# Sausage making
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-making/459614
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [August 11, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-making/459614 "2008-08-11T15:10:34Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-making/459614/1 "2008-08-11T15:10:34Z")
So I would like to try my hand at making sausages.\*
I have a Kitchen-Aid with the sausage stuffing attachment and I have a Joy of Cooking book. I have some pork shoulder and a recipe for Chorizo. I do not have sausage casings (they are hard to find, it seems - any suggestions from Toronto-area Dopers are invited!) but I hope to find some in Kensington Market tonight after work.
I also do not have any experience whatsoever with this. I am doing it because my partner and I love sausage, and we eat a lot of it (and we just got a big BBQ-smoker thing), so we thought we’d give it a go.
Any tips? Experiences to share? Books to recommend?
Thanks!
- As a great lover of sausage [snerk] I find it hard [giggle] to talk about without evoking all kinds of sausage-related double-entendres. I can’t help it, and I am aware of it, so have your fun!
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### Author:  [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2008, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-making/459614/2 "2008-08-11T16:06:32Z")
Casings are a pain to find. You might try to find a local butcher, or ask at the meat counter of your local supermarket… or you can order them online. (Google sausage casings) There are natural casings, and collagen casings. I prefer natural, and don’t much like the texture of collagen casings (though these would be ideal for something like a summer sausage, but the Kitchen-Aid doesn’t have that fine of a grind).
As for grinding in the kitchen-aid mixer, I recommend freezing the auger, and the grinder assembly, and partially freezing the pre-cut pork. Cold meat/equipment tends to grind better in my experience with my kitchen-aid.
When I’m making sausage, I add the mix ingredients (roughly following recipies), let it rest for 15-30 minutes, then test fry a little bit to taste. I often find that I need to adjust some spicing to get the flavor that I’m looking for. It’s much easier to adjust flavors prior to stuffing into the casing.
You’ll find that your first few sausages coming out of the mixer will be rather odd shaped, as you get the hang of filling to the right sizes. When stuffing, remove the cutting wheel, and leave only the ‘screen’.
All of my recipes have come off of web searches, and once I get the general idea of what should go into a batch, I tend to vary off of that recipe quite quickly.
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### Author:  [@Mooch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mooch)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-making/459614/3 "2008-08-11T16:22:32Z")
I highly recommend [Charcuterie](http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218471100&sr=8-1)
It contains a great deal of information, tips and recipes. Also, my first sausage making book was [Sausage](http://www.amazon.com/Sausage-D-Livingston/dp/1558215263/ref=sr_1_34?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218471242&sr=1-34)
which has some good tips, although the spices for every recipe need to be amped up a great deal.
Whole spices (toasted and ground) are way better than pre-ground. **Always** test-fry before stuffing!
Learning from past experience, a sausage making party sounds like a lot of fun, but too many people adding input, ingredients, whatever turns out to be a clusterfuck. My favorite is three people, good tunes and a bunch of beer. Have fun and keep everything **cold**.
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### Author:  [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-making/459614/4 "2008-08-11T16:35:10Z")
Let me second and third the recommendation for Ruhlman’s book _Charcuterie_.
As for the less common supplies like casings, pink salt and bactoferm, I’ve found that butcher shops and better grocery stores like Whole Foods can get most anything with a little notice. Even better, most cities have market supply firms that primarily sell to food proccesors and restaurants, but will gladly deal with the little guy as well. A quick google finds these guys in the Toronto area:
> **[Yes Group :: Meat Processing Supplies :: Equipment :: Butcher Supplies ::...](http://www.yesgroup.ca/main_site/index.htm)**
>
> Meat processing supplies and equipment, seasonings, spices, casings, knives, clothing and more.
Looks like they’ve got everything you’d need.
It’s also worth the time getting on The Sausage Maker’s mailing list.
> **[Home - NEW](https://www.sausagemaker.com/)**
>
> We produce and carefully source sausage making equipment and supplies for home and commercial use. US Smokers, American Hog Casings and more.
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### Author:  [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2008, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-making/459614/5 "2008-08-11T16:35:13Z")
Ouch. Double post.
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### Author:  [@MissMossie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissMossie)
#### Post date: [August 11, 2008, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sausage-making/459614/6 "2008-08-11T17:08:25Z")
I’ll add another rec for the book Charcuterie. My dad recently started making his own sausage and has raved about that book. He also had a lot of luck with a local butcher who has helped him get started picking out meat and casing and whatnot. Finding a dedicated butcher seems to be key to sausage making. Good luck!