Online Workshop: Project B (August 2012)

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 01:02

Sika Stag, it`s great to hear from you. Ouch Ian! It sounds painful. Shucks ol` pal, that`s the perfect excuse to have your wife wait on you, so lay back, smile if you can, gulp down pills, and dream about eating barbecued ribs! You`ll be healing soon and swingin` an axe. Join in whenever you can and grind up some sausage.
Ian, you wrote:

My ? is, can I use these casings in place of 30-32mm casings stated for some of the other sausage types.

Sure, it`s your preference. However, note that if you make smaller sausages, the prep cooking time is quicker, and the final cooking will be shorter also. Sheep casing are always a good choice for sausage. They are tender and nice to the bite.

IdaKraut, thanks for the update. I`m glad you like the breakfast recipe. Do you think you`ll make it again sometime?

John, I can`t wait until you get your vertical stuffer. You`ll be like a kid with a new toy. There will be no stopping you as you`ll most likely turn into some kind of human dynamo grindin` machine just so you can use your new stuffer! Someone will take your photo for the local newspaper, then you`ll probably appear on Jay Leno`s Tonight Show. Ultimately, your wife will have to restrain you from stuffin sausage `round the clock! Nice goin` pal! You deserve that stuffer.

El Duck, how about showin` us your home made stuffer tube? And let us know how the stuffing goes.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Gulyás · Post by **Gulyás** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 01:14

It is my personal opinion, that practice makes the master.

IdaKraut · Post by **IdaKraut** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 01:20

Chuckwagon wrote:IdaKraut, thanks for the update. I`m glad you like the breakfast recipe. Do you think you`ll make it again sometime?

Chuckwagon

I definitely will make it again but will increase the amount of cayenne pepper. I just wish sheep casings weren't so darn expensive or I would make this regularly.

Dudley · Post by **Dudley** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 02:33

Ok made the breakfast sausage, but with some problems. Grinding and mixing went fine. Come time to stuff I found my casings would only slid onto the tube about 1/2 inch because it tapers up to a larger diameter. This would only hold enough casing for about 3 links. We now have sausages patties and a new stainless tube for my Lem stuffer is on order. Damn thats good sausage though.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 04:34

Come time to stuff I found my casings would only slid onto the tube about 1/2 inch because it tapers up to a larger diameter.

Dudley, Now you know why they make stainless, non-tapered, straight nozzles. I can't remember the last time I used tapered plastic. Stainless "straight pipes" are a little expensive, but they are sure worth the investment if you are going to continue making sausage. I'm glad you liked the recipe. It's a lot different from store-bought stuff eh?

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon

Post by **redzed** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 05:18

Got back last night from our camping/fishing trip to North Vancouver Island. Caught over 40 pinks (brought home 16, two day possession limit for 2). Also caught two nice cohoe but had to release them as they were not hatchery tagged. Half the pinks will be hot smoked and the rest barbecued or pan fried.

Spent a good part of the day catching up on the project posts, CW sure has been plying us with info! I printed some of the stuff for bedtime reading because my wife chased me away from the computer and assigned me to landscape work. Amazing how much you can miss after being away from the internet for 8 days!

Today I took out some meat out of the freezer and will be making fresh Italian tomorrow. Will be following the project recipe with one possible adjustment. Rather than adding cayenne to give the sausage a bit of heat, I will be adding something labelled as "hot chilli powder", that I purchsed at a Mexican market in California. I tried it in a couple of dishes and it's not too bad. But them I'm not a capsicum expert.

I will also be making a Hungarian style cold smoked fresh sausage, but since it's not on the project list, I won't describe it here.

I'm off on a four day hiking trip to Whistler in three days and will be grilling the sausage for dinner to 22 hugry trekkers on our first day.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 06:31

Beautiful work guys! Both look like you've been making them for years. Great craftsmanship!
Jim's white sausage shows a nice texture. Rudy's looked like they were linked by a machine

. Very nice work.

Big Guy · Post by **Big Guy** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 17:36

Semi frozen pork butt ready to grind

Grinding the pork

Stuffed

Linked

I did a test fry from the dregs in my stuffer, nice flavour just a bit salty for my taste. It might mellow out overnight. I'll fry up some links tomorrow. Momma likes them too.

Big Guy · Post by **Big Guy** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 17:43

I was sausage making this morning, I did the breakfast links for project "B" pics posted, and then I'm attempting to make a luncheon meat that I used to enjoy but can no longer get. It was sold as "Dutch loaf" the closest I can find is a recipe for "old fashioned Loaf". The Dutch loaf had a livery taste to it so I've developed my own recipe. Ground,spiced and stuffed it this morning and will cook/smoke it tomorrow. Pics and recipe to follow.

Cabonaia · Post by **Cabonaia** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 18:29

Made the breakfast sausages last night. My stuffer tube is plastic, 11/16, and I had 20/22mm sheep casings. My daughters and I worked quite a while getting the casings on the stuffer horn. They were better at it because their fingers are smaller. After multiple blowouts and breakages, we switched to hog casings and were done in a few minutes. I am going to get a small, stainless steel tube before trying the sheep casings again. Looking forward to the kabaonsy using collagen casings - making that this weekend I hope.

Oh - recipewise, used a double recipe of CW's as written, except used fresh sage which resulted in a wonderful flavor. At first I thought they were a bit salty, as breakfast sausages often are for me. But upon eating them with eggs, they were just right. For the meat, I had several freezer baggies of pork butt trimmings left over from various projects, including some in cubes and some that had already been ground through a medium plate. Tossed them all together and ground through a small plate. I think the one I've got is 4mm. Added the ice water to the salt and spices and then mixed by hand, tag team style with my daughter that so while one of us was recovering from cold and aching hands, the other was kneeding the mince. The cold didn't bother her like it did me -- gotta get me some of those blue gloves! Mixing didn't take more than a few minutes -- we stopped when a ball of meat would stick to an overturned hand. The texture turned out very well in the end.

I sauteed them in a non-stick skillet on medium to low heat, put a cover on till they were cooked through, then took off the cover and browned them on either side as the moisture cooked off. Then fried the eggs in the grease. Mmmmph!

Today is the beginning of the new year on the Orthodox Christian church calendar (you Romanians and Russians will understand

) so we found ourselves celebrating the day with eggs, wonderful sausages and tea for breakfast. Since we always have this kind of sausage for breakfast on Christmas morning, it was especially festive and requests were formally made for a new tradition - i.e. no more store bought ever again. The Farmer John sausage company had a bad day.

Thanks CW for a great recipe, and everyone else for sharing your experience and advice along the way!

Jeff

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Sat Sep 01, 2012 22:42

Nice work Big Guy.... as usual! Did little Mace help you?

grasshopper · Post by **grasshopper** » Sun Sep 02, 2012 00:22

It will do in a pinch. I have a 1/2" stainless tube coming, but for now I rigged this up. 1 1/4 pvc nut, 3/8 pipe coupler for 1/2" tube. Hope I can upload the image.

grasshopper · Post by **grasshopper** » Sun Sep 02, 2012 00:30

Looks I need more school housing on uploading pictures. Right click on the image and go to imageshack.us if interested.?

Big Guy · Post by **Big Guy** » Sun Sep 02, 2012 01:06

Yes We had Big guy, Little Big guy and Little Mace helping this weekend.

Chuckwagon · Post by **Chuckwagon** » Sun Sep 02, 2012 03:36

Wow! Three generations of sausage makers. Little Mace has grown like a weed since his last photo. Your son is a handsome dude! Who is the toughest? I can't imagine you ever taking him across your knee.

Best Wishes,
Chuckwagon