Marianskis for sure. Kutas is good but these guys are the best. They do both imperial and metric, Kutas does imperial only. The most thorough, comprehensive and accurate.
I've made two chicken sausages, only once each, but both were delicious. One was this lemongrass-chicken sausage and another was Buffalo Chicken Sausage from Home Sausage Making that had hot sauce and blue cheese mixed in.
I used thighs for both of them. I think it was skinless in one, skin-on for the other but I don't remember which was which.
Yeah he uses tons of seasoning and I wasn’t sure the first time I made them. If you don’t like fennel don’t do this recipe but I love it so it’s great. I actually bought the one size up grinder from him but only because I had a gift card from work. It’s amazing but I’d have never spent my own money on it. I saw the red wine advice from people and think I’ll try that next time. I’ll say all the sausage I’ve done from him has been amazing. And if you’re looking to smoke without buying an actual smoker I’d recommend buying a smoke tube off Amazon. I use one as an added smoke flavor in my traeger but I’ve done stuff on the grill with it too. They’re only $15 and work great! Link for the one I have below. If I can be of any help let me know! There’s definitely tons of people here that know more than me but if I can help I will.
LIZZQ Premium Pellet Smoker Tube... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06ZZRR7XD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I'll repeat my comment on r/charcuterie for those just on the sub: I've had the STX-3000 Turboforce grinder for about 7 years and put about 100 pounds through it over a weekend over a year, plus occasional other use, and have never had a problem. At some point I may upgrade, but not until this thing craps out.
The easiest and best book I used to get started was “Charcuterie, the craft of salting, smoking, and curing”. I think that is the gateway for a lot of people in the game.
https://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Salting-Smoking-Revised-Updated/dp/0393240053
I use these https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07WK2SHJZ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Had them for years, super durable, can be used for hot and cold, easy to wash off
I bought it from Amazon. I think this is the listing:
Stainless Steel Rib Hanger for WSM https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T9YLYPX?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
I also bought a 12” extension. I got the combination to hang ribs over coals and get some vertical separation, but Ive used the hooks for hanging a few things other than ribs.
I started with the KitenAid attachment and hated it so much for stuffing that I bought this.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWZ6AEI/
I have only used it a few times, but it works SO well.
This is the cheapest one I would consider buying:
Purell Food Service sanitizer. It kills all nasty bugs, salmonella, norovirus, etc in 60 seconds and doesn't need to be wiped off. Theres other options to buy it other than the gallon size.
I used Lem Pre-tubed casing.
https://amazon.com/LEM-Products-1241-Pre-Tubed-Casings/dp/B072BC7V56/
It's more expensive, but I find the casing to be stronger, longer, and easier to use.
Bruce Aidells's Complete Sausage Book : Recipes from America's Premium Sausage Maker https://www.amazon.com/dp/1580081592/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_T4XAG29FW7A54AA6B00E?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
I really liked Bruce Aidells book, lot of traditional recipes and some helpful tips I hadn’t seen elsewhere. 8/10 stars
We have a mods-curated list of recommended books in our sidebar. You may want to check it. My personal recommendation is Marianskis book for sure.
I use this in an electric smoker that is turned off. 6 hours of smoke. Love it. A-MAZE-N AMNS6X6 Maze Sawdust Smoker, Hot or Cold Smoking, 6 x 6 Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078Z2QWTN/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_2PKTGFR5ECPRBWSVRGDB
For only a little more, i would recommend a Hakka 7lb vertical stuffer. It is the perfect size for pork sausage recipes because pork butts typically weigh 6-7 lbs after removing the bone.
Reloading any stuffer creates air pockets so larger is better. This one has really good suction cups feet - no C-clamps.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011RN5QN4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_i_8P7GMTWJZC3BJSSV4E2H
I had literal metal shavings in the ground meat. It was one of the galvanized metal hand crank grinders
It was this style. I don't believe it was thing particular grinder model. But this type of grinder. It may have been my particular grinder or even user error. I just don't trust it anymore. https://www.amazon.com/Grinder-Tabletop-Clamp-Sausage-Cutting/dp/B0000DE4LW/ref=sr\_1\_32\_sspa?keywords=meat+grinder&qid=1643897291&sr=8-32-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEzTzNWTVRaNkM5RTRRJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTMwMjc3M...
Home Production of Quality Meats and Sausages. Once you've worked your way through that book (it'll take awhile) look into the rest of the Marianski books, they're all great.
