Homemade Sausage Question

[Jewel]

I'm going to make homemade breakfast sausage tonight or tomorrow, and I don't think I have time to break out my new meat grinder and learn how to use it first! To save time I was going to buy ground pork and possibly ground turkey to mix together. I have the Penzey's 'Breakfast Sausage Seasoning' but I think I'm going to have to add some crushed red pepper to it.

Anyway, when I have found ground pork it seems to be very high in fat. Do you think it would be too dry if I cut it with ground turkey? Penzey's bottle doesn't really give directions as to how much seasoning to use per lb, so I wondered if there was a ratio known? I'm not using a sausage stuffer, just making patties. Any advice would help since I'm a sausage virgin! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

If I find the time I may pull out the new electric grinder and see how hard it is to put together, and if I can do that, what cut of pork would you recommend for breakfast sausage that has a good fat/lean ratio without being too fatty? Thanks!

[sneezles]

Jewel,
If you are using ground turkey the fat content will be high enough that you won't need any ground pork. If you are using ground turkey breast though you will need some fat but you could mix it with ground turkey and not the pork. Here is a recipe that might interest you:



Peggy
Spicy Turkey Breakfast Patties

Ingredients


1-1/4 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup minced onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes, crushed
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions
Combine all the ingredients except the oil in a large mixing bowl, and stir well but do not overmix. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Shape the turkey mixture into twelve patties about 2-1/2 inches in diameter. Heat the oil in a large skillet, and brown the patties, over medium heat, on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Then reduce the heat to medium low, cover the skillet, and cook, turning the patties occasionally, until they are crisp and cooked through, about 6 minutes. (You may have to do this in two batches.) Serve immediately.
Yield: 12 patties

Credits
From: New Basics Cookbook by Julee Rosso & Sheila Lukins (Workman Publishing)
Shared by Peggy, Home Cooking Guide

[browneye]

Hey, Jewel, you have been a busy little bee lately, no? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
I have made sausage with ground turkey, ground chicken, and ground pork. I have found that a very lean pork like a pork loin roast produces tasty sausage, however I left some of the fat trim on, for some amount of moisture. I have mixed pork and chicken, pork and turkey, all with good success. I have made very good sausage with just plain ground chicken, also. I have the book "Flying Sausage" which offers some good chicken sausage recipes.
I use my KitchenAid with a meat grinder attachment-very quick and easy. I have made patties so far, but ordered some casing and have to try to stuff some!
If you add a little ground (or very finely chopped)apple to your sausage, it will add moisture without adding any fat, and is very good in breakfast sausage, with pork, turkey or chicken.
I have another book that covers all sausage making, primarily lowere-fat versions, and I will go find that later today, and see if I can come up with some more ideas for you.
Ciao'

[Wendy w]

browneye: My BF wants to make sausage and we are thinking of giving some to our friends for Christmas-they love our home made food gifts.

Anyway,I have bought him 2 books (including Bruce Aidell's, which he loves)and some seasonings from the Spice House (they cost a bit less than Penzy's). Where do you order your casings from? I have told him that I would prefer for him to make patties first for practice before graduating to using casings. When the time comes, I would like to order some.

Thanks!

[ReneeV]

Hi Jewel,

I just made sausage with the Penzey breakfast sausage mix about 2 weeks ago. I used equal parts ground pork loin trimmed of visable fat. (I gound it myself with my Kitchenaid meat grinding attachment), and 93% lean ground turkey. I believe that the Penzey mix calls for 1 T of seasoning per pound. I found this mix to be too mild, so I added some additional seasoning - sage and red pepper and thyme. I also add about 1/3 c of *very* softly cooked rice, mashed with a potato masher, per pound of meat. You can't taste it and it helps hold the moisture in the meat, giving it a mouth feel more like traditional sausage. I got this tip from a quirkly cookbook called "Good Stuff". I did stuff mine in casings, but I'm sure it will be equally as good in patties.

