# Making sausage



## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

Started making our sausage. Last week we made turkey breakfast sausage and yesterday we made kielbasa. We are pleased with our first tries and will learn the spice adjustments as we continue. Because we are limiting the fat and of course no preservatives etc., our sausage is too dry. For example our kielbasa called for pork butt, beef and veal and in addition 1/2# of fat. We left the fat from the pork butt, ground beef was grass fed and we didn't use the veal. The sausages were dense and dry. Until we can order a grass fed pig we don't want to add fat from the store. Does anyone have any suggestions? Like can you add coconut oil or olive oil to the meat mixture? We also used collagen casings.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Those look really good, but, if you say that they are too dry, consider some of the "healthy" fats like what you get from draining the fat off of a turkey when roasting it. Virtually any animal-based fats will help give you the flavor or texture that you need in sausages. 

My personal favorite has always been smoked-bacon fat as it gives meat a wonderful flavor! You can make your own by "smoking" a package of bacon with hickory-chips (or mesquite or .... ) till you have all the fat rendered out of the bacon - then make bacon-bits for the cupboard and take the fat for the sausage :beercheer:


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

Coconut oil would be fine to add in. If you use it anyway then put a bit in.. or you could make some stock "jelly" and add in too. If you make your own stock out of chick or turkey and simmer it down till you get a thick broth and cool it it should "jelly" up(or fancy term.. aspic) you take the cold jelly and run it thru with your meats and it should add really nice moisture to your turkey sausage without adding tons of the extra fat(but if it is just the store bought fats then when you get your own pig then you use that nice lard but save the leaf lard for pastry!!!)


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

Emerald - What is leaf lard?

Naekid - We don't have a smoker yet, but thanks for the tips. I thought of putting bacon in the meat grind but then I would be defeating my purpose (preservetives and such from store bought) until we get a good pig butchered.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

cybergranny said:


> Emerald - What is leaf lard?
> 
> Naekid - We don't have a smoker yet, but thanks for the tips. I thought of putting bacon in the meat grind but then I would be defeating my purpose (preservetives and such from store bought) until we get a good pig butchered.


Leaf Lard on a pig is the delicate lard that is found around the organs.. mainly the kidneys I think. when rendered down it is not as "porky" as the rest of the fat that is found under the skin so makes a great pastry lard. My Aunt would have my Uncle put it aside separately to render from the rest of the lard. When you have your porker butchered make sure that you tell them you want it packaged apart from the regular fat. I think it is called leaf as it is shaped like leaves around the organs. 
I hope you plan on making your own bacon too! I've cured and smoked my own and there is nothing better!


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## OldCootHillbilly (Jul 9, 2010)

Yall can use a fat replacer. There be carbohydrate based an protein based ones. They be used alot in low fat sausage.

I thin Sausage Maker (they sell all kinds a sausage stuff) has some. Otherwise, google foo should be able ta point ya in the right direction.

http://www.sausagemaker.com/17500fatreplacer12lb.aspx


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

cybergranny said:


> Emerald - What is leaf lard?
> 
> Naekid - We don't have a smoker yet, but thanks for the tips. I thought of putting bacon in the meat grind but then I would be defeating my purpose (preservetives and such from store bought) until we get a good pig butchered.


You could always just render the bacon down to something usable. In the recipe section I put up a posting about making your own bacon-bits, you are more than welcome to give it a try. You could also visit your neighborhood butcher and ask them about getting some good fresh fat for your sausage ...


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## Tank_Girl (Dec 26, 2011)

Some people put finely diced cheese through their home made sausage mix.


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

Thanks everyone. Some great tips that make sense. I really appreciate all your advice. Want to get a handle on this before venison season. Tee Heee


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

After reading a lot of threads relating to this kind of stuff, does anyone else wanna dig up their great great grandparents and have them explain all this stuff?!?! The stuff they did every day and was common knowledge and now, because the chain of information and experience has been severed, we are trying to reverse engineer!! Sometimes I feel like an archaeoligist trying to decipher their everyday life.


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

mojo4 said:


> After reading a lot of threads relating to this kind of stuff, does anyone else wanna dig up their great great grandparents and have them explain all this stuff?!?! The stuff they did every day and was common knowledge and now, because the chain of information and experience has been severed, we are trying to reverse engineer!! Sometimes I feel like an archaeoligist trying to decipher their everyday life.


