First try at making Breakfast sausage.

[icbman51]

Thanks for allowing me to join this forum. I'm sure all of you experienced sausage makers will be a big help. Got meat grinder with sausage making attachment for Christmas. Researched recipes and attempted first batch today. Used pork shoulder as per recipe. Problem: After cutting shoulder into 1 in cubes and putting through grinder with coarse setting, grinder kept clogging up with connective tissue. What did come through had the consistency of peanut butter. What did I do wrong? Will attempt to stuff casing but not sure if it will work.

[Jabba]

Hi ICB, I've jut started too! From what I've read the meat needs to be really cold, if not semi-frozen, before mincing/grinding. When I did my first batch I got the cold pork out of the fridge, cut it up and put it back in the fridge while I got everything set-up. I didn't chill it again before grinding a 2nd time but did notice when cleaning there was a lot of fat smeared inside the Kenwood attachment.

HTH

Cheers,
Jamie

[wheels]

Hi, welcome.

Also, if it's the first time you've used the grinder, check that you've set it up correctly. The blade needs to be flat against the mincer plate. Like this:



The front of the mincer needs to be done up tightly, so that the blade and plate are pushing hard against each other.

HTH

Phil

[icbman51]

The blade might have been my problem. I need to be more observant. Thanks for pointing this out. I'll be sure to check each time I use the grinder.

[NCPaul]

Welcome to the forum. If you don't have a very powerful grinder, you will find it will work better if most of the connective tissue is trimmed out. I spend more time trimming than I do grinding. It's best to get the meat almost frozen, dry to the touch. The meat when it leaves the grinder should be in well defined "ropes" of the same size as the holes. It should not be bypassing the plate.