I also made the bratwurst using the Penzey mix. It was very good! It too, calls for 1 T per pound of meat. The only addition I made was 1 T of dry buttermilk powder per 2 lbs of meat, making it more like deli brats. We loved them! I poached them in beer and then grilled them until brown. I used 3 lbs of ground pork loin, 2 lbs 97% lean ground turkey and 1 lb of 97% lean ground beef. Added 2 cups of soft rice, mashed, 6 T of Penzey brat spices, 3 T buttermilk powder and a little water to make the mixing easier. Then I stuffed it in casings. It turned out really good!

Hope this helps. Enjoy!

Renée

[Jewel]

Sneezles and Browneye, you're both wonderful! Thanks for the ideas! Yes, I have been a busy little bee, but you gotta realize that after Monday I'm going to be sitting on my butt for a couple of weeks. I'll be sleeping in the recliner, snacking on Demerol caplets, and trying to find a comfy position to lay/sit/sleep/stand in that doesn't pinch the two attractive drain tubes that are perilously hanging from my nether region! I'll need help even trying to perch on the commode...sheesh! http://131.1.23.172/bbs/rolleyes.gif
I'm trying to get as much food bought, prepped and frozen that I can before Monday, and I'd like to have the stuff that isn't premade at least planned well enough to not have to go to the store every day like I usually do!

Browneye I LOVE your suggestion regarding the apples! Any suggestions on what variety would work well? I have Braeburn and GrannySmith at home right now that I'd like to use up, which would be better? YUM! I may have to break out that grinder. In the catalog photo it was all put together, of course, looked like you just plugged it in and stuffed the meat chunks inside. Got it home, opened the box, and wow...so many steel moving parts! Looks like a Tonka or Lincoln Log puzzle from childhood. If I get that going, I'll probably use a Pork Loin as you've suggested. Pork and apple with crushed red pepper? Alongside the French Toast Souffle?? Dang I'm cool... http://131.1.23.172/bbs/wink.gif

By the way, Browneye, if you pass Kirkland on Monday morning say a little prayer! I'll be on that table from 8am-10am! http://131.1.23.172/bbs/biggrin.gif

[Jewel]

Whoops! Double post!

[This message has been edited by Jewel (edited 05-10-2001).]

[Wendy w]

http://www.harrythecat.com/graphics/k/links8.gif I'm bumping this up to get browneye's attention.

By the way, good luck on Monday, Jewel. You will be in my thoughts. http://www.harrythecat.com/graphics/k/flower31.gif

[browneye]

Oh Hi I'm here!

Jewel, I would go with the Granny Smith, I think... I love the way they cook up with great apple flavor. I am not entirely sure how much to recommend, however I know that a little goes quite a long way. What I do when I make sausage, is I grind and season all the meat, then I have a little bitty frying pan all heated up on the stove, I fry a bite-size patty and taste test, then adjust seasonings and so on. I LOVE apple sausages.
I live in Redmond- will you be at Evergreen on Monday? I'll say big prayers for ya!
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif
Another idea I read in my sausage-making book, is to add cooked potatoes to your sausage, to add moisture and reduce the fat content. I am going to try that when I stuff my casings!

[Jewel]

Thanks Wendy, and Browneye...and I'll be in Kirkland right NEXT to Evergreen. My surgeon has his own surgery suite attached to his office so I don't have to do the hospital admission thing. It's an outpatient surgery. First time after 6 hours on the table I laid there for about 15 minutes to rid myself of the haze, then my husband helped me to the car! This time is about 2 hours and then the same thing. I'd much rather recuperate at home anyway. Because you're hunched over for a week or so and you can't bend and twist, it's funny trying to prepare for this thing. Women have actually velcroed the remote control to the recliner! A friend of mine dropped the remote control and had to call her hubby at work to come home and pick it up off the floor for her! That's one reason my parents are coming tonight, to stay with me while DH is at work all day. Someone's gotta help me pee... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

As for the sausage, I used the Braeburn! I put in about 1/3 cup for 2 lbs of ground pork loin. I used the Penzey's seasoning, but I also added more sage and about 1/4 tsp (or more) of crushed red pepper. It's in the freezer right now, and I'll defrost it tonight to make tomorrow with the souffle. Should be good! Thanks for all the tips. I probably should have fried up a bit, but I didn't think about it! I may do that first thing after defrosting, and then re-season before I make everyone else's! Thanks again!

