Subcategories

• Seasonings and Additives

  Learn the science behind why, when and how to use different seasonings & additives to make the best product you can.

  
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  Sam O. That’s a matter of some debate! I know a deer processor who includes his seasoning and his water in his meatblocks weight, so like 20 lb of meat plus 3 lb of water and 2 lb of seasoning for a whole 25 lb batch and people do rave about his sausage but I have always gone with 25lb of meat and fat and anything that adds on to that is just added on. I have tried factoring in the water and seasoning/additives two times and I liked it less both times.
• Fresh Sausage

  Learn the science behind why, when and how to use different seasonings & additives to make the best product you can.

  
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  Chef A fresh sausage like breakfast or bratwurst has a certain texture that getting protein extraction would interfere with. It isn;t going to do anything to effect the flavor but think of the difference between a snack stick and a bratwurst. You expect to have some of the larger particle size in the bratwurst and having a homogenous piece that bits like a snack stick would throw some people off. No, I don’t the ink it would necessarily be moister, when you are cooking sausage at grilling temps the fat is going to melt to a certain degree no matter what you do.
• Cured Sausage

  Learn about the equipment, casings and processes necessary to make Snack Sticks, Summer Sausage and Smoked Sausage and then watch as we go over how to process each type step by step.

  
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  Cole1996 I have seen people do it before, as long as you sterilize everything and that is the main use of both the bucket and the mixer it should be okay. Now, obviously this won’t fly if you are doing this to sell your product.
• Jerky

  Learn about the equipment, best cuts of meat to use and seasonings and additives to use to make jerky.

  
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  armyguy The jerky we mostly use the Pro Smoker 500T because it is easiest to monitor and control humidity. Then it really depends on quantity and how quick we need it done. It’s always either that or the pk100 when it is something like snack sticks or summer sausage, when we are just grilling we use our gas or pellet combo.
• Sausage Casings

  Learn how to choose the correct casings for your sausage, how to prepare it for use and the advantages and disadvantages of each type.

  
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  Sausage Casings: 203 Tips for Stuffing Fibrous Casings Attend this Intermediate level class from Meatgistics University by watching the video, reading the article and post any questions you have! Prep-Work Fibrous casings are the most popular choice for making summer sausages and some other larger diameter sausage-like products. It is made from a paper product and is generally easy to work with but here are a few tips to make sure you are making the best product possible. First, make sure your fibrous casings are soft and pliable before you attempt to stuff them, they need to be soaked for 30 minutes in 90-100°F to soften them up. Choose the largest stuffing tube or horn that you have that your casings will fit over, with larger fibrous casing this is generally your largest stuffing tube. Doing this will allow your casing to stuff evenly and prevent swirling inside the casing which can cause an odd appearance odd when you slice your summer sausage. What to Expect Since Fibrous casings are so strong blowouts really are not a major concern here so feel free to stuff the casing until the casing is smooth and full while minimizing backflow. Backflow is when sausage comes back up around the tube before going into the casing. So make sure you are holding the casing on tightly and near the end of the tube. As you are stuffing your fibrous casing make sure that you leave at least a few inches at the end of the casing so you can clip it closed with hog ring pliers, a bag and casing clipper or a max pac stapler. Twist the end of the casing as tightly as possible and place your hog ring or staple as close to the meat as possible to keep the meat tightly in the casing. Extra Information Now, most of the fibrous casings that we sell are prestuck, which means that small holes are already present along the casing. This allows for the pressure to bleed out during the cooking process and for the casing to form down tightly to the meat. If you purchased one of the few fibrous casings that are not prestuck you will need to get something like a sausage pricker and make some holes up and down the summer sausage. The casings already have a loop of string on the opposite end to hang it in a smoker so your hog ring will be responsible for keeping the casing closed while the weight of the meat is pushing down on it, so make sure it is as tight as you can make it. One other thing to make note of here even though it is not technically part of the stuffing process if you do not run a shower cycle or an ice bath to cool your sausage down the casing is going to stick to the meat when you try to peel it. If you have run an ice bath and it is still sticking when peeling try putting it in the fridge overnight, that will often allow the casing to peel away cleanly. Shop waltonsinc.com for Fibrous Casings Shop waltonsinc.com for 11 lb Sausage Stuffer
• Deli Meats

  Learn about common additives, choosing safe deli meat from the store and how to process your own deli meat at home.