I used the Madax Ham Press that I got on Amazon, it just makes everything so easy, comes with recipes while producing good results, here’s my Spam
A couple butchers from Tennessee wrote a great book.
Homemade Sausage: Recipes and Techniques to Grind, Stuff, and Twist Artisanal Sausage at Home https://www.amazon.com/dp/1631590731/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_R3Z75BBZ2D6C3BV3WRN1
Your link got mangled somehow, but I was still able to find it, thanks!
https://www.amazon.com/Home-Production-Quality-Meats-Sausages/dp/0982426739/
Better yet, it's available under Kindle Unlimited, so will grab a copy now to take a look, thanks!
My wife bought me the Sausage and Jerky Maker's Bible when I started and it is fantastic. Tons of recipes, easy to understand, lots of pictures.
It was not this expensive when she bought it though, so maybe look elsewhere from Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Sausage-Jerky-Makers-Bible-Charcuterie/dp/0964492229
Roasting might be worth a shot on a small batch. Otherwise how about adding some dry mushroom powder? Haven't tried it myself but I see some on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00RG9E8JM/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_30F127PP15CN34E9R16Q
I have one of the amazon special electric stuffers (they're sold under many names but it looks like this). The fit and finish isn't as good as LEM or a commercial unit, but it works well enough and it's less than half the price. I do about 25# in the same time that I can do 5# on my little LEM hand crank. I've done batches up to 75# and it's a significant labor saver.
Another user just replied with a good recipe, including spice blend. I used a pre-mix spice that I got off Amazon (funnily enough its from the same neighborhood I lived in back in Cape Town).
I shared the below with the butcher. Now that we know it works so well, I’m ready to invest in a grinder and stuffer ourselves. I know I’m cheating by posting something that a butcher made for us using a spice mix we bought. Making our own boerewors is a journey that we’ve started where even looking at recipes is a whole new world to us.
Boerewors · 8l b Beef (suggested cut: Round – top or bottom – trimmed of sinew – fat is good) · 4 lb Pork (suggested cut: Pork belly) We want to aim for an 80:20 ratio with 80% meat and 20% fat overall (rather too much fat - up to 25% than too little).
· 0.44 lb Spice mix (I’ll provide) · 0.8 lb Ice cold water
I have a stuffer but I also have one of these: Stuffer Gun
It takes 1kg of meat and using 32mm hog casings will give 2.5m of sausages.
It means you can start small and work your way up and if things go pear shaped you haven’t lost too much
yeah i was looking at this it has two speeds and a air vent.
Where I'm from a red-hot is a pickled sausage. I can't help you there.
But if you mean a hot link, I like Two guys and a cooler's Hot link recipe.
They are good resource in that their web recipe scales ingredients to whatever size batch that you are making.
this is what i started with. i’m sure there are nicer ones in the same range, but i have no real complaints about that one.
edit: also i still have it even though i upgraded, if that tells you anything
It happened to me also. I tried only a few times. The last one I had all pieces frozen (almost impossible to touch) and the meat partially frozen. What velocity of kitchenaid should be used?
I have this grinder accessory: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D5PLN2N/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_764TPATWB06M96BEV04W?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1
Hi yes its done with pork shoulder and one coarse grind. The recipes in this book https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0778805352/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_445NXTKE1XD96XKK9TAF its got lots of weird ans wonderful recipes
I used the casing listed below - they are my favorite brand. I believe they are like 30mm-32mm? Basically the size of your average bratwurst.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EZTIGNA?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Ruhlman's book is pretty but is too short and superficial, plus it was caught on rather bad typos in recipes. Kutas is better, a large compendium of recipes and meaningful explanations, but Marianskis is an encyclopedia with a scientific level of description of methods. They also have a book on fermented sausages, but this is a much more complex business.
For future reference for a good starter for smoking is Smoking book Smokin' in the Boys' Room is an excellent starter book for smoking goods and stuff that goes well with them. Its varied but everything she uses are pretty readily available and known ingredients. The woman is kinda a G.
This worked fine for me. Yes it's cheap and plastic but it works fine. I can keep air out of it, control the size of what I'm doing, and I know how much I have in there. The biggest downside is I have to refill it like three times for two pounds of meat but honestly that takes 10 seconds. I'm just starting out too so I wasn't too willing to drop 100 bucks when I don't make too many huge batches. Buying a good electric grinder was a big enough step for me. I'll probably keep the cheap plastic stuffer until it breaks and then upgrade, but for now it works and that's all I wanted. If it doesn't work for you, whatever, you're only out eleven bucks.
