Sausage
I had to think about this blog entry. I've several on tap; another on stock, the killer chocolate cake revisite and looking a lot better, the kitchen I'm doing the countertops in.
However I decided to do one that has been in the can for weeks.
Some pork came from the freezer, some just purchased. There are also packages of Costco chicken thights.
The tools and one piece of fresh pork.
The result. And the pile of pig skin in the back. That will get smoked and then used in soups as was the bone.
I use the meat grinder attachment on a KA mixer. Note that the recieving vessal is in an ice bath. Cold is good. The grinder was also in an ice bath before being assembled and attached. And the blade was steeled before it went in the ice bath. Steeling heats the blade. Don't put it in a freezer, that makes the materials brittle and prone to chip or break, including the blade. After the meat is in small chunks, put it in the freezer for half an hour or more. You don't want it frozen solid, but you want it quite stiff. You may have to steel the blade half way through 5 lbs of meat.
Five pounds of pork, with the appropriate spices for which ever sausage this will be.
The stuffer, full with hog casings on the nozzle. The trick to getting the casings on is water, lots of water. Note the bowl of more casings in water and the container of water to keep them wet while going on.
That is 25 pounds of sausge, with the breakfast sausage in a baggy to the rear. Three of those in casings are pork, note the color variations on all of them.
This is the chorizo.
It is going out to the smoker with other products, which get talked about here.
The smoker.
Breakfast sausage in 8 oz put-ups.
Probably the Kilebasse, which I want in casings, but long pieces.
And cut up and put up with the food saver. Neat little gadget.
And the smoked chorizo.
-30-
However I decided to do one that has been in the can for weeks.
Some pork came from the freezer, some just purchased. There are also packages of Costco chicken thights.
The tools and one piece of fresh pork.
The result. And the pile of pig skin in the back. That will get smoked and then used in soups as was the bone.
The mise. We are doing breakfast sausage, kilebasse, smoked chorizo, bratwurst and a chicken/tomato/basil. All from Charcuterie. by Ruhlman and Polcyn.
I use the meat grinder attachment on a KA mixer. Note that the recieving vessal is in an ice bath. Cold is good. The grinder was also in an ice bath before being assembled and attached. And the blade was steeled before it went in the ice bath. Steeling heats the blade. Don't put it in a freezer, that makes the materials brittle and prone to chip or break, including the blade. After the meat is in small chunks, put it in the freezer for half an hour or more. You don't want it frozen solid, but you want it quite stiff. You may have to steel the blade half way through 5 lbs of meat.
Five pounds of pork, with the appropriate spices for which ever sausage this will be.
The stuffer, full with hog casings on the nozzle. The trick to getting the casings on is water, lots of water. Note the bowl of more casings in water and the container of water to keep them wet while going on.
That is 25 pounds of sausge, with the breakfast sausage in a baggy to the rear. Three of those in casings are pork, note the color variations on all of them.
This is the chorizo.
It is going out to the smoker with other products, which get talked about here.
The smoker.
Breakfast sausage in 8 oz put-ups.
Probably the Kilebasse, which I want in casings, but long pieces.
And cut up and put up with the food saver. Neat little gadget.
And the smoked chorizo.
-30-
Love your pics & commentary. Also, Virgina's menus. Thanks for enriching our lives.
Kathy
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I love Virginia's menus.
Warner
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Seriously, when you do things, you don't mess around. My gawd that is all wonderful and wouldn't I love to stop by for breakfast. I'll bring the eggs.
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Great post, looks like a busy sausage day! Do you cool down your grinder between sausage batches, or did you do all 25 lbs. at once?
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The grinder cleaned, somewhat, and in an ice bath between batches. I can usually get up to 5 lbs in a single grind, but sometimes I must re-steel the blade half way through.
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hey, that's my smoker! now all i need is the grinder attachment. and neighbors who don't mind having their homes constantly filled with pork smoke.
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That's not untimely, I am in the midst of a batch of landjager. Smoking tommorrow!
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WOW! How nice!!!
do u sell these?
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Michelle - The smoker and wood came from Home Depot. The neighbor has yet to complain but his dog stays as close the the meat as the fence allows.
Scott - A week from Saturday I'll make my semi-anual pork run to Dietrich's Meat (see side bar for link). Two whole fresh hams, two fresh pork bellies, 20 lbs of shoulder (net) and other stuff. My wife wants a smoked pigs head for a center piece.
Nurit - We don't sell it but we do give it away. The third and eighth pictures in this post http://blog.charcuteire.com/2008/06/10/cleveland-2008.aspx show some dry cured sausage I brought to a food event in Cleveland. Yes that is Michael Ruhlman and yes he liked it and yes he signed Charcuterie for me.
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A centerpiece?! Two words: Head Cheese!
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A fresh one yes, head cheese but not with one so smoked it doesn't need refrigeration.
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Oh. I thought you were smoking them. My bad.
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Boy those sausages look good. I wish I could get around to using the casings waiting in our fridge downstairs. We may be moving soon, though, so I don't want to start any more project.
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