My first Bologna attempt - C minus

[airbrush]

The bologna has a great taste but is sort of dry and crumbly and, what I'll call, extremely dense. I used SausageMaker Bologna Sausage mix with the following:
6# chuck
4# boston butt
2 cups soy protein concentrate
1 pint ice water
2 level tspns Instacure #1
6 oz of the mix

Cut and mixed through a 1/4 grind. Chuck went fine but the pork frequently clogged and I had to remove and unclog the grinder several times during the process. Got through it once, then reground a second time. Mixed and stuffed into red bologna casings. Then went to a low temp smoker @ 180 degrees until 155 F internal temp. Removed and refridgerated.

Any advice would greatly be appreciated.

[NCPaul]

Welcome to the forum. I plan to make some bologna in a week or so. Looking at your recipe, it may be that the level of fat was on the low side for an emulsified sausage. The pork butt should be trimmed of the connective tissue to allow for a clean grind. If the grinder was having a hard time, the meat may have warmed up and the fat may have been "smeared" as well. Lastly, bringing up the heat slowly seems to be critical with sausages like bologna. Perhaps someone will offer a successful heating schedule (which I could use as well). I'm planning ring bologna in smaller casings but I will share my experience when I'm done.

[Massimo Maddaloni]

Bologna is made with food-processed (emulsified) meat: double grinding won't do. Pre-grind ice cubes and mix ice pellets to meat before processing it. Using ice will keep your meat cooler. Under no circumstances allow the meat to heat, not even at RT.
I also think that you used way too much soy protein and I recommend that you start cutting it back to 1/2 cup for the same amount of meat. Make a few small trials and incorporate the "failed" tests into the main bulk. I cannot be more precise because it much depends on the type of meat you are using.
The "right" texture looks kinda like whipped heavy cream or whipped egg whites still holding together, though. You'll have to play a little bit with the ice/soy protein/meat ratio.
Bologna shows chunky fat embedded into emulsified meat. Hand-cut fat in large cubes or use the largest grinding plate you can get.
It also sports pepper grains (say, 1-2 per slice). If you really want to be extra-fancy, add some pistacchi here and there.
I hope it helps.
Maddmax

[wheels]

I don't know whether it's of help, but here's the way I made Mortadella - which as we say around here: "Is the same meat with different gravy!".

http://www.localfoodheroes.co.uk/?e=562

...and a tutorial on how to (not) make emulsified sausage (which is what bologna is):

http://www.localfoodheroes.co.uk/?e=648

It'll maybe give a visual representation of what Massimo's covered in his post.

HTH

Phil

[DiggingDogFarm]

Cut and mixed through a 1/4 grind. Chuck went fine but the pork frequently clogged and I had to remove and unclog the grinder several times during the process. Got through it once, then reground a second time. Mixed and stuffed into red bologna casings. Then went to a low temp smoker @ 180 degrees until 155 F internal temp. Removed and refridgerated.

Grind it through a larger plate first before using the smaller bore plates, 1/2 or 3/4 is what I use.




~Martin

[Massimo Maddaloni]

Bologna and Mortadella are used interchangeably in Italy. The meat is emulsified and not ground. The fat is ground or hand-cut.
Massimo