're always hungry!


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## Runningwolf

Brew and Wine Supply said:


> From what I know about some firefighter friends, they're always hungry!



...and thirsty!


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## WildBill

Some of the best cooks I have ever met are fire fighters. It's like a chef competition around the station.


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## jtstar

joea132 said:


> Do yourself a favor and call the fire Marshall in your town first. That stops the eager firemen like me from screaming in and smashing the door down!



but if they still do it it's because they know you are making sausage


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## joea132

Haha yeah we have some talented chefs that work at the firehouse! And we do tend to be overeaters and a "thristy" bunch too! Guilty as charged, just not on duty.


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## joea132

Picked up a small electric grinder with stuffer attachment yesterday along with a pork butt. I'll be firing it up ASAP and I'll let everybody know how it works. I'm going to use toddrod's italian sausage recipe. Thanks again to everyone who contributed.


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## ibglowin

Post some pics when you do!


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## joea132

So I picked up a cheap grinder and gave it a shot yesterday. I ended up making about 8 or 9 lbs before the stupid plastic gears stripped in my grinder. I'm left with another 10 lbs of pork butt now and no grinder! I'm most likely going to buy a professional one with metal gears to have a reliable machine. $500 later... I ended up putting a bit too much fennel seed in but the sausage is still some of the best I've had. Thanks again to toddrod for the recipe!


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## toddrod

I am glad you liked it.


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## Runningwolf

Joe are you saying you spent $500 on the grinder and it turned out to be crap. I keep kicking myself. I had one that was my parents that I could barely pick up. It ran off 220v. It was certainly a heavy duty commercial grinder. At the time I had no use for it and wanted to get rid of it and took it to a second hand restaurant equipment place. I think I got less than $200 for it. I'm sure they sold it for over $500.00.

Anyways thanks for sharing the pictures. Makes me want to reach out and grab some to fry up.


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## joea132

Runningwolf said:


> Joe are you saying you spent $500 on the grinder and it turned out to be crap. I keep kicking myself. I had one that was my parents that I could barely pick up. It ran off 220v. It was certainly a heavy duty commercial grinder. At the time I had no use for it and wanted to get rid of it and took it to a second hand restaurant equipment place. I think I got less than $200 for it. I'm sure they sold it for over $500.00.
> 
> Anyways thanks for sharing the pictures. Makes me want to reach out and grab some to fry up.



Haha yeah It was delicious. I spent $80 on the cheap grinder. I'm going to spend $500 on a good quality one to get away from plastic gears. I checked around and found a high quality manufacturer and my friend gets wholesale! Your old one sounds like it would have been a home run though!


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## Wade E

Let me know when you are serving it up in the Middlebury FH and Ill stop in!!!!! LOL


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## milbrosa

Here's the one I bought. It is very heavy and the build quality is excellent. It's easy to assemble, easy to take apart and clean, and it's fast. I've had it for a couple months. I've made 16 pounds of pork breakfast sausage and I've put about 20 pounds of beef through it, so it hasn't seen much duty yet, but I would not hesitate to recommend it.


American Eagle AE-G12N Stainless #12 Meat Grinder 1 HP W/ Attachments 250lb/Hour


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## Keisha91

I bet it's delicious! May be rather hard to cook, but it's still better than those soy sausages we buy in the supermarkets.


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## ibglowin

Is there anyway to know if a grinder has plastic or metal gears without opening it up? That attribute doesn't seem to be listed normally in the fine print.


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## Flem

I would guess price would be your guide. Or you could contact the company.


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## joea132

I called the company. Only the commercial/industrial grade machines have them. I would rather pay the extra money and get a quality model that I won't have to worry about in a few years. I tend to be hard on everything anyways.


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## milbrosa

That was my thinking too, and that is why I bought that commercial grinder that I linked to in my previous post above.

Here is the manufacturer's web site. American Eagle Food Machinery

Here is the PDF spec sheet for the AE-G12N

It came with two plates and one knife, the stainless meat tray, and the plastic stomper. I bought another four plate sizes and a knife for each.

It's heavy duty.


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## milbrosa

Then again, you could always build one like this:

http://www.sausagemania.com/grinder.html

The site owner says



> In the last 25 years, this machine has seen several tons of meat pass through its mechanism! It cost $160.00 to build in 1976.



It doesn't sound difficult at all. I have a Porkert #32 that I might do this to eventually.


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## joea132

milbrosa said:


> Then again, you could always build one like this:
> 
> http://www.sausagemania.com/grinder.html
> 
> The site owner says
> 
> 
> 
> It doesn't sound difficult at all. I have a Porkert #32 that I might do this to eventually.



Whoa. This is really tempting! You can buy manual grinders for a song and dance these days!


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## Brew and Wine Supply

I was at a used tool place the other day, I would bet you they had 10 hand grinders on hand. I don't think I would want to anything I would eat through most of them...


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## Argentina

*a great idea*

Great Idea , Sir


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## Rocky

milbrosa said:


> Then again, you could always build one like this:
> 
> http://www.sausagemania.com/grinder.html
> 
> The site owner says
> 
> 
> 
> It doesn't sound difficult at all. I have a Porkert #32 that I might do this to eventually.



That is exactly what I was thinking as I read through this posting. I have a manual grinder that is all metal and I have several motors lying around. Seems all I would need is a couple pulleys and a belt, screw it all down on a mounting board and away we go!


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