novice sausage maker

Beginners FAQ on sausage making, meat curing etc may often be found at the head of each relevant section, but here is the place to ask experienced users for advice if you are still stuck or need more information...we're here to help!

tintern

Postby jenny_haddow » Sat Apr 01, 2006 3:20 pm

Hi WW

On a nice day like today, I'd walk down to Tintern (3 miles from the house), over the bridge and up along Uffa's Dyke for a few miles.

Good for the soul!

Jen
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Postby jenny_haddow » Sat Apr 01, 2006 3:28 pm

Hi Wohoki

Thanks for the lemon tip, I shall try out all these suggestions. I put my rosemary and garlic into a mini processer which whizzed it to a fine paste, the smell when you take the lid of is wonderful.

This a great forum to be in. I'm sure I shall end up curing bacon, making salamis and I know for sure that I am going to have to make some cheese!

Cheers

Jen
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Postby jenny_haddow » Tue Apr 11, 2006 3:21 pm

Hi

Well, I've made sausages, I've made cheese, and now I'm about to embark on my first piece of bacon!! (my daughter says I have too much time on my hands, I reckon there aren't enough hours in the day!)

Any advice on the best cut of pork to start with. I have a Kenwood slicer that I've used successfully for years, it should take an average slice of bacon.

Anyway, back to reading all the posts on curing.

Cheers

Jen
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re bacon

Postby Ken Boy » Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:39 pm

Hi Jenny
Welcome to the forum
I Would go for back loin jiont :P
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Postby aris » Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:42 pm

Personally i'd start with some boneless skinless belly.
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Postby Wohoki » Tue Apr 11, 2006 6:10 pm

Belly: if it doesn't work as a fried rasher it's still great as a base for sauces and the like. Loin is too lean.
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Postby Rik vonTrense » Tue Apr 11, 2006 7:44 pm

I have a semi professional slicer that has a serated blade sort of....instead of being smooth round it has little knife blades.

It is fine for cutting bread and slicing sausage but it turned up it's nose at some streaky I folded over to get it on the dolly but it didn't want to know
I even tried with the rind removed but it didn't like it and wanted to stick to the blade but there again I have not got a bacon clamp with all the spikes to hold it.

I never seem to find any thick belly for a decent slice of streaky...I think they take too much off for the spare rib racks. I finish up with a slice ten inches long and one inch wide.

I managed to get a rolled loin with a nice bit of back fat on it.....but there again that is Tesco's meat.

Maybe a butchers stuff would be different.

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Postby jenny_haddow » Thu Apr 13, 2006 6:42 am

I'm expecting my cure to arrive today, so I shall get some pork from the local butcher. He sells Norfolk black smoked bacon (at a tidy price) which is the best bacon I've ever tasted. It's something to aim at!

I've been buying large joints of Polish bacon in London, when I go to my dad's. It's belly pork, and quite wide, 3-4 inches with the rind on. My slicer handles that no problem. Its great bacon too, no white gunk when you cook it.
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Postby Rik vonTrense » Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:10 am

Where abouts in London do you get the Polish bacon Jen?

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Postby jenny_haddow » Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:27 am

Burnt Oak.

There must be shops there representing the culinary requirements of the entire world, and because it is supplying a huge multi-cultural population, it's cheap. eg. I like to use scotch bonnet chillies if I'm doing Caribbean food. Yesterday I saw 4 weeny ones in Tesco for 79 pence, for that money I would get 1lb of prime chillies in Burnt Oak. I buy a kilo, wash and dry them, and freeze them in an inflated bag, so they freeze individually. They last for ages and keep their taste well.
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Postby jenny_haddow » Thu Apr 13, 2006 2:37 pm

The cure's arrived and my butcher cut me a lovely piece of belly from the thick end. The loin looked good too, but I would have preferred more fat on it, a bit over trimmed I thought.

Once more through the tutorial and I shall get cracking!

Cheers

Jen
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Postby georgebaker » Thu Apr 13, 2006 8:04 pm

Hi Jenny
which is the thick end?

Local price is �1.09 or �1.29 per pound skin on, fresh depending where its cut from at the local wholesale warehouse. The higher price is the rib end. Back fat is �2.29 per kilo frozen so no cheaper than Morissons my local supermarket.

There was some odd bits of shoulder at �1.10/ Kg, todays sell by date but I have no space in the freeze and I am away for the week end

If I wanted meaty spare ribs that's dearer than loin.

I suppose its what the market will bear.

George
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Postby Paul Kribs » Thu Apr 13, 2006 10:05 pm

George

Do yourself a favour and make enquiries to find a local smallholding/farm and negotiate buying half a pig. It is then entirely up to you how you butcher it and what cuts you require. I cut the ribs long after sheet boning and then deal with the rest. If you want it all for sausages then it's your decision. My last � pig resulted in NO sausages, preferring to try chorizo's, salami's, a whole cured Parma Ham and 3 rolled loin joints. Even the tenderloin went in to the salami's, they are normally superb pork pies. I didn't make brawn this time but reserved the Bath Chaps (cheeks) for later use.

Regards, Paul Kribs
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Postby jenny_haddow » Fri Apr 14, 2006 12:11 pm

Hi George

My butcher laid out a belly of pork for me to see, one end was thicker than the other so I chose a couple of kilos cut from the thick end. Laymans term! It was about two and a half inches thick at the widest point. I paid just over a fiver for it, but it is locally reared and beautiful meat. It's now curing in the fridge.

Morrisons is a good supermarket as far they go, they do seem to have a proper butcher on hand, and sell stuff like hearts and a variety of liver. I'm cooking Odley's faggot recipe tonight and found the right ingredients in Morrisons in just the right quantity.

Cheers

Jen
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Postby jenny_haddow » Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:49 pm

Just about to rinse the cure off my bacon and hang it to dry. Will I be able to eat some of this this weekend, or should I wait? My taste buds are hanging on your answer.

Cheers

Jen
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