How To Make Homemade Sausage & Brats - Recipe

[craigrice]

Joe Hell as I don’t much about the wine making but from past conversations you do I think that many such recipes that are handed down used homemade wine that will turn into vinegar if left long enough and that would not be wasted and used for cooking, as how this compares to processed vinegar or use in meat I don’t know.

[Jonathon]

Joe Hell Chorizo-y with lamb? I just had some with venison and it was excellent!

[craigrice]

Jonathon later this month I will be placing a second order and will include those then, and on another note I was late to the live stream but I did hear you talk about the Weston grinders are plates and knives available for the #12 750 watt grinder ?

[Joe Hell]

Jonathon We are working on some game meats but for our licensing we can only use USDA but we’ve got a line on interesting stuff!

[jehatha]

@Joe Hell Are you talking about using red wine vinegar or wine and vinegar? I just received my order of Chorizo Sausage Seasoning and was thinking of using red wine vinegar.

Jonathon I am also interested in extra plates and knives available for the #12 750 watt grinder.

[Joe Hell]

jehatha Usually it’s one or the other but there is a recent recipe I used (Greek Thessaly by Hank Shaw) that called for both. Distilled vinegar will be a bit stronger than the red wine vinegar so you may lose a little of the ‘tang’ but I would think that using red wine vinegar would be just fine.

[Jonathon]

craigrice Yes, we will have them shortly, just got them on order, they are sold by the set, so you get a medium and a coarse each time you purchase for some reason.

[craigrice]

Jonathon that will be fine as I like to have things on hand ahead of time then when I use my last I replenish and never go with out

[bvandeveire]

FOR CURING MEAT:
1/8 tsp. (1.2g) per Pound of Meat
OR
One Packet (18g) per 15 Pounds of Meat

[Jonathon]

bvandeveire Not sure what packet you are referring to but the surepackets that we provide at 1 oz and cures 25 lb of meat. Now, 18g for 15 lb would be close but not for the ones we sell. 28.2 oz per gram, divide 28.2/25 and it gives you 1.12 grams per lb of meat, 1.182X15 is 16.92. Is that extra gram going to cause any issues? Not really no, but using a full package for 15 lb is too much.

[bvandeveire]

Thank you I will re figure. Getting ready to try Onion Garlic brats, of course no cure in them.

[Kent Lowe]

First timer here, I was thinking of smoking the brats instead of doing fresh sausage. If you are wanting to slow smoke the brats is this still a good recipe, will the casing choices be affected, how long is shelf life, is freezing affected, and do they need cure added?

[TexLaw]

Kent Lowe You definitely want to add cure if you are looking to do a true “smoked sausage” where you do a slow smoke over a number of hours at low temperatures. If you just want to cook your sausages with some smoke at BBQ pit temperatures (225F or so), then you don’t need cure.

Freezing isn’t really any different. Shelf life is better for smoked sausage than for fresh sausage, but it’s hard to put a number on it as to how much.

For casings, you need a casing that can hold up to being hung (unless you want to smoke your sausage horizontally on a rack). About the only thing that takes off the table, though, are the “fresh” collagen casings.

[kansas63]

Austin Hi Austin so after I stuff the brats I can freeze them before I cook them on the grill correct and making brats doesn’t require cure correct

[Austin]

kansas63 that is correct.

[kansas63]

Austin thanks

[kansas63]

quick question when making hot links in 5lb batches how much water needs added to the seasoning it says 16oz to 25lbs of meat so do I just divide 5 into 16 comes up with 3.2 oz of water is this correct

[PapaSop]

kansas63
Yep, that simple. I’ll typically use 1oz per lb but that will vary if using some type of additive.

[kansas63]

PapaSop ok thanks

[mbroos]

Austin - you indicate we do not want protein extraction when making brats. Can you explain why? I am making deer brats (70/30 pork) and thought protein extraction would allow better binding and moisture retention. Thanks for your thoughts.