So I graduated college last month and my long-suffering mother bought me a
600-series KitchenAid Mixer which has a 14.5 cup bowl and instead of a
tilt-head, the bowl moves on a track to get situated.

Long story short, I bought a 6.5 lb pork shoulder and took it apart tuesday
night for grinding and my first effort in sausage making. I got the meat
grinder attachment and the sausage stuffer for that in the gift pack.

Bought a packet of bratwurst spice mix at Outdoor World and got the casings
from a butcher (in South Florida).

Process to take the meat apart, partially freeze the cut pieces and get into
links was ~2 hours and kinda fun.

Got 18 links of sausage out of that meat, three went into dinner and the
rest split up and vacuum sealed for the freezer.

I've got an idea for a future sausage which uses shoulder meat and is
seasoned with my standard rub for pulled pork. I'd then take the fresh
sausage and smoke it to make a bbq sausage (using the finer extrusion die).
Also my Frankenstein Monster of a breakfast sausage made from bacon

Anyone else with home sausage making experience, recipes and tips are
greatly appreciated. Girlfriend's dad has requested kielbasa next for him to
smoke.

Evan

Evan D. wrote:

> So I graduated college last month and my long-suffering mother bought me a
> 600-series KitchenAid Mixer which has a 14.5 cup bowl and instead of a
> tilt-head, the bowl moves on a track to get situated.
>
> Long story short, I bought a 6.5 lb pork shoulder and took it apart tuesday
> night for grinding and my first effort in sausage making. I got the meat
> grinder attachment and the sausage stuffer for that in the gift pack.
>
> Bought a packet of bratwurst spice mix at Outdoor World and got the casings
> from a butcher (in South Florida).
>
> Process to take the meat apart, partially freeze the cut pieces and get into
> links was ~2 hours and kinda fun.
>
> Got 18 links of sausage out of that meat, three went into dinner and the
> rest split up and vacuum sealed for the freezer.
>
> I've got an idea for a future sausage which uses shoulder meat and is
> seasoned with my standard rub for pulled pork. I'd then take the fresh
> sausage and smoke it to make a bbq sausage (using the finer extrusion die).
> Also my Frankenstein Monster of a breakfast sausage made from bacon
>
> Anyone else with home sausage making experience, recipes and tips are
> greatly appreciated. Girlfriend's dad has requested kielbasa next for him to
> smoke.


Sounds great, Evan.

If you're interested in smoking your sausage, my suggestion would be
to smoke lightly and keep the temp low. 180-200 F inside the cooker.
The key is to keep the temp low enough so that fat doesn't melt and run out.
Makes for a better texture and a moister product.

If you want to try taking it to the next level, you might want to have
a go at fermented sausage products. Here's a good source of info:

http://home.pacbell.net/lpoli/

Another good book on the subject:

Cooking by Hand
by Paul Bertolli
<http://www.amazon.com/Cooking-Hand-Paul-Bertolli/dp/0609608932/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245356645&sr=1-1>

Bertolli also has a lot of good info on dried products, which is a
whole new world in itself.

Evan D. wrote:
> So I graduated college last month and my long-suffering mother bought
> me a 600-series KitchenAid Mixer which has a 14.5 cup bowl and
> instead of a tilt-head, the bowl moves on a track to get situated.

Evan, my heartiest and heart-felt congratulations on your graduation. What
did you major in, and what are you planning to do with your degree?

--
Dave
What is best in life? "To crush your enemies, see them driven before
you, and to hear the lamentation of the women." -- Conan

On Jun 18, 1:46*pm, "Dave Bugg" > wrote:
> Evan D. wrote:
> > So I graduated college last month and my long-suffering mother bought
> > me a 600-series KitchenAid Mixer which has a 14.5 cup bowl and
> > instead of a tilt-head, the bowl moves on a track to get situated.
>
> Evan, my heartiest and heart-felt congratulations on your graduation. >

I'm impressed that such a newly is already making his own sausage. I
like his family already. KitchenAid mixer for a grad present? That's a
cooking family man. I bet their friends love being invited over for
dinner.

