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I would like to try making lamb sausage and looking through quite a few recipes they all seem to go for lean lamb and about 20% pork back fat.
I would like to know the reason of pork fat, why not lamb back fat.
I know you need the fat to help with the primary bind and texture but why not use all lamb.

wallie

Possibly because lamb fat is disgusting stuff, whereas pork fat is quite inoffensive.

Eric

Wallie,

Personally I prefer Lamb fat, although it can't take as high temperatures whne cooking.

I think the main reason pork is prefered is because it has less taste, and is more readily available. Given that most sausages are pork based it follows to stay with pork fat in the recipe.

FB

Hi Wallie

I quite like lamb fat. I always find it funny when lamb sausages (often of North African origin) have pork fat or are stuffed into a hog casing, surely not authentic (given religious dietry concerns). I made some Mergez sausages just using lamb with about 80% visual lean. They were fine. They do however leach alot of fat on cooking. My recipie had no rusk, maybe this would have helped. If you are free on the dietry side I suppose the choice is yours.

Cheers
Adam

I make a few lamb sausages and just use the shoulder minced down. It seems to provide the right amonut of fat for me and I must admit I have never had a bad taste from it, although they are not the best eaten cold, but there again I am not a great lover of cold lamb anyway.

Cheers WW

Thanks for the replies, now all I need is recipe ideas.
I was thinking of going for rosemary and garlic, any suggestions?
Thanks

wallie

Wallie,

Just to throw a curve ball in, have you ever had Sheftalia? It's a greek hand wrapped sausage (in caul fat) that is grilled (usually on a BBQ, although they work well on a george foreman type grill). They are about 2" long and very tasty.

I posted a recipe somewhere. They are a good and easy to serve as a starter on a bit of salad with some toasted pitta and Tzanziki.

I have a lamb in the freezer so some of it is destined to be made into sheftalia!!

Regards,
FB

if you cant get hold of lamb fat and dont want to use pork exchange the pork fat for lamb breast as usually will be the fattiest part of the lamb failing that ask your local butcher and sure he will gladly sell you lamb fat rather than put it in his bone bin