steve12:
I want to make bulk sausage. My experience is very limited. I remember making some for a pizzeria that I worked for 12 years ago but cant quite remember how we made it. I have a Hobart 60 qt mixer and a grinder attatchment.
If you grind your own meat, one thing to keep in mind is having enough fat to keep the product moist. 30% is good; up to 50% is not unheard of. I end up in the 40-50% range usually. Pork butt/shoulder is a good sausage meat to use. Good ratio of lean to fat, and enough callogen to give some mouth feel and richness. Some of the spice essential flavorings are only fat soluble as well, so don’t go too lean whatever happens. You can use raw pork belly or even butcher trimmings for fat additions . . . don’t use lard as it will simply melt our and drain off your sausage.
Make sure to put your seasonings into some warm water before mixing into the meat. for a 20# batch, you could use as much as a pint to a quart. The water helps make the spices disperse better into the mix. If you are grinding your own meat, though, you can cut strips of meat and roll/toss in the spices before grinding, then add a little water to help the mixture.
Keep everything, including the bowls, grinders, spoons, etc. as COLD as possible, and work quickly. Cold ingredients work better, and they resist spoilage so much better. If you have large quantities, then take out only what you are working with, and rotate the ground meat and “to be ground” meat in the cooler. Heck, if you have a walk-in and can grind in the cooler, that could be fun
Minimize bare skin contact, and have fun.
Test the seasonings when you believe you are done. Take a small piece, and flatten in a skillet to cook it. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
I find nothing so satisfying as making, stuffing and grilling my own sausages. Serving it with beer I made myself is just too close to heaven to describe. Don’t talk about making the mustard as well . . . yow!
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are multiplying up a smaller recipe, the seasonings are not a straight multiplier! 10 times the meat does NOT mean 10 times the seasonings. Experience and tasting along the way are your best guides when scaling up smaller recipes.