I'll skip any jokes referencing girlfriends smoking sausages.

Evan D. wrote:

> I've got an idea for a future sausage which uses shoulder meat and is
> seasoned with my standard rub for pulled pork. I'd then take the fresh
> sausage and smoke it to make a bbq sausage (using the finer extrusion die).
> Also my Frankenstein Monster of a breakfast sausage made from bacon

Mix 60% pork and 40% beef (I grind the fatty brisket points and corn the
flats).

Bacon ends and pieces are decent for making sausage, just mix it with
50-70% fairly lean pork shoulder or beef (Farmland and Smithfield both
make a bacon sausage).

Griding with the KA is easy, but stuffing using the sausage stuffers
really requires two people to do it right - one to pitch and and one to
catch and optionally twist. Air pockets suck - uniformity is the key.

Smoke at fairly low temps if you can.

-sw

Duwop wrote:
> On Jun 18, 1:46 pm, "Dave Bugg" > wrote:
>> Evan D. wrote:
>>> So I graduated college last month and my long-suffering mother bought
>>> me a 600-series KitchenAid Mixer which has a 14.5 cup bowl and
>>> instead of a tilt-head, the bowl moves on a track to get situated.
>> Evan, my heartiest and heart-felt congratulations on your graduation. >
>
> I'm impressed that such a newly is already making his own sausage. I
> like his family already. KitchenAid mixer for a grad present?

Really. Aren't you supposed to get a car or pool table?

-sw

Evan D. wrote:
snip
>
> Anyone else with home sausage making experience, recipes and tips are
> greatly appreciated. Girlfriend's dad has requested kielbasa next for him to
> smoke.
>
> Evan
>
>
Google 'sausage recipe x' (x = Italian, Polish, Bratwurst, Hot links)
tons of recipes are available online.

Also, try my website, http://web.comporium.net/~amwil/discursion.htm
piedmont

piedmont wrote:

> Google 'sausage recipe x' (x = Italian, Polish, Bratwurst, Hot links)
> tons of recipes are available online.

I found that a lot of the recipes were way too conservative on the spicing
(and usually the salt, too).

Then again maybe I'm just a spice glutton.

-sw

Nunya Bidnits wrote:

> If it was gonna be a car, I woulda asked for a nice trailer mounted Ole
> Hickory instead.
>
> MartyB in KC
>
I had the pleasure of eating some brisket and pork out of one of them
while here in Denver. <end thread drift...>
Brian

<Evan D.> wrote in message
g.com...
> So I graduated college last month and my long-suffering mother bought me a
> 600-series KitchenAid Mixer which has a 14.5 cup bowl and instead of a
> tilt-head, the bowl moves on a track to get situated.
> >
> Anyone else with home sausage making experience, recipes and tips are
> greatly appreciated. Girlfriend's dad has requested kielbasa next for him
> to smoke.

Sausage making can be fun. You get what you want and can fine tune to suit
your taste.

Cleanliness is important. Using a weak bleach solution I wash down
everything around the counter and cutting board. I then cut the meat into
chunks that will readily fit into the grinder. The KA is small, but I'd
often done 20+ pounds at a time. Keep the meat very cold. You may even
want to put it on a tray in the freezer to firm it up a bit to get a clean
cut. I keep a cup of crushed ice nearby and toss a tablespoon or so into the
grinder to clear it out if the fat seems to be bogging the auger down.

The KA stuffer needs some help, as you may have already noticed. After
doing a few feet, you get the hang of it. Better stuffers are available,
but they are about $100+.

