Basic Sausage Making Question

Long-time reader, first-time poster here. I am new to the sausage making game and have a couple of beginner-level questions that I hope you kind people can answer.

I plan on making some sweet italian sausage this weekend, following the recipe in Ruhlman's 'Charcuterie.' His recipe calls for using fat back for the fat component of the sausage. I have never purchased fat back before and am unfamiliar with what it looks like. Taking the recommendations put forth in various messages on this board, I headed up to Peoria Packing for the fat back. While there, I was unable to locate any fat back. I asked an employee where the fat back was, and he guided me to a bin of pork skins (from the back of the pig?) which I suspect, but am not sure, is not what I wanted. Unable to find any fat back, I chose instead to go with a pig belly -- labeled 'fresh bacon' or something similar -- thinking it would be a good substitute and would also provide an opportunity for me to attempt making bacon.

So, here are my questions:

(1) What does fat back look like (photos appreciated) and does it commonly go by any name other than 'fat back'? I am correct in thinking that the pork skins are not the same thing as fat back?

(2) Does it make sense to substitute the pig belly for the back fat? What is the difference between the two parts generally? Is belly leaner? Should I change the ratio of ground belly to ground lean meat (I am using shoulder for the lean) from the Ruhlman recommended 1 lb to 4 lb to some other ratio?

(3) Finally, when using the belly fat, should I trim off the skin before grinding for the sausage?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give.

In my experiences, the fatback that I picked up from Paulina for sausage making came chopped and formed into 1 lb. bricks. Call ahead and they'll likely have them. You can still make it before these close today.

If you are intent on moving forward with the sausages with what you've got, pork belly would likely impart the right amount of fat, but I'd assume a 50%/50% meat fat split and adjust your shoulder accordingly. If I am making meatballs, I like a little skin for texture, but in sausage, I would skin it. A good method is put skin side down, compress, and use a sharp knife to skin the belly.

Make absolutely certain the your meat stays very cold, so the fat doesn't melt into the meat.

Hey ohhh! Fun stuff huh!

Was just at Peoria today picking up some pork belly for some bacon from Charcuterie. I can help a little here, but am not a seasoned expert like some on here.

(1) What does fat back look like (photos appreciated) and does it commonly go by any name other than 'fat back'? I am correct in thinking that the pork skins are not the same thing as fat back?
If I recall correctly, I saw said bin of pork skins. The fat is between the meat and the skin and if I am correct you would have had to trim the skin from that fat. You can typically get back fat at some of the local premium butchers (paulina is a good option) as they will have some frozen. It is kind of a light butter color with a slight pinkish hue. It will be quasi hard.

(2) Does it make sense to substitute the pig belly for the back fat? What is the difference between the two parts generally? Is belly leaner? Should I change the ratio of ground belly to ground lean meat (I am using shoulder for the lean) from the Ruhlman recommended 1 lb to 4 lb to some other ratio?
I do not think this will substitute well as the belly is typically a mix between meat, skin, and fat. Back fat will be 100% fat. So this would throw off your ratios a lot. My assumption is you could use it just fine if you trim off all the skin, but your sausage would not have as much flavor if you leave the meat in there (fat = flavor). If you can trim all the meat and skin off, and have a comparable amount of fat to what it calls for, you are in business!


(3) Finally, when using the belly fat, should I trim off the skin before grinding for the sausage?
Yes.



Additionally, depending on the thickness, you could take the pork belly and cure to make some bacon (VERY EASY), just would need to get some pink salt.

We just started a batch of duck prosciutto, batch of the savory bacon, and a batch of the sweet bacon.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out!

Here is a quick shot I grabbed of a small piece of frozen NR fatback. It wieghs about 5 lbs. The original piece weighed about 15 lbs.




I really don't use this much for the kind of sausage you plan to make. Pork butt, untrimmed, has about the 70% lean / 30% fat ratio I prefer for sausage. I buy fatback in bulk and render it for making fresh lard for frying, tamales, etc.

Bill/SFNM

In my experience, fatback, which basically looks like pearly white fat in block form, is wonderful but not absolutely necessary. You basically need about 30% fat, by weight, to acheive the proper texture in most sausage. Belly, which I'd say is about 50% fat, would work just fine -- combined with some leaner pork -- but it might be a waste to grind it into sausage. I've made sausage using only shoulder and butt -- without additional fat -- and it's been perfectly lovely. Just make sure that the butt has a lot of fat on it and is not trimmed. That will usually be enough to get you where you need to be. These are inherently fatty cuts that are perfect for sausage-making

There are some recipes that call specifically for the inclusion of skin but for sweet Italian, I'd leave it out.