  
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  Deli Meat: 202 Additives For Homemade Deli Meats Attend this Intermediate-level class from Meatgistics University by watching the video, reading the article and post any questions you have! Phosphates In Deli Meats 103 we went over some common additives that are used in commercially processed Deli Meats, most of them are harmless and are aimed at increasing the freshness of the meat, the shelf life, taste and appearance. However, most of these items are not things you are going to have in your home, or have easy access to. However, there are a few additives that are easily available and will give you a nice reformed deli meat that can be sliced almost as thin as a true deli. It doesn’t matter if you are making homemade deli meats or buying it from the store, some sort of phosphates will almost certainly be present. The phosphates raise the pH of the meat and allow it to hold more water. Commercial processors do this because a) water is much cheaper than meat and b) consumers want cuts of meat that are juicier. We recommend you use Cold Phosphate as this will dissolve easier in cold water than some other types. An important note on phosphates is that if you are injecting it you need to mix this in first so it can suspend in the water. I’d recommend you add phosphates to any deli meat you are making but it is especially important when making low fat deli cuts. Binders Binders, especially in low fat cuts, are going to be very key here when making a reformed cut of deli meat. Without it you will have a hard time getting everything to stick together tight enough to let you slice it deli thin without it crumbling. Carrot Fiber isn’t a traditional binder but it holds 26 times it’s weight in water so it can help with a juiciness, if you are going to use carrot fiber, like I do in future videos, is to use it in conjunction with cold phosphate. Super Bind is going to give you carrot fiber and potato starch, so you get the best of the carrot fiber plus the potato starch forms a gel at the same temp as the meat really starts to expel water. The only problem with this is that in a homemade deli you are going to have some voids in your meat. Having no voids with a hand crank stuffer is extremely difficult and those voids will be filled with this gel. It can be very unappealing. Sure Gel or Soy protein blend can also be good choices. Sodium Lactate Sodium Lactate is used by commercial processors to extend the shelf-life of meat products. It is sometimes used as a powder but is most often used in its liquid form. It increases the shelf life of meat products by regulating the pH of food and reduces the effects of bacteria spoilage. In its liquid form you would use it at a rate of 1.5% of your meat block, so for a 25 lb batch you would use .375 of a lb. As we sell it in gallons you can see that it would last you a long time. Sodium Nitrite & Sure Cure Another option for deli meat can be using sodium nitrite or sure cure. We’ve talked about it exhaustively in the past but using nitrite helps fight botulism spores. Its important to use when smoking meat as you are often creating the perfect environment for the growth of botulism and other bad microorganisms. It can also assist in increasing the shelf life of the meat and preserving the color and flavor. Watch WaltonsTV: Deli Meat: 202 Additives For Homemade Deli Meats Shop waltonsinc.com for Additives Shop waltonsinc.com for Cold Phosphate - Sodium Phosphate Shop waltonsinc.com for Sodium Lactate
• Smoked Meats

  Learn about different types of smokers, using different varieties of wood and best practices for smoking your own meat at home.

  
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  C

  I like to use hickory on poultry and beef for pork I use apple
• Cured Whole Muscle Meats

  Learn about the equipment and cures needed to process your own hams and bacon at home and then follow along with our step by step videos.

  
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  Tex_77 Argh! I changed the information in the post.
• Specialty Sausage

  Learn how to make specialty sausages such as Braunschweiger, Lebanon Bologna or Blood Sausage.

  
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  Jonathon Agreed! I have to drive about an hour to find an ‘exotic’ market like that but it’s worth it just to browse the oddities. Lots of weird bugs, grubs and unidentifiable creatures. Also dehydrated frogs.
• Meat Processing Equipment

  Learn about the importance, functions and abilities of meat processing equipment.

  
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  Yeah, 4 hours is too long. On another post someone else was complaining about the time it took to do a second grind and I don’t know if I had ever shared this before but the best way to do a second grind is to NOT force it down the throat with a stomper. It is actually to just put a little bit down, then let the auger take it and once that has cleared the grooves of the auger that you can see from the top of the throat then add a little more and repeat.
• Wild Game

  Learn the science behind why, when and how to use different seasonings & additives to make the best product you can.

