In this article you will discover the "master ratio" for making sausage from scratch and a few easy steps for making your first batch.
Are you interested in processing more of your own meat and figuring out how to grind, cure, and stuff meats?
Does eating and serving sausages, snack sticks, and jerky that you made with your own hands sound like a rewarding adventure?
We believe the place to start is by making a small batch of fresh sausage. First of all, everyone loves sausage, and while it may seem like rocket science at first, you'll quickly find that it's not that hard to do. After a batch or two of sausage, I think you'll be ready to expand on what you've learned and maybe even tackle some cured meats, such as snack sticks and bacon.
The cool thing about this approach is that you don't have to raise your own pigs or commit to breaking down an entire carcass to make your own sausage. In fact, you can start with one pork butt from your local grocery store!
Sound exciting? Let's dig in!
If you've been cooking outdoors, you know how that process works. We take raw cuts of meat, season them with a dry rub, and cook them with a balance of smoke and heat. Making fresh sausage from scratch takes things a step further by grinding the meat before cooking it to a finished internal temperature.
Note: Fresh sausage does not require a cure.
Basic steps for making fresh sausage:
If you've never made sausage before, it may seem intimidating, especially as you taste various sausages from professionals with secret recipes, but once you understand the ratios of meat to fat and how to build a flavor profile with seasonings, you'll have the formula you need for making a delicious homemade sausage.
The Master Ratio
A good sausage is based on the following ratio of ingredients.
By using this ratio and the list of ingredients printed on the package, you should be able to reverse engineer your favorite store-bought sausage or create some tasty sausages of your own.
The Meat and the Fat
Two keys to a good sausage are a good quality meat and the right amount of fat.
Need fat? We sell fat for adding to sausage and snack sticks in our retail store at 140 W Main Street in New Holland, Pennsylvania.
The Seasoning
Almost every sausage contains salt and a form of pepper. For breakfast sausage, we add some sage; for Italian, we add fennel or anise; and for kielbasa, we add marjoram, an aromatic spice. Cayenne makes a hot sausage and sugar makes a sweet sausage. Paprika and garlic are also common ingredients.
Here is a basic recipe to get you started:
Fresh Garlic Sausage
To make the sausage, debone the pork butt and cut it into chunks small enough to fit into the throat of your grinder. Sprinkle the meat with the seasoning and toss it until the seasoning is evenly distributed. The meat is now ready to grind. After the meat is ground, add the liquid and mix it in.
A note about salt: Never use iodized salt in your sausage. Kosher salt is the perfect kind of salt to use.
Pre-made sausage mixes: In case you'd rather use a store-bought sausage seasoning, we carry a variety of sausage seasoning blends including regular, breakfast, and Italian. Come visit our store at 140 W Main Street in New Holland, Pennsylvania, and we'll be happy to answer your questions and help you choose the seasoning blend that is right for you.
Grinding and Stuffing
We carry LEM's Big Bite Grinders which are designed to grind meat faster and with less clogging than other similar grinders. Our customers love them because of the professional performance they offer at a hobby-level price point, their warranty, and the manufacturer's customer support. If you're in the market for a grinder, we'd be happy to help you choose a grinder that's right for you.
We also carry a variety of collagen and natural casings and sausage stuffers in our store. We invite you to come visit us during store hours and check out our full line of meat processing equipment!
Browse some of our meat processing supplies and equipment here.
There is a lot more that could be said about making sausage, stuffing, choosing casings, etc, but my goal in this article was to show you how easy it is to make your first batch of sausage. I hope you've been inspired to dive in and make some sausage.
If you have any questions that are not covered here, please call us at 717-355-0779 or come visit us and we'd be happy to help you in any way we can.
Cooking
About the author: Lavern Gingerich is a writer and the digital marketing manager for Meadow Creek Barbecue Supply.