FYI, one great place to get high-quality fatback is from Niman Ranch's web site. They sell it in 5-pound sheets. When I receive it, I divide it into 1/2-pound pieces, then vacuum seal it (wrapping it well would suffice) and store it in the freezer. When I make sausage, I have it ready for use in perfect batch increments.

As was posted above, make sure everything -- meat and equipment -- is as cold as possible. Best to store the grinder attachments in the freezer for at least a few hours before use. Meat (and fat) should be very cold but not frozen. If possible, grind the meat into a bowl that is surrounded by another bowl that is filled with ice or ice water. During the process, you want to make sure that the meat and fat never rise above 40 degrees F or you risk losing your emulsion and producing crumbly, greasy sausage. The methodology laid out in Charcuterie is fantastic, so if you follow it, you will have very good results.

Good luck!

=R=

Nice shot, Bill

Thanks,

=R=

Thanks for the tips, everyone.

Based on this advice, I'm going to add about 2.5-3 pounds of skinned pork belly to the 4 lbs of pork butt. My thought is that more belly than back fat would be needed to account for the fact that belly is leaner. I plan to use Ruhlman's bacon recipe to cure the renaming belly.

I've made sausage about two times in the past, both times using pancetta to add fat to the pork butt. On one of these occasions, I ran into a bit of trouble when doing the grind. The blade of my grinder (I use the kitchen aid grinder attachment) kept getting gristle or fat wrapped around it (hard for me to tell which). At the time, I assumed this was because I had cut the pieces too large or not been fastidious enough about removing silver skin and connective tissue. I had chilled all the tools for about an hour, so I thought that I was OK in the temperature department. Based on your suggestions, this time I will chill overnight. Any thoughts as to how careful one ought to be about avoiding gristle to ensure a problem-free grind?

Back to preparing the meat for the spices....

Southsidermike,

I'll be making some Italian Sausage this weekend, too. The recipe is my Italian MILs. But, she'd never heard of fatback and I was determined to find and add it. I also make an excellent breakfast sausage that I make very similarly, but with different spices.

The first time we found a pearly while block at a European market...labeled in Polish. We took a chance. She didn't want to use it. So, I ground it all and added it some. I had some left and she put it in hers. Later, she said it was the best sausage she'd made.

I do think it does make a difference. Her sausage was always great, but this really did give us better taste and a bit more fat, making it juicier. We leave out some of the hard fat from the butt as it can be chewy or leave hard bits. So, we need some of this to make up for what we take out. This really does make a difference for us. Some people would never care. And some people prefer the harder fat because it's more typical and offers some chewiness. Our family dislikes any form of hard pieces, gristle, etc., so for us, this is necessary, lol. The family has names for them like yanks and shanks and goombas, lol. When we buy other sausage, someone is always complaining about what they find.

I have purchased the fatback at several other places. The best was that European market (I can't remember which one...wish I could); the worst is at one of my favorite meat places, Paulina. Here lately comes pre-ground in 1 pound packets; the pieces are little chunks, maybe 1/4"x1/4". In years past, it came in blocks, but not the last time. This didn't grind in the grinder --it sort of just went right through and came out about the same--so I mixed it in thinking it would melt when fried. But, it didn't; it let left little chunks of fat and some of them aren't soft, but are chewy. It was OK in the Italian - maybe because it cooks longer - but not in the breakfast sausage.

I've also gotten fatback at a Mexican market. I found the term on here and wrote it down and took it with me. Another place I was successful was the meat market on Cicero - maybe around Belmont? I can't remember, but I found it listed on here. I called ahead of time and he kept it set aside for me. It worked about as well as the first place I found it.

To the mix, I have been a bit meticulous to find out the right mix. When I cut up the meat, I put it in several piles: all/mostly lean, 50% mix of lean and fat, all/mostly fat, then the hard fat that I don't use. My MIL is also meticulous about cutting. She cuts out every oddity found. Veins, discolorations, you name it, it comes out. It takes us a long time to cut it like this.

Then I grind it up by type - all the lean in one bowl, all the fat in another, etc. I add some fatback to the fat bowl before I grind it. I weigh it out and then mix it based on the blend I want of fat and lean. Too lean is just too healthy. It's dry and icky. Too much fat and none of us like it. I can't find my notes on the Italian, but for the breakfast, we use 4 parts lean, 2 parts 50/50, and 2 parts fat. I seem to think the Italian is about the same, but maybe a bit more lean?

