Homemade Sausage Making

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StickString Said:

Before I start making a batch of Wild Hog Italian Sausage I just want to verify with you all my math is correct and I will not ruin another batch of sausage.

For 1000g total

400 g Wild Pig
400 g Boston Butt
200 g Back Fat

Should put me at about:
720 g Lean
280 g fat
which should give me a total of about 28% fat ratio. Would anyone change this or do something different?
Thank you very much

Rezed Said

Personally I would not go over 25% fat, and prefer around 20%, so it comes to a matter of taste and preference as opposed to right or wrong amounts. Fresh sausages from your supermarket can have as much as 50% fat! Keep in mind that fat contains almost no water, so when you compare it by volume with lean meat it is considerably bigger and sometimes even 20% will make the sausage look fat.

Good luck with Italian sausage! I love it with a rich spaghetti sauce.

SickString Said:

Thanks Redzed! I have made so many disappointing sausages in the past (learning curve), from poor texture, to dry to no flavor. Others on this site have helped me with texture and moisture and I have found with their expertise and knowledge that adding more fat to wild game seemed to take care of those issues. I plan on using the Italian Sausage Recipe on this site. I made it with venison last and was not very happy. the flavor of the venison over powered the seasonings. so I am hoping wild pig is a better choice. I usually have a lot of wild meat in the box freezer so I am trying to come up with a list of recipes my family and I enjoy using the Wild Meat.

Nick-
I think Redzed originally posted this recipe....its a good one!

http://honest-food.net/sweet-italian-sausage-recipe/

I'm with Rezed on the 20% fat. I know that pork shoulder/butt is generally assumed to be 20% fat, and when I make sausage, I chuck the whole thing in there and the fat level comes out to my liking. I'd go with

480g wild hog (Class I)
400g pork butt
120g back fat

Also, in my extremely short career as a sausage maker, I think that adding water to the sausage is very important. I add anywhere from 3% - 10%, depending on what I'm making. My theory is that the water is bound by the myosin/actin in much the same way that jell-o gelatin binds water when you make jello. I also feel that with the water binding with the proteins, you're essentially making a meat jello (yum!) that will make the sausage lighter and keep it from a dry mouthfeel. Like jello, it's reluctant to let that water go. It all binds together into a sausage shaped terrine, so the amount of mixing is also important to get enough proteins to join the party and keep everything together. I aim for "pretty sticky" and haven't had a crumbly sausage yet. I've also read here that too much fat can make for a crumbly sausage too.

Of course, I may be all wet, but I'm sure someone will let me know if I am!

I posted a recipe for Butterbean when he bagged some wild hog and beaver. He seemed to like it and also came up with some tasty additions to it. Thread is here:

http://wedlinydomowe.pl/en/viewtopic.php?p=36463#36463

Bob K wrote:SickString Said:

Thanks Redzed! I have made so many disappointing sausages in the past (learning curve), from poor texture, to dry to no flavor. Others on this site have helped me with texture and moisture and I have found with their expertise and knowledge that adding more fat to wild game seemed to take care of those issues. I plan on using the Italian Sausage Recipe on this site. I made it with venison last and was not very happy. the flavor of the venison over powered the seasonings. so I am hoping wild pig is a better choice. I usually have a lot of wild meat in the box freezer so I am trying to come up with a list of recipes my family and I enjoy using the Wild Meat.

You're on the right track switching pig for deer on the Italian sausage. I agree with the lower fat content - when I make mine I use lean wild pig, add 20/25% domestic pork fat, and spices. Usually make bulk (ground spiced meat) so the wife can use it in lasagna, etc...

The deer can be strong, I've found that the sex/age/rut affect how strong it tastes - using the stronger venison on smoked/heavily spiced sausages usually keeps the wife happy. (also mixing in a good portion of pork helps)

Couldn't help but chime when I saw the wild hog post. Lol

You want to remember if you are making a sausage that will be cooked in the frying pan or oven, meat from a male (boar) "wild hog" or domestic ,depending on how old he is, USUALLY smells faintly like urine when it is cooked. It doesn't taste bad, just smells bad, and the older the boar, the stronger the smell.
Domestic boar meat is used in hard salami, thuringer .....
Just want you to stay in the wife's good graces ! LOL

I agree. I can't take that boar stench. Sometimes its a faint smell and I'll use boar meat but if it is strong I'll let the buzzards have it because I'm not wasting my time on it. I learned that lesson the hard way.

I kept it simple and made about 25 lbs of black pepper and sage breakfast sausage both linked and loose. Color of the meat had a nice rosy color to it. Flavor is good. I did keep both hams to do something with. What, I don't know yet.



Here was breakfast supper. Biscuits with homemade cane syrup and sausage and eggs. Pretty good meal.



Here is the mince but I don't think the photo does the color justice.

Looks absolutely great! Wish you could send some my way!

I think it has a pretty color and this is without any cure. I bet it would make for some pretty fermented salami. Weather here hasn't been to favorable for that though.

That's gonna leave a mark! Lucky he had extra meat on his bones.

I agree. I don't know why they go at them with a knife. Must be some adrenaline rush or something. That's not for me. Not now anyway. Maybe back when I was younger and invincible but not now.

YUK!

Yikes. Can we make that a link instead of an embedded image??? Some folks may not be ready for that!

Hope you get back in top shape soon!