[Jewel]

Deb I can't tell you about the book, but I CAN tell you about my new toy. I don't have the counterspace for a KitchenAid mixer (grrrrr....) so I couldn't buy a handy-dandy attachment for the mixer to make it easy, but I did buy a Villaware Electric Meatgrinder for $99. I used it for the first time last night, and I'm already hooked! Haven't even tried the sausage yet but I am hooked on what it can do.

DH and I love sausage on pizza, as well as breakfast patties. He's a big Keilbasa fan and I was raised in CA so I love Chorizo. I nearly faint every time we walk into Costco and I have to smell their wonderful Polish Sausage Hot Dogs at the little stand conveniently located at the front of the store to aromatically ASSAULT me every time I walk in! The only sausage that we allowed ourselves was the Healthy Choice breakfast patties. Now, they're discontinued, of course. We were left Sausageless-In-Seattle!
http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif I thought of making my own, but when I found Ground Pork in the store that actually had a nutrition label, I was aghast to find that 'the other white meat' had 30 grams of fat per 4 oz serving! I started searching, and found this Electric Grinder. At the urging of others on this BB I bought lean pork loin last night. It ground up as perfect as you please! The loin has about 10 grams of fat (I believe) per 4 oz serving. That I can handle!! I plan on making spicy Italian Sausage for pizzas, manicotti and lasagna, and I also want to try to get my hands on some casings and make Chorizo. I can mix lean ground Turkey Breast with the pork to lean it up even more!

Even though the darn thing scared me in the beginning, after I actually used it I was so impressed. Easy to take apart and clean, and worth that extra effort. In fact, I can't wait to sit down to breakfast tomorrow morning and tell my visiting parents that their tasty breakfast sausage that they're gobbling up with that French Toast Souffle was actually born a pork loin!

In a few weeks I'll invest in a sausage cookbook and see what else I can make. DH even wants to get lean beef cuts on sale and make our own XL ground beef, which I would love. I highly recommend this little piece of equipment. I also like the idea that I KNOW what goes into my sausage. I work in Food Equipment, and in my last job toured meat plants. You would not believe what goes on in those places. I will never eat another hot dog! At least when I make the stuff I know how fresh the ingredients are, and exactly WHAT the ingredients are! By the way, you may want to stay away from packaged beef jerky too.... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif

Hope this helps! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[deb]

OK Jewel, you have my interest. You brought the subject up so you must not leave me hanging....what goes on that makes you say those things about hotdogs and jerky? Go ahead...I can take it...
Please keep this thread going if you come across any new great ideas. I am really interested but will not be able to try anything for myself in the next couple weeks since I'm going on vacation, but this is on the top of my list when I get back.

[deb]

oh by the way Jewel, sausageless-in-seattle....arrrrrrhhh!arrrrhhh! I see a new movie in the works! Part1, sleapless-in-seattle is one of my favorite movies!

[Jewel]

Deb, I thought it was pretty well known that hot dogs (unless they're 100% beef) are made with all kinds of 'parts'. Of course, it says 100% beef, but it doesn't specify which PART of the beef, now does it? I've honestly never seen the ingredients, but when I was visiting plants in California and Minnesota last year I saw some of the filthiest conditions at those places. The rumors around the plants are that Lips and Tails are still considered 'beef'! (Does a cow have lips??)