You may have already made it or wish to do it differently.

Cevapcici is another tasty, easy sausage to make while you are grinding .

SouthSiderMike wrote:Thanks for the tips, everyone.

Based on this advice, I'm going to add about 2.5-3 pounds of skinned pork belly to the 4 lbs of pork butt. My thought is that more belly than back fat would be needed to account for the fact that belly is leaner. I plan to use Ruhlman's bacon recipe to cure the renaming belly.

I've made sausage about two times in the past, both times using pancetta to add fat to the pork butt. On one of these occasions, I ran into a bit of trouble when doing the grind. The blade of my grinder (I use the kitchen aid grinder attachment) kept getting gristle or fat wrapped around it (hard for me to tell which). At the time, I assumed this was because I had cut the pieces too large or not been fastidious enough about removing silver skin and connective tissue. I had chilled all the tools for about an hour, so I thought that I was OK in the temperature department. Based on your suggestions, this time I will chill overnight. Any thoughts as to how careful one ought to be about avoiding gristle to ensure a problem-free grind?

Back to preparing the meat for the spices....

Adding pancetta shouldn't be a problem in and of itself, as it pertains to the grinder. The KA is reliable and very good and it should handle it without issue. Cutting into 1"-2" cubes is the best bet with the KA. The stuffer on the KA is really crap, though, so while it's good for bulk sausage, it you're going to encase them, you should probably look at getting a dedicated stuffer. Another issue with using pancetta is that it's cured, so it's going to greatly alter the profile of the finished product. It will most likely be very tasty but it won't match your target. Fwiw, Paula Wolfert's recipe for Toulouse Sausage calls for pancetta (or salt pork in the first edition) and it's utterly delicious. I made this using my KA and it worked out very well.

Also, regarding chilling the seasoned meat overnight, Ruhlman calls for this and it does make a difference. The salt and seasonings work their way into the meat and produce a better sausage, IMO. I have kept the seasoned, cubed meat in the fridge for a couple of days before grinding and always with good results.

I wouldn't get too nutty trimming the pork. You do want to remove the huge pieces of sinew and silver skin but leaving the smaller pieces intact will not adversely effect the grinder or the final product.

One other tip . . . after you bind the meat mixture (after grinding it), don't let it sit more than a few minutes. It contains salt and will really stiffen up if you let it sit too long. That can make stuffing it a really chore.

Looking forward to reading about how it goes (or "went," as it were)

Good luck,

=R=

ViewsAskew wrote:Another place I was successful was the meat market on Cicero - maybe around Belmont? I can't remember, but I found it listed on here. I called ahead of time and he kept it set aside for me. It worked about as well as the first place I found it.

Chicago Meat Market
3021 N Cicero Ave
Chicago, IL 60641
773 777-7116

ViewsAskew wrote:To the mix, I have been a bit meticulous to find out the right mix. When I cut up the meat, I put it in several piles: all/mostly lean, 50% mix of lean and fat, all/mostly fat, then the hard fat that I don't use. My MIL is also meticulous about cutting. She cuts out every oddity found. Veins, discolorations, you name it, it comes out. It takes us a long time to cut it like this.

Then I grind it up by type - all the lean in one bowl, all the fat in another, etc. I add some fatback to the fat bowl before I grind it. I weigh it out and then mix it based on the blend I want of fat and lean. Too lean is just too healthy. It's dry and icky. Too much fat and none of us like it. I can't find my notes on the Italian, but for the breakfast, we use 4 parts lean, 2 parts 50/50, and 2 parts fat. I seem to think the Italian is about the same, but maybe a bit more lean?

I personally find this type of approach to be unnecessary. I used to do it similarly, then -- for sake of experimentation -- took a much more casual approach and found the results to be almost identical.

=R=

Working with pork shoulder, you should have a lot of leeway for addition of fat. The cut has a "healthy" amount as it is. After my first pork sausage, I made 2 of the poultry sausages from Chacuterie, the Chicken/Tomato/Basil and the Duck sausage, both required very careful attention to fat amounts. Next I did a venison/rosemary/juniper berry sausage freestyle which I treated just like the chicken recipe since venison is so lean.

With this in mind, I found that the technique is much more important than the recipe. As long as you taste (cook it first) before you stuff, you will be fine taste wise.

ViewsAskew wrote:To the mix, I have been a bit meticulous to find out the right mix. When I cut up the meat, I put it in several piles: all/mostly lean, 50% mix of lean and fat, all/mostly fat, then the hard fat that I don't use. My MIL is also meticulous about cutting. She cuts out every oddity found. Veins, discolorations, you name it, it comes out. It takes us a long time to cut it like this.