Isn't that the truth.:gaah: My grandmother (now gone) made kielbasa, kishka, etc, etc. I'm the oldest in this generation and was the first many years ago to try and make/preserve some traditions. My mother didn't have a clue how Busha(grandma) did it. I'm learning how to can meat and telling my mother and finally she remembers my Busha cannng meat in 1/2 gal jars in the big oval copper pot and how tender and delicious it was. My oldest grand daughter lives with us and is right along side or doing a lot of it herself with me just supervising. One proud grandma here.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

That's great granny! BTW, what did you use for seasoning in the sausage? Did you buy the packet from a store or is it an ancient family secret? I have seen the sausage seasoning packages at bass pro but I've never used any of them. I wish jimmy dean would sell their seasoning mix cause I love the sausage flavor they have!


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

I used marjoram, savory, cracked pepper, canning salt, garlic and liquid smoke. I had a piece of leftover on a slice of 12 grain bread with brown mustard yesterday for lunch and it was to die for. That was for the kielbasa.
The basic turkey sausage: for 1#ground turkey was
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Dash cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1 teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
We would fry up a pattie and taste and we added a lot more of things we liked.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

Thanks for the recipe, I will try it!


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## stokems (Jun 15, 2012)

Sweet Italian sausage, mmmmm!


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## timmie (Jan 14, 2012)

yes thanks cybergranny i also am going to try this recipe


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

Stokems-what's in your Italian sausage? I want to make those next. Those look so good and pretty too.


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## mdprepper (Jan 22, 2010)

cybergranny said:


> I used marjoram, savory, cracked pepper, canning salt, garlic and liquid smoke. I had a piece of leftover on a slice of 12 grain bread with brown mustard yesterday for lunch and it was to die for. That was for the kielbasa.
> The basic turkey sausage: for 1#ground turkey was
> 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
> 1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
> ...


Thank you for the recipe.

I may try to make some and just use it as breakfast sausage patties (our favorite kind of sausage). How long would you recommend letting it sit (marinate isn't the right word) to let the flavors get all the way through? Maybe break it up when frying and make Sausage Gravy and Biscuits. Oh the possibilities!


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

mojo4 said:


> That's great granny! BTW, what did you use for seasoning in the sausage? Did you buy the packet from a store or is it an ancient family secret? I have seen the sausage seasoning packages at bass pro but I've never used any of them. I wish jimmy dean would sell their seasoning mix cause I love the sausage flavor they have!


I found these 3 Jimmy Dean clone recipes on line (I personally would leave out the msg):
Sage 
16 ounces ground pork 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley 
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage 
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme 
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 
1/4 teaspoon coriander 
1/4 teaspoon MSG (such as Accent flavor enhancer)

Hot 
16 ounces ground pork 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage 
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 
1/4 teaspoon coriander 
1/4 teaspoon MSG (such as Accent)

Maple 
16 ounces ground pork 
3 tablespoons maple flavored syrup 
1 teaspoon salt 
1/2 teaspoon MSG (such as Accent) 
1/4 teaspoon coriander 
Combine all ingredients for the flavor of your choice in a medium bowl. Form the sausage into patties and cook in a skillet over medium heat until brown. Makes 1 pound of sausage.


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## stayingthegame (Mar 22, 2011)

I add anise to my Italian sausage and a lot of it. why was grandma's sausage better? they didn't worry about fat and salt.


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

stayingthegame said:


> I add anise to my Italian sausage and a lot of it. why was grandma's sausage better? they didn't worry about fat and salt.


They didn't have to worry about it. Their meat was clean and free of all the greedy manufacturers add ins. I won't either when we can get our free range organic pig.

Thanks for the tip on anise.


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## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

I have found for a better anise flavor in sausage I take my anise seeds and toast them a bit in a hot dry cast iron pan and then take about half out and grind them in my coffee grinder(or how ever you grind your spices).. then you get the great anise flavor thru out and the seeds here and there to give the texture.


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## stokems (Jun 15, 2012)

To cybergranny,
Sweet Italian sausage:
4.5lbs pork butt with fat
.5lb pork fat
2 table spoon salt
2 minced garlic cloves
1 tsp of anise
Few grinds of black pepper

Grind meat and fat at coarse setting. 
Hand mix spices and meat and stuff in casing. 
Let sit in fridge overnight and cook within 2 days or freeze up to 3 months. 

They were sooo good!


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## cybergranny (Mar 11, 2011)

stokems-thank you so much. We like to make an angel hair dish with fresh basil, garlic and grape tomatoes kinda stir fried with asagio and Italian sausage. Oh and thin strips of sweet peppers.


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