When you do the kielbasa, if you are making smoked, be sure to use the
proper cure.
--
Ed
http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> piedmont wrote:
>
>> Google 'sausage recipe x' (x = Italian, Polish, Bratwurst, Hot links)
>> tons of recipes are available online.
>
> I found that a lot of the recipes were way too conservative on the spicing
> (and usually the salt, too).
>
> Then again maybe I'm just a spice glutton.
>
> -sw

I like enough spices to get the flavor, but I generally cut back the salt.
We don't use much at all, but you need some to extract the myosin so the
meat holds together properly.

Evan D. opined:

> So I graduated college last month and my long-suffering
> mother bought me a 600-series KitchenAid Mixer which has a
> 14.5 cup bowl and instead of a tilt-head, the bowl moves on
> a track to get situated.
>
> Long story short, I bought a 6.5 lb pork shoulder and took
> it apart tuesday night for grinding and my first effort in
> sausage making. I got the meat grinder attachment and the
> sausage stuffer for that in the gift pack.
>
> [snip]
>
> Anyone else with home sausage making experience, recipes
> and tips are greatly appreciated. Girlfriend's dad has
> requested kielbasa next for him to smoke.
>
> Evan
>
>

Evan,
congrats on the graduation and the excellent family you have
that would give a food related present.

As for sausage, I've just started using a Kitchen Aide grinder
attachment and the other opinions are correct. The KA is great
at grinding (although a little fine) but sucks at stuffing, even
with 2 people working the %&$*# thing. It is worth the effort
though.

I've found the sausage recipes in Bruce Aidell's book "Complete
Sausage Book" to pretty good. I must have checked it out from
the library 10 times before finally buying a copy for myself.
The book is about 50% sausage recipes and 50% recipes that use
sausage as an ingredient. I've made his smoked bratwurst, texas
smoky links and sweet Italian. All turned out excellent. Leave
the sweet Italian bulk in 1 lb chunks that we put in food-saver
freezer bags, but the others are stuffed into natural casings
that I buy at my local grocery store for $14/lb. Only need
about $3 worth for a 6-7lb batch of sausage.

The other recipe I've tried is from Gerry Fowler's website,
Texas Hotlink #3, which has several variations running around
the internet.

Gerry Fowler's Texas Hot links #3
6.5 lbs Boston Butt
1 cup water
2 Tbsp coarse ground black pepper
2 Tbsp crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp cayenne
2 Tbsp Hungarian Paprika
2 Tbsp Morton's Tender Quick (optional)
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Whole Mustard Seeds
1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
1 Tbsp granulated garlic
1 Tbsp MSG (optional)
1 tsp ground bay leaves
1 tsp whole anise seeds
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp ground thyme
medium hog casings

Mix all the spices, cure, and garlic into the water and place in
refrigerator while you cut up the meat to fit in the grinder.
Pour the spiced water over the meat and mix well. Run meat and
spice mixture through the fine plate and mix again. Stuff into
medium hog casings. Smoke or slow grill till they are done. Wrap
in a piece of bread and slap on the mustard heavy.

I skip the Tender Quick, MSG and substitute fresh garlic for the
granulated. One time I skipped the anise seeds as well. All
good. I also use the coarse KA plate when recipes call for
fine. The KA fine plate is really fine.

good luck and have fun...

--
George B. Ross is
remove the obvious bits for email
Why is it that being a good boy and being good at being
a boy don't require the same set of skills? - anonymous

