Meat and fat selection

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bluc
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Meat and fat selection

Post by bluc » Sat Aug 15, 2020 02:42

I have been reading heaps over last couple months. I read some say use lean meat and add back fat 80/20 others say use shoulder as it about right ratio.
If I use shoulder do I just cut up and grind whole shoulder as is with the fat cap that's on it or dissect it separate out as much fat as I can then add it together in right ratio or do I not use the fat that is on shoulder and instead use back fat? Also do the same rules apply to fresh semi dried and dry cured sausage as far as meat and fat selection go?
:?
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Butterbean
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Re: Meat and fat selection

Post by Butterbean » Sat Aug 15, 2020 16:28

In short, yes, just cut it into pieces and grind however it really depends on what type sausage you are making and your desire to replicate it as genuine as possible. For most fresh sausages a butt offers the perfect balance. However, there are some sausages which get their uniqueness from the various meat cuts ground with varying plate sizes and some rely on individual pieces of backfat cut and suspended in the mix. But yeah, you can grind a butt up and use it to make anything and it might have a similar flavor it won't be that sausage true to form due to aesthetics and varying texture differences. Hope my rambling made sense.
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redzed
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Re: Meat and fat selection

Post by redzed » Sat Aug 15, 2020 20:35

When using shoulder you can cut up and grind the whole thing and make fresh or smoked sausage. However, when I make smoked sausage I usually divide the meat into two or three classes and grind each separately with a different size plate: class I with 10mm, 12mm, 20mm or even the kidney plate; class II with the 6, 7 or 10mm plate depending on how much fat I would like to show, and class III twice through the 3mm plate since this the glue that binds everything together. Making salami is totally different. You want to use fat that will not smear and will have a distinct meat to fat differentiation. Although there are softer salamis that incorporate side pork, it's best to use hard back fat. You also don't want any connective tissue in your salami. All my salami is made with all lean class I meat with the addition of back fat (usually 20% of the total meat block). As to meat classification, I follow the guidelines outlined here:
https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausag ... on/classes
bluc
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Re: Meat and fat selection

Post by bluc » Sun Aug 16, 2020 02:18

Awesome info thanks.
bluc
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Re: Meat and fat selection

Post by bluc » Sat Sep 05, 2020 07:17

Was talking to my butcher bout back fat. He said he can get pork fat but it a mix of jowl and back fat, not just straight back fat. I guess it wouldn't matter to much for fresh sausage but how bout salami am I right in thinking there will just be less well defined chunks of fat? Or is this going to cause smearing issues...
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Bob K
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Re: Meat and fat selection

Post by Bob K » Sun Sep 06, 2020 13:14

Jowl fat is on the soft side and should be avoided for most salamis. I would just get enough so you can separate the two types.
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Re: Meat and fat selection

Post by bluc » Mon Sep 07, 2020 02:25

ok thanks
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