www.sausagemaking.org

Hi,

I've just bought a combined mincer/sausage stuffer. I went for the one Lidl were selling last week and have bought some hog casings, rusk, and some of the sausage spice mixes from this web site.

Some questions that spring to mind:-

1) What cut of pork would you suggest. I thought shoulder would be good. Is that right?
2) What proportion of rusk to meat? I thought about 10% is that about right ?
3) What length of hog casing is needed per KG of meat ?


Are there any other tips you guys can give me so that I don't make a complete mess of my first attempt ?

Thanks

Robin

All the answers to your questions I believe are already on this forum , you will just have to go through the site slowly.

Now, welcome to the site and good luck with your first batch, please tell us all what you do and what you think of your first sausages.

Regards

Fatman

Hi Robin,

The answers to your questions:

1) Any cut is fine - just follow the recipe you are using. If not using a recipe then ensure you have about 20-25% fat content.

2) About 1 cup per 10lbs of meat. Be sure to add 1 to 1.5 cups of liquid per cup of rusk.

3) Hog casings are about 1lb per foot (roughly)

Aris

Smart move Aris, It's amazing your earlier questions are now helping others. Well done mate!

Regards

Fatman

It is often easier to just answer someones question than to just tell him to look for it.

[quote="aris"]2) About 1 cup per 10lbs of meat. Be sure to add 1 to 1.5 cups of liquid per cup of rusk.


Funny, my butcher told me he uses 1 cup per kilo. That is what I've been using and it has been fine.

I have also been using loin chops, but they are proving expensive so might give shoulder a go.

Gotta follow the recipe I suppose

1 cup per kilo would certainly mean alot more profit for him as the rusk absorbs the added water that typically goes into sausage.

Personally, I don't use rusk at all.

Aris

I was guiding him to checkout the forum as he will get to see all opinions on the subjects he was asking about and not just from one, but eh as we are all aiming at the same thing i.e. helping each other I suppose it does not matter how we do it. Plus it keeps the forum tidy and keeps repeated questions and answers in one place.

You were able to answer him quickly and that was great.

Fatman

Like Aris I don't use rusk either.
I've tried it before and the results always remind me of the cheap crappy sausages you get in your average "greasy spoon".
Try the same recipe without the rusk and the liquid side by side with the original recipe and see for yourself how different they are.
It's like the difference between a 100% beef burger from somewhere like Burger King and the 70-90% beef with added rusk ones you get from the cheap roadside burger vans.... no competition as far as I'm concerned!!