Skinning Advice

[frazzler]

Hello!

Have been reading the forum and other websites all week in preparation of making my first batch of sausages yesterday. It went surprisingly well and served as a very tasty breakfast this morning!

However, I have 2 questions:

1. Skinning:
I bought 2kg of pork shoulder from Tescos (half price at the moment - result!) and then the same again of pork belly from the local butcher. However, it probably took me longer to get the skin off the buggers than the rest of the sausage making processes combined! I was also concerned about the amount of good looking fat still attached to the skin I was discarding.

Does anyone have any advice about how best to do this next time? Is room temperature meat easier to work with, is a long knife/short knife better or should I invest in a proper 'skinning knife'?

2. Refrigeration
After making the sausages I left them uncovered on a trivet in the fridge overnight (about 18 hours). this morning they were a lovely pink colour and looked fantastic, but to be honest they could have been a little juicer after being cooked (oven, 180, 25 mins).

Now, maybe part of that was the amount of fat content being reduced due to my rubbish knife skills, but I'm also wondering what people think about leaving the fresh sausages uncovered in a frost-free fridge overnight. A good idea or not? Could this process be sucking too much moisture out of them? Would it be better to give them a couple of hours then bag them, or how about letting them dry at room temperature? Please let me know what drying methods you use.

Thanks in advance.

[NCPaul]

Welcome to the forum. A sharp boning knife is what I use to skin pork belly. The meat should be cold and I have the knife at a slight angle towards the skin. I work the knife in about 3-4 cm. It does take some time to do a whole belly. A sharp knife will have some " quick" in it.

I dry my sausages as you describe and do not find that they have lost their moisture. I would guess that the bind of the sausage is not holding the water.

[captain wassname]

Hello and welcome. Nothing wrong with refridgerating. Skinning is question of practice. You tube can be useful for"How to "video clips I learned how to debone a leg of lamb that way

Jim

[Massimo Maddaloni]

1) it helps to lay the belly rinder-up. One hands holds the knife, while the other is put palm on the rinder to feel where the knife is. I prefer lose a little fat than slicing my hand, if you knw what I mean ...

2) I ON my sausages in a large bowl covered with Saran wrap.

[BriCan]

1) it helps to lay the belly rinder-up. One hands holds the knife, while the other is put palm on the rinder to feel where the knife is. I prefer lose a little fat than slicing my hand, if you knw what I mean ...

Do not under any circumstance

Reason ~~ I skin loins for bacon for a living and believe me that one slip can be your last

I know cuz I have been there

[BriCan]

NCPaul has the right idea, I use my steak knife as for me it is easier to control but a good strait sharp 7 inch boning knife will also do the trick. Contrary to the belief that the meat must be cold is wrong (IMHB) cuz it is far easier to do when on the warm side

[DiggingDogFarm]

Skinning pork belly.....

phpBB [video]

Good luck!


~Martin

[Wunderdave]

1) it helps to lay the belly rinder-up. One hands holds the knife, while the other is put palm on the rinder to feel where the knife is. I prefer lose a little fat than slicing my hand, if you knw what I mean ...

Do not under any circumstance

Reason ~~ I skin loins for bacon for a living and believe me that one slip can be your last

I know cuz I have been there

Skin side down and let the cutting board guide your knife for a perfect flat cut. I wouldn't skin a belly skin side up unless I had a chain or kevlar glove for my leading hand. EFF that.

[Massimo Maddaloni]

Well, OK, I must admit that it is a Jackass technique. With surgical precision and zen focus it works, though.