I made one of the two things you're told you don't want to watch being made.

[trof]

I didn't make law.
I made SAUSAGE.
:-)

I posted earlier about getting a brand new hand cranked meat grinder at a yard sale for 2 bucks.
Saturday I made sausage.

2 1/2 pound lean pork shoulder
1/2 pound pork fatback*
3 t. Kosher salt
1 1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 t. dried sage
1/2 t. cayenne
1 T. sugar**
1/4 cup water***

*Couldn't find 'fatback' so used salt pork and cut the salt to 2 t.
**Used brown sugar. It just 'felt' right.
***I omitted the water because I added 10 'splashes' of Tabasco and 1 T. of Liquid Smoke.

Plus, I added:
1 T. fresh rosemary
1 t. oregano
1 t. thyme
I put all the dry spices in a small coffee grinder and pulverized them.

I ran the meats through the grinder once, mixed the spices in (by hand), and wrapped and fridged it.
Next day I tried a patty.
It came apart in the pan when I tried to turn it.
Too coarse.
Ran it through the grinder twice more.
Perfect, and damned good!

Next time I'll try mixing in the spices with the dough hook in the mixer.

P.S. I think the total cost of basic ingredients for roughly 3 pounds of sausage was more than 3 lbs. of Jimmy Dean's would cost, but NO preservatives/chemicals.
:bounce:

[Robb]

1. Attaboy!

Sounds fantastic.

Oddly enough a yard sale changed our lives recently... amazingly well-engineered manual juicer. Five bucks. And now we buy oranges and keep them in the fridge... mmmm. :D

[trof]

3. Miz t. weighed in with a surprisingly positive review:

"I don't really like pattie sausage. (I knew that.)
I don't like Jimmy Dean or Tennessee Pride or Ziegler.
But I LIKE this!"
:-)

[Arugula Latte]

2. Er, what about babies?

Being made, I mean ...

:hide:

[trof]

4. Making babies is a whole nuther thang.

And more fun than making sausage.
;-)

[MattBaggins]

5. I'll take the sausage please

[gratuitous]

8. That can be okay

You just don't want to watch ugly babies being made.

[Arugula Latte]

13. Or ugly people making any type of babies ...

;)

[Ptah]

6. sounds delicious.

[Kali]

7. yum

I have been wanting to try some homemade Italian for a while. Maybe I will drag the grinder out and clean it off - what did you end up doing about the rust?

[trof]

9. Soaked cutters in white vinegar.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

10. yum ... interesting about the rosemary...

nice touch there.

[PVnRT]

11. Pine Goes With Pig

That's what I've always been told.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

12. yeah. good thing he pulverized those sticks.

:D

[trof]

15. Got a bush right outside the front door.

My favorite herb.

[hippywife]

14. It's okay if you make it yourself.

What you don't want to see is the meat processing plants make it. :puke: