Sausage makers

Any of you guys season your meat before you grind it. Think im gonna give it try never done it before.

i dont make my own stuff very often…but he biggest thing i read is once you have everyting mixed is to let it set overnight to let everything “meld” toghether!!!!

I always do that was just wondering if there is any advantage to grinding already seasoned trimmings.

I’ve been using the Hi Mountain breakfast sausage seasoning and their instructions say to season the 1″ cubed meat before grinding. But then their summer sausage seasonings and instructions mention seasoning the ground meat and then grinding it again. So I’m not sure if there really is a correct/incorrect way to do it.

I season the cubed meat before grinding, seems like it would mix better?

I personally do not – I think they say to do that to minimize the time the ground product is exposed to warmer temps as you’re mixing etc. But I go the route of mixing all seasonings with water or beer and mixing it in after the grind. This ensures the most even distribution

ONE exception! IF I’m making something that requires a double grind to make it smoother consistency – like Summer Sausage – I will season after the coarse grind and mix it, then I will grind it through the medium plate which mixes it even more.

I always try to work quick and minimize room temp exposure and I’ve never had an issue with food poisoning, etc. I should add that MOST of the stuff I make is cured with Cure #1 and smoked to a finishing temp of at least 150 F. So that controls/kills a LOT of bacteria. If you’re making fresh sausage, you may want to just follow the instructions. Botulism is extremely rare but is no joke. More likely that you’ll just have a miserable couple days not knowing what end it’s coming out of.

I usually mix it all in afterwards maybe I will just stick with what ive always done that works.

I’m no expert but I believe you’ll end up with the spice not mixing throughout the sausage. Most recipes I’ve seen call for water to be added. I think that is so the meat has enough moisture to mix and so the spice disperses.

I was still planning on adding water and mixing by hand afterwards just didnt know if grinding it already seasoned would help with that process

No.
I grind everything, usually twice, sometimes 3x, then put the grinder away and get out the mixer.

This allows fastest processing through the grinder. Don’t have to clean grinder between seasonings, since not doing that, minimal loss of meat from cleaning multiple times.

After all ground, then weighed and separated into batches.

Then add seasonings while in mixer. Mix until you extract enough proteins to get real tacky, add cheeses last as to not mush the cheese during the mixing process.

As each match is mixed its back into the fridge. I don’t clean mixer between batches except maybe a light wipe. Then onto stuffing. Then into freezer to stiffen, then vac sealed and froze.

blank wrote:

. So I’m not sure if there really is a correct/incorrect way to do it.

As long as your following safe food handling there is your way and the wrong way. No right way so to speak, but each of us has their passions that we tend to call right. It’s meat. You can find any answer your looking for, as it is a to each their own kinda deal. That’s why we make our own, it’s what we want it to be (once you figure out how to make what you want lol)

My dad was a meat cutter for commercial grocery stores and cut up deer on the side for a guy. He always said to grind meat and mix in the seasoning and let sit over night in fridge. Then stuff in casings the next day and then hang to let casings dry. And then freeze the next day. Makes a one deal into a pain the butt 3 day project but the results are better. Season soaks into meat and by drying casinos keeps them from getting soft and they fry up nicer.