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
>
> <Evan D.> wrote in message
> g.com...
>> So I graduated college last month and my long-suffering mother bought me
>> a 600-series KitchenAid Mixer which has a 14.5 cup bowl and instead of a
>> tilt-head, the bowl moves on a track to get situated.
>> >
>> Anyone else with home sausage making experience, recipes and tips are
>> greatly appreciated. Girlfriend's dad has requested kielbasa next for him
>> to smoke.
>
> Sausage making can be fun. You get what you want and can fine tune to
> suit your taste.
>
> Cleanliness is important. Using a weak bleach solution I wash down
> everything around the counter and cutting board. I then cut the meat into
> chunks that will readily fit into the grinder. The KA is small, but I'd
> often done 20+ pounds at a time. Keep the meat very cold. You may even
> want to put it on a tray in the freezer to firm it up a bit to get a clean
> cut. I keep a cup of crushed ice nearby and toss a tablespoon or so into
> the grinder to clear it out if the fat seems to be bogging the auger down.
>
> The KA stuffer needs some help, as you may have already noticed. After
> doing a few feet, you get the hang of it. Better stuffers are available,
> but they are about $100+.
>
> When you do the kielbasa, if you are making smoked, be sure to use the
> proper cure.
> --
> Ed
> http://pages.cthome.net/edhome/
>
I usually just grind and stuff in one operation. It is easier than try ing
to force the ground meat thru the tube. Just be sure to mix the meat and
spices well before grinding. The flavors will meld in the casing just a
well.
Around here most folks use Legg's sausage seasoning. They make a large
variety.
Big Jim

Wow! Thanks guys for all of the support and tips.

I definitely come from a cooking family and am considering culinary school
(I had considered dropping out of college a ways back, but was "convinced"
by my family to finish here). My degree is in marketing/mass communication,
but I've had a full time position since 2005, so it was more of a backup and
just to get it done.

I also found that the KA is a good introduction to making sausage, but I
can't see making a ton of it right now and needing a separate grinder or
vertical stuffer. If the requests get high once tailgating season starts in
the fall, I'll get the troops to split the costs and turn the sausage making
into a group effort. Bratwurst and italian are most of what we cookout with,
so I'm going to try and expand to white sausages and from a friend's dad,
whatever game or gator is available (knowing I'll need lots of extra fat for
anything lean like gator).

As far as the pool table or car go Sqwertz, I'm 28 and have been footing my
own bill for a while I'd gladly take either of those, but my mom has been
waiting to give me the KA for many of these years in wait.

The only improvement I need so far is a better pusher for getting the meat
into the auger. The KA one creates a lot of suction and meat gets stuck in
the edges which makes a fantastic vacuum for the bits to fly everywhere when
pulling up.

@George : Thanks for the hot link recipe! That's one I've really wanted to
try and should be a big hit amongst my friends.

See ya'll here and the binaries group when I've had another success.

Evan in Orlando

Evan D. wrote:
> Wow! Thanks guys for all of the support and tips.
>
> I definitely come from a cooking family and am considering culinary
> school (I had considered dropping out of college a ways back, but was
> "convinced" by my family to finish here). My degree is in
> marketing/mass communication, but I've had a full time position since
> 2005, so it was more of a backup and just to get it done.

A degree in marketing/mass marketing is a perfect compliment to culinary
school and restaurant ownership.

Just sayin' :-)

--
Dave
What is best in life? "To crush your enemies, see them driven before
you, and to hear the lamentation of the women." -- Conan

Evan D. wrote:

> If the requests get high once tailgating season starts in
> the fall, I'll get the troops to split the costs and turn the sausage making
> into a group effort.

Other than a couple bowl games, there's football in Orlando?

-sw

Dave,

Definitely on my mind, but no interest in opening up a 'que joint, myself.

A bar that serves really good small plates and desserts...that's up my
alley.

That car you picked up in FL a few years back still holding up?

Evan

Evan D. wrote:

> The only improvement I need so far is a better pusher for getting the meat
> into the auger. The KA one creates a lot of suction and meat gets stuck in
> the edges which makes a fantastic vacuum for the bits to fly everywhere when
> pulling up.

This is one of the problems I was referring to when I said that you really
need to people to stuff. Running the meat through once is no problem, but
running ground meat back though it sucks (as in suck-tion).

-sw

Sqwertz > wrote:
> Evan D. wrote:
>
> > If the requests get high once tailgating season starts in
> > the fall, I'll get the troops to split the costs and turn the sausage
> > making into a group effort.
>
> Other than a couple bowl games, there's football in Orlando?