Then I grind it up by type - all the lean in one bowl, all the fat in another, etc. I add some fatback to the fat bowl before I grind it. I weigh it out and then mix it based on the blend I want of fat and lean. Too lean is just too healthy. It's dry and icky. Too much fat and none of us like it. I can't find my notes on the Italian, but for the breakfast, we use 4 parts lean, 2 parts 50/50, and 2 parts fat. I seem to think the Italian is about the same, but maybe a bit more lean?

ronnie_suburban wrote:I personally find this type of approach to be unnecessary. I used to do it similarly, then -- for sake of experimentation -- took a much more casual approach and found the results to be almost identical.

=R=

That's one of the reasons this board is so nice; what you find unnecessary, I find makes a difference. People can read both (and other ideas) and decide what works for them. I started the other way - I was casual first, then read on a sausage making site (a company that makes sausage) that they separate the meat to be able to be very specific in their forumlas. It's definitely not for everyone and some people would never notice. We do - I can replicate with ease and I wasn't having success without doing it. Some people don't find fatback necessary either and we do. Lots of different ways to do this and none are right or wrong.

ViewsAskew wrote:Some people don't find fatback necessary either and we do. Lots of different ways to do this and none are right or wrong.

It's funny, because while I would vehemently categorize it as unnecessary, I no longer make sausage without it and always make sure to have it on hand.

Have you tried Niman Ranch's fatback? You'd probably enjoy it very much.

=R=

Running into a bit of a snag. I chilled the tools in the freezer overnight and chilled the seasoned meat overnight in the refrigerator. Also, I put the seasoned meat in the freezer for about a half hour before grinding. Despite this, I am getting very frequent smears - not more than 10 seconds of grinding after I clear the blade and die each time. I think the problem must be the blade is too dull, so my plan is to try to find someone to sharpen them. Do you all think this is the likely cause of the problem?

SouthSiderMike wrote:Running into a bit of a snag. I chilled the tools in the freezer overnight and chilled the seasoned meat overnight in the refrigerator. Also, I put the seasoned meat in the freezer for about a half hour before grinding. Despite this, I am getting very frequent smears - not more than 10 seconds of grinding after I clear the blade and die each time. I think the problem must be the blade is too dull, so my plan is to try to find someone to sharpen them. Do you all think this is the likely cause of the problem?

Could be. Also make sure you have tightened down the chopping mechanism as much as possible - not just by hand, but using the wrench that comes with most grinders. Also, rather than chilling in the refrigerator, I place the cubes of meat in the freezer for 15-30 minutes.

Bill/SFNM

SouthSiderMike wrote:Running into a bit of a snag. I chilled the tools in the freezer overnight and chilled the seasoned meat overnight in the refrigerator. Also, I put the seasoned meat in the freezer for about a half hour before grinding. Despite this, I am getting very frequent smears - not more than 10 seconds of grinding after I clear the blade and die each time. I think the problem must be the blade is too dull, so my plan is to try to find someone to sharpen them. Do you all think this is the likely cause of the problem?

Not sure. In all the years I used the KA, I never had this problem and I never sharpened the blade, either. If this is one of your first times using the KA, I doubt it's the blade but that doesn't mean it isn't. My guess is that it's something else. As Bill suggested above, perhaps this indicates that the grinder is not set-up adequately or tightened down all the way. You can get smear if you have too much sinewy material in the meat or if the blade is not properly secured against the plate. Have you tried running the KA on speed 2? That might also help. Other than that, I'm not really sure what to suggest.

=R=

I am not going to be able to get the blade sharpened for at least another day, so perhaps I'll refreeze the tools and try again later on. Ronnie, your comment about having never sharpened your blades makes me wonder whether that is really the problem. I've probably only used the grinder blade 5 or 6 times so far. On the KA, is there anything to tighten other than the plastic ring that goes over the die? I had that on securely, but didn't ensure that it was as tight as I could get it. Also, this time I will leave the meat in the freezer until it gets slight crunchy feeling before grinding. I hope to avoid going back through the meat and trying to pick out any remaining sinew, but that may be my last resort. I question whether the sinew is really the problem based on ronnie's and others' comments about how careful one needs to be when cutting up the meat. Thanks again for all the advice.

Another thing that Ruhlman mentions in to make certain that the cubes of meat are small enough to run through the hopper without pushing it through. It seems that if the sinew is long enough to gum up the works that the pieces may be larger than desired.