I HAVE seen up close and personal a very, very popular Beef Jerky processing plant in Western Washington. You wouldn't believe what I had to step over, around, and through to get around that plant. Beef was laying all over the place drying, and I saw many insects and cobwebs in the corners and on some of the older equipment. I was there helping service a piece of our equipment, and I had a big 'ol flying bug get under my hardhat, and the Maintenance Manager just pulled my hat off, dumped the bug on the floor, squashed it, put my hardhat back on me and kept on talking about their Quality Control! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/eek.gif

I make my own beef jerky now, after marinating thin-sliced flank steak in soy sauce and garlic, then spreading across a baking sheet before I go to bed, and 'dry' at 175 degrees for about 8-9 hours! Tastes much better and I know there's no flying bugs in my oven!

[Wendy w]

Jewel, My BF and I make jerky too but we use a dehydrator. We also make our own "sundried" tomatoes and dry assorted vegetables for powders. Roasted garlic, red pepper and dried celery work great!

[browneye]

I have two sausage making books. One is the "Flying Sausage" cookbook-by Bruce Aidell. It is all poultry sausage ideas. I just tore my kitchen apart looking for it , what a fruitless search that was... another perfect example of my superb organizational skills at home...
I posted a recipe from that book on another thread.I copied and pasted it here:

I love Bruce Aidell's Spicy Louisiana Sausage, which DH and I make in large batches in the KitchenAid grinder, then freeze. It is really great for everything from breakfast, tossing into casseroles, quesadillas, chowder, etc. Here is the recipe for those of you who haven't yet acquired his book.

Spicy Louisiana Sausage
2 cups sliced onions
1 1/2 pounds boned chicken thighs without skin (about 2 pounds with bones) or 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1 1/2 pounds boned turkey thighs without skin (about 2 pounds with bones) or 1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 pound bacon, cut into pieces
1 1/2 tblsp chopped garlic
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp. dried sage
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp English style dry mustard
2 tsp yellow mustard seed
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup paprika
4 tsp. kosher salt
1 tblsp freshly ground black pepper

Simmer the onions in water to cover until translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Cool under cold running water, and drain. (Make sure the onions are cool. They can be made ahead of time and refreigerated for later use. ) Coarsely grind the onions with the chicken, turkey, and bacon or chop coarsely in batches in a food processor. If using previously ground chicken or turkey, coarsely grind or chop the onions and bacon and mix thoroughly with the ground poultry. Add the remaining ingredients to the ground meat mixture in a large bowl or plastic tub and blend thoroughly with your hands. Fry a small patty until done and taste for salt, pepper and seasonings. Divide the sausage into 7 or 8 portions, wrap tightly in plastic wrap (I use my food saver here) and refrigerate or freeze for later use. Makes 7-8 1/2 pound packages.

These are really quite simple and yummy!

Anyway, the other one is called "Home Sausage Making-healthy low-salt, low-fat recipes" by Charles Reavis. There are lots of poultry sausage recipes, as well as reduced fat ideas.
Also, in the J/F 2001 CL issue, there is a "Atsa spicy pizza sausage" recipe, that combines turkey with the pork to reduce the fat. I have made that one as well, and I like it too!
You can enjoy lower fat sausage, making it yourself is really fun!
Yummy apple sausage!
Ciao'
http://www.harrythecat.com/graphics/k/apple1.gif

[This message has been edited by browneye (edited 05-11-2001).]

[This message has been edited by browneye (edited 05-11-2001).]

[browneye]

Wendy-
I order my casings online here is the link: http://alliedkenco.com/stuffer.htm
They have casings, grinders, books, etc... all on sausage making.

[Wendy w]

Thanks browneye!!! http://www.harrythecat.com/graphics/k/hotdog1.gif

[deb]

I love sausage but never buy it because it is so high in fat. Browneye, can you tell me a little more about your sausage cookbooks? Does the "flying sausage" book have many good recipes for lower fat sausage? You mentioned that you have another one that is primarily a low fat sausage book. What is the name and who is the author? How do you like it? Does anyone know if CL has low fat sausage recipes? You guys have posted some really good suggestions so far. I'm inspired! Thanks!