Fútball!

--
Nick, KI6VAV. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their
families: https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/ Thank a Veteran!
Support Our Troops: http://anymarine.com/ You are not forgotten.
Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~ USMC 1365061

UCF (Univ. of Central Florida) has a football team that plays in Conference
USA.

Great thing about our school is that they allow tailgating essentially
anywhere on campus. So we've got some extra space in an area that's walking
(stumbling) distance to the stadium.

This year we've got the sausages, probably doing pulled pork and one of the
5 gallon coolers w/spout for Arnie Palmers (Sweet Tea Vodka and Lemonade).

Evan

Evan D. wrote:

> Great thing about our school is that they allow tailgating essentially
> anywhere on campus. So we've got some extra space in an area that's walking
> (stumbling) distance to the stadium.

UT Longhorns allow tailgating anywhere on campus as well, and some of the
state properties adjacent to campus.

And these guys take it seriously. People don't even have tickets, they
bring their generators, portable satellite dishes, and 52" big screen
TV's, and .... [drum roll].... their George Foreman grills. As far as I
know, it's not illegal to use propane or <gasp> charcoal. The park right
next door allows charcoal grills - but they're not allowed to tailgate there.

Oh, UCF? Never heard of them. <gotta keep renewing my reputation as
resident prick - somebody has to do it.>

-sw

On 18-Jun-2009, Sqwertz > wrote:

> piedmont wrote:
>
> > Google 'sausage recipe x' (x = Italian, Polish, Bratwurst, Hot links)
> > tons of recipes are available online.
>
> I found that a lot of the recipes were way too conservative on the
> spicing
> (and usually the salt, too).
>
> Then again maybe I'm just a spice glutton.
>
> -sw

Considering the spice concentration point. I had an opportunity a couple
of years ago to make sausage with a good friend and drinking buddy. Since
neither of us knew Jack Schidt about making sausage, we ground up some
pork (a shoulder consisting of butt and picnic) and sat down with a bunch
of seasonings and a bowl of ground meat. We made up one patty at a time,
fried it and tasted it. It probably wasn't a very efficient way to
formulate a
sausage recipe, but we had fun and ultimately came up with a blend that
we particularly liked. It was so good that we still liked it after we
sobered
up.

We noticed right off, that it took a lot more spice then we expected to get
any reasonable flavor into the meat.

--
Brick (Youth is wasted on young people)

You know us, we'll be at UT this season, playing in November in Austin!

I'd love to go, but can't rationalize spending money on airfare, hotel, $70
for a ticket to watch my boys get the business end of the horns.

Outdoor...george...foreman? Insane from the makers of brisket and hot links.

sausage that you enjoy drunk and sober must be a thing of beauty, Lee
"Brick" > wrote in message
ster.com...
>
> On 18-Jun-2009, Sqwertz > wrote:
>
>> piedmont wrote:
>>
>> > Google 'sausage recipe x' (x = Italian, Polish, Bratwurst, Hot links)
>> > tons of recipes are available online.
>>
>> I found that a lot of the recipes were way too conservative on the
>> spicing
>> (and usually the salt, too).
>>
>> Then again maybe I'm just a spice glutton.
>>
>> -sw
>
> Considering the spice concentration point. I had an opportunity a couple
> of years ago to make sausage with a good friend and drinking buddy. Since
> neither of us knew Jack Schidt about making sausage, we ground up some
> pork (a shoulder consisting of butt and picnic) and sat down with a bunch
> of seasonings and a bowl of ground meat. We made up one patty at a time,
> fried it and tasted it. It probably wasn't a very efficient way to
> formulate a
> sausage recipe, but we had fun and ultimately came up with a blend that
> we particularly liked. It was so good that we still liked it after we
> sobered
> up.
>
> We noticed right off, that it took a lot more spice then we expected to
> get
> any reasonable flavor into the meat.
>
> --
> Brick (Youth is wasted on young people)