You can buy a two gear, 7 lbs capacity sausage stuffer on amazon for a reasonable price. https://www.amazon.com/Sausage-Stuffer-Stainless-Vertical-HAKKA/dp/B011RN5QN4/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=sausage+stuffer&qid=1566378862&s=gateway&sprefix=saus&sr=8-4
The recipe I follow calls for 8 ounces cream per 5lbs of meat. It comes from this book, which i highly recommend.
Not OP, but I've made a similar one a couple times from Home Sausage Making. For 5 lbs:
Grind the meat through small die, mix with all other ingredients except the cheese until tacky, then gently fold in cheese, then stuff.
I used to do a chicken, sundried tomato, and basil that was pretty rockin’. Always wanted to make but never got around to developing a buttermilk and old bay chicken sausage.
Edit- once you feel confident what volume of spices and additions work well I highly recommend this book, The Flavor Bible or their earlier book, Culinary Artistry for solid ingredient pairing suggestions.
And while you're asking the question, if you need to pick some up Amazon has it for super cheap.
There's a set on Amazon with a new blade that's far superior to the old one and a few plates. I've found it to be very worthwhile. Think this is it.
First, no it isn't suitable. Secondly, there are stainless versions for the mixer that are much better. I got this accessory for Christmas and I love it. The cutting blades are not very sharp out of the box but some lapping by hand totally did the trick.
So recently I bought one of these sausage stuffers so that I could make small batches of sausages to try out before mass production. I have been in sausage making bliss. This is potato sausage I made last night. I vac sealed then sous vided at 170 for 1 hour then off to the fridge. The sausage is delicious but I'm going to a 6 hour cold smoke and try them again next week. Stand alone, I think they need some sage but once smoked they may need nothing at all. I'll report back in a week on the new flavor profile.
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On sale for $79.99. Probably not a bad unit for that price. I'm looking for one too. That Huntrite looks good. The 5 lb. tube is a little small. And the crank looks a little "wobbly". But it has to be worlds better than the Kitchenaid attachment. This is the one I'm looking hard at for $141.
Are you talking about grinding it, or stuffing it?
It's a pain to do either without proper tools, if you have a lot to process. A small stuffer (non-affiliate amazon link) can also be found on ebay or antique shops. And there are much cheaper ones than what I linked. Even a bad hammer is better than no hammer at all, so get something cheap that ships there.
A hand grinder is also easily found in hardware stores that carry iron cookwear. Hand cutting is also often done, especially for fat.
I bet you could spend well under $100 and get the things you need for a small batch from a hardware store.
What are you using to poke each individual link? At minimum you should be using, hopefully at least something like this. If you need something to go faster look into a salami pricker
If you're looking for a cookbook, this one hasn't let me down yet
Seconding u/EricInIowa I'd use kimchi base for the flavor. You can probably find it cheaper locally than amazon.
If you want a safer/more achievable sausage I would suggest Bierwurst, specifically I've used the recipe from https://www.amazon.com/Great-Sausage-Recipes-Meat-Curing/dp/0025668609 by Rytek Kutas (also linked from the sidebar). I feel this is a good "next step up" from the Rhulman book, its a bit less hand holding but has a lot of great recipes.
Essentially its a smoked bacon sausage that you then braise in beer. I've done it with both 100% pork and the pork/beef mix with it being equally well received in either case.
This one looks good, although it's $110. Metal gears, 5-7 lbs. I use LEM stuffer for $130. Highly recommend.
Very rough estimate - 1 lb of hog casings would be about 50 yards (150 feet) that would stuff around 50-60 lbs of meat.
Source: 100 yards of casings stuff 100-125 lbs of meat. A package of hog casings that will stuff 100-125 lbs of meat has shipping weight under 2 lbs.
http://www.amazon.de/Saug--Basierte-Wursthersteller-Mit-Trichtern/dp/B00KGZC9QC
I think I could make a pretty decent wurst with those at my disposal. I have no experience with either, but did some translating and searching on amazon.de.
well, you really don't need a grinder if you buy your meat ground already - you really just need casings and a stuffer: http://smile.amazon.com/LEM-Products-Stainless-Vertical-Sausage/dp/B000SQDTRC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1448050520&sr=8-1&keywords=lem+stuffer