  
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  Wild Game: Cajun Goose Sausage Attend this entry-level class from Meatgistics University by watching the video, reading the article and post any questions you have! Why Goose Sausage? Goose Sausage is simply sausage that is made from a combination of Goose meat and pork fat. If you cannot get just pork fat you can use a 50/50 mix of goose to untrimmed pork butts but you will be happier with the finished product if you use 80% goose and 20% pork fat. Meat Block 10 lb Goose 2.5 lb Pork Fat (or 10 lb untrimmed pork butts) Ingredients: 1 bag Cajun Sausage Seasonings 11 oz for 12.5 lb batch Sure Cure 1/2 oz for 12.5 lb batch 3/4 quart of water Optional Ingredients: Sure Gel Meat Binder - 3 oz per 12.5 lb High-Temp Cheese - 1 lb Either Encapsulated Citric Acid - 2 oz per 12.5 lb OR Sodium Erythorbate - 3 GRAMS for 12.5 lb batch Equipment Meat Grinder Meat Mixer Sausage Stuffer Walton’s Sausage Tier (Optional) Casing Preparation We will be using 30mm Clear Collagen Casings and they don’t require any preparation, simply remove then from the package and load onto a stuffing tube. We chose the clear because we are going to hang these in our smokehouse, you can use smoked collagen if you want the mahogany appearance or even fresh collagen if you are going to coil the sausage on a rack in your smoker. If you try to hang fresh collagen in a smokehouse you are going to open your smoker and see all your product on the floor. It might not happen the first time you try it or the second but it will eventually happen, so don’t hang fresh collagen. Process Clean your goose and soak for 24 hours in salt water in a cooler. This will bleed the meat and give you better taste and consistency. Pack your goose meat into an 8-inch wide vac bag roll (or use multiple 8" diameter bags if you don’t have a roll) and freeze it almost solid. Cut the goose meat into chunks small enough to fit down the throat of your grinder. Grind the goose meat through a 3/8" plate. Grind the goose, and pork fat through a 1/8" plate (Yes, yes I know I said 1/16th" plate again, no such plate exists outside the crazy place that is my mind) Try to mix the pork fat in sporadically throughout the second grind to help disperse it evenly. Pork Fat With goose being as dark as it is and having a lighter consistency we really think it helped to go with straight pork fat, instead of a 50/50 mix of Goose to untrimmed Pork Butts. You want to go for either 20 or 25% fat content with these. Pork Butts If you cannot find any pork fat, you can use a 50/50 mix of goose and untrimmed pork butts Meat Mixing Mix seasoning, cure, sure gel, and a cure accelerator(unless it is encapsulated citric acid) with the meat. You want to mix this until you have very good protein extraction, you will know you have reached this when your meat starts getting very sticky and tacky and it pulls when you try to stretch it instead of breaking into smaller clumps. With a meat mixer, you usually want to mix around 8 minutes, being careful to change directions of the paddles every minute or so. If you used encapsulated citric acid you should add it, along with the cheese, during the last 60 seconds of mixing. This will prevent the encapsulation from splitting or the cheese smearing. Sausage Stuffing Choose the largest tube that your casing will fit over. We did both the 30mm clear collagen. With the collagen casings, you want to stuff until you can faintly see a swirling line down the casing. Then cut them to the longes length that you can hang in your smoker. Note The Walton’s Sausage Linker can be a big-time saver here. With just a little practice you can tie off your casings in a fraction of the time it takes to hand-tie them. Thermal Processing & Smoking: 120° for 30 Minutes (With No Smoke Or Humidity and Vents Wide Open) 140° For 60 Minutes (Add Smoke & Humidity and close vents 3/4) 160° For 60 Minutes (Continue Smoke & Humidity) 185° Until Internal Temperature is 165° Remove smoke & continue adding humidity, also close vents Cooling Run a 5-minute shower cycle with fans on OR Place in an ice bath for 10 minutes to stop the cooking process & help set the casing for the collagen and helps separate it from the cellulose. Wrap up With Goose, I think using pork fat made a big difference vs a 50/50 mix with untrimmed pork butts, this allowed the goose color, flavor and consistency to stand out. The cellulose casings worked wonderfully here, the skinless products appearance and consistency was a big hit Other Notes 24-hour soak in saltwater will help bleed the meat Remember to freeze your meat almost solid Without a cure accelerator of some kind, you need to hold this for 12 hours after stu8ffing before going to the smoker. Watch WaltonsTV: Wild Game: Cajun Goose Sausage Shop waltonsinc.com for Sausage Seasonings Shop waltonsinc.com for Meat Grinders Shop waltonsinc.com for High-Temp Cheese Shop waltonsinc.com for Boning Knives