SSM: I've had the same problems with my KA grinder attachment, but my attachment is a very old version of it. Also never had the blade sharpened, but I don't think it's the blade causing the problem--more likely, the sinewy bits.

I found an easy solution to the problem in my own Adventures in Sausage-Making: have the butcher where you buy the meat grind it to your specs. Not only is it less wear and tear on your KA, it cuts out a whole lotta time.

(Pre-tubed casings are another of my favorite discoveries from that adventure.)

I made about 80 pounds of various sausages (boudin, breakfast, family recipe) over Christmas at my brother's house, and he has a dedicated grinder he bought from Cabela's. If sausage-making is going to be more than an occasional whim, you might consider getting a separate grinder.

Success! The problem was that I had not tightened nearly enough the ring of the KA grinder attachment that secures the die and blade. I had thought that over-tightening the assembly would create friction between the blade and die, which would result in unwanted heat. I overlooked the fact that the blade and die need to be tightly pressed against each other in order for any cutting to effectively occur. In hindsight, this problem seems obvious, but sure didn't this morning. I thank each of you for your suggestions, which lead me to identifying my mistake.

Excellent discovery.

Because I have an older grinder...I'm curious if they're built the same way. Does your blade attach by wing-nut? I think I may be missing a piece.

crrush wrote:SSM: If sausage-making is going to be more than an occasional whim, you might consider getting a separate grinder.

Heartily agree. It makes it so much faster and easier. The first time we used the new dedicated grinder, I was astonished at the difference. Man, can you put a lot of mean through it quickly.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

ViewsAskew wrote:Some people don't find fatback necessary either and we do. Lots of different ways to do this and none are right or wrong.

It's funny, because while I would vehemently categorize it as unnecessary, I no longer make sausage without it and always make sure to have it on hand.

Have you tried Niman Ranch's fatback? You'd probably enjoy it very much.

=R=

I haven't. I look at the price and some of my Polish peasant ancestors terrorize me for days, lol. But, I know I'd really love it. One of these days I'll break down. For now, I'm headed to Chicago Meat Market tomorrow for my next batch.

Taking out some of the harder fat really does make the fatback essential. Without it, we'd have dry as a bone sausage. Of course, we could leave the other fat in, but it really does lead to a different taste, texture, and mouthfeel. So, essential? Guess it depends on what you want your eating experience to be like.

So, if you went somewhere where you may or may not have access to a butcher (e.g. Peoria Packing - the day I went the guy really knew his stuff, but I've heard otherwise from others, I guess it depends on who you draw) how would you ask for fatback? I mean, I know it's the shoulder fat, but what's the primal cut if they haven't broken it down yet? Would it be still attached to the Boston Butt? Or do they just not sell the stuff?

If I ever get the "free" venison, I'm planning to turn him into Italian Sausages, and will most likely need a good source of pure fat.

Mhays wrote:If I ever get the "free" venison, I'm planning to turn him into Italian Sausages, and will most likely need a good source of pure fat.

I highly recommend mixing some pork shoulder in with a venison sausage--a 50/50 mix. Venison is too dry; you'd have to mix in so much fat, it would be kinda nasty. The breakfast sausage we made was a 50-50 pork/venison blend (with sage--tasty!), with some extra fat cut from a ham added in.

Mhays wrote:how would you ask for fatback? I mean, I know it's the shoulder fat, but what's the primal cut if they haven't broken it down yet? Would it be still attached to the Boston Butt? Or do they just not sell the stuff?

My understanding is that it is literally on the back of the hog, sitting atop the back ribs. It is commonly broken down into lard.

crrush wrote:

Mhays wrote:If I ever get the "free" venison, I'm planning to turn him into Italian Sausages, and will most likely need a good source of pure fat.

I highly recommend mixing some pork shoulder in with a venison sausage--a 50/50 mix. Venison is too dry; you'd have to mix in so much fat, it would be kinda nasty. The breakfast sausage we made was a 50-50 pork/venison blend (with sage--tasty!), with some extra fat cut from a ham added in.

I did a 4 lbs venison/1 lb fatback blend with rosemary, kosher salt, juniper berries, and red wine and mine turned out very well. It wasn't italian sausage to be certain, but it was very good. I don't think that you need 50/50 blend, especially if you want to taste venison. Of course, if you prefer pork sausage texture, adjust accordingly.

I have also readthat it is atop the back - now, this assumes the wiki is correct, but I think it's consistent with other things I've read.