Hope I'm not getting in over my head!

[Dirtman]

My son and I are going hog hunting at the end of this month. I have decided to save money at the processor and make my own sausage. The last time we went I killed three good sized (100 to 150 lbs) hogs, my wife shot two hogs (bigger than mine!) and my son shot one (also bigger than mine!).
We spent a fortune at Kuby's , a wild game meat processor in Dallas, Tx. I still have some left over wrapped meat in my freezer and a lot of summer and breakfast sausage. I have also given away a lot of sausage to friends.
A few days ago I ordered a meat grinder/sausage stuffer from Amazon. I have been watching videos on youtube and reading lots of recipes for seasoning. Hope this turns out ok, it looks easy enough but I am feeling a little intimidated right now. Lots of things could easily go very wrong!
Any helpful hints and/or seasoning formulas would be very welcomed. Thanks.

 

[Engineer1911]

Make sure the meat and spices are well mixed before "stuffing" the sausage tubes. When one bite tastes like fried fat and the next bite tastes like a mouthful of spices, you are not having a fine dining experience.

 

[Texas Star]

Hmpf. Another member and I have eaten at Kuby's restaurant in Snider Plaza, near SMU. But I didn't know they processed game meats. Thanks.

What does Kuby's charge to make sausage from wild pigs? Is it by the lb., or how? I'm guessing that they make Germanic sausages, too. That's what they mainly have on their menu.

 

[daveyc]

I agree, spend enough time mixing the ingredients in before stuffing. take your time and you will be fine.

 

[Dirtman]

Hmpf. Another member and I have eaten at Kuby's restaurant in Snider Plaza, near SMU. But I didn't know they processed game meats. Thanks.

What does Kuby's charge to make sausage from wild pigs? Is it by the lb., or how? I'm guessing that they make Germanic sausages, too. That's what they mainly have on their menu.

When I was a little kid we lived right across from SMU just south on Snider Plaza at 3421 Granada. I went to the kiddie show at the movie theater in Snider Plaza every Sat. morning. Also ate spudnuts at the spudnut shop by the theater. Still remember eating those spudnuts so hot you had to let it cool to eat it. Never tasted anything like it since!
I have eaten at Kuby's restaurant but it's been a long time ago. Their meat processing plant is at another location. Kuby's started processing sausage in the 1700's, in Germany, according to their biography.
Here is their link; Kuby's Sausage House

 

[Biginge]

I tried that ONE time. Even being of German descent I thought it best to leave that task to those better served in the art of culinary refinement. I wish you the best of luck. There are those that know how to do it, I am not one of the chosen few. It is not only sausage making that I do not excel.

 

[Dirtman]

I agree, spend enough time mixing the ingredients in before stuffing. take your time and you will be fine.

According to one of the better videos, you grind then ad seasoning mixing thoroughly (do not mash the meat) then grind again. It says not to grind a third time because it will make it too dense.
Then stuff trying to not have air pockets and pricking to release any air when cooking.
Sounds easy enough. We'll see!

 

[Bekeart]

Find RECIPES and technique for making pork sausage

Find RECIPES for making pork sausage

GOOGLE: free pork sausage making recipes

MANY hits ...

I liked this one:
Homemade Sausage Making Recipes
Homemade Sausage Making Recipes from TheSpicySausage.com

*******

Things I remember from reading in the past:

1 - Have meat COLD when grinding. This is to keep the fat as small pieces. If you grind the meat at room temperature the fat can liquefy and totally change the texture of the sausage. COLD ground sausage will stay juicy with retained fat when cooked. ROOM TEMPERATURE grind and the cooked sausage will be dry since the fat has ran out while cooking. COLD means right from the refrigerator.

2 - Salt the meat TWO hours before grinding.

3 - Add spices when grinding the meat. Figure out how much spice per pound - grab about one pound of meat and add the measured spice when grinding. This way the spices will be fairly well mixed at the start.

4 - Do ALL post grinding MIXING COLD! (Reread #1)


Found SOURCE of the information of #1 and #2. It relates to making gyros, but is also applicable to sausages.

The Food Lab: Homemade Greek-American Lamb Gyros | Serious Eats

 

[Moonman]

People mixing up a lot of meat and spices add ICE during the mixing process to help keep it cold.

 

[Dirtman]

Find RECIPES for making pork sausage

GOOGLE: free pork sausage making recipes

MANY hits ...

I liked this one:
Homemade Sausage Making Recipes
Homemade Sausage Making Recipes from TheSpicySausage.com

*******

Things I remember from reading in the past:

1 - Have meat COLD when grinding. This is to keep the fat as small pieces. If you grind the meat at room temperature the fat can liquefy and totally change the texture of the sausage. COLD ground sausage will stay juicy with retained fat when cooked. ROOM TEMPERATURE grind and the cooked sausage will be dry since the fat has ran out while cooking. COLD means right from the refrigerator.

2 - Salt the meat TWO hours before grinding.

3 - Add spices when grinding the meat. Figure out how much spice per pound - grab about one pound of meat and add the measured spice when grinding. This way the spices will be fairly well mixed at the start.

4 - Do ALL post grinding MIXING COLD! (Reread #1)


Found SOURCE of the information of #1 and #2. It relates to making gyros, but is als applicable to sausages.

The Food Lab: Homemade Greek-American Lamb Gyros | Serious Eats

Thanks! Good advice and good site! I'll be spending lots of time there.

 

[Dirtman]

This is a good video. It is about making sausage using store bought meats, but shows the how to's of making sausage on a machine sorta like the one I ordered.

How to Make Homemade Sausage - YouTube