Anyone making sausage?

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Kreth

It depends on the cut. I've had pretty good luck picking a pork shoulder with a nice slab of fat on it. If you use a leaner meat like chicken or venison you'd definitely want the added fat.

Fat back is much silkier than what you'll find on a pork shoulder. It's the quality of fat, not the fact that it is additional fat. I believe my friend trims down the shoulder a lot to utilize the fat back for fat. Other than keeping everything reall cold and not to pulverize the meat too much, it's fairly straightforward (and person job) making fresh sausage. I do like air drying in the fridge for a few days. They shrink up a little and get that dark color.

I am into dry aging beef in my fridge. I have a whole sirloin strip (minus the 10 steaks we've ate so far) on week two. I get about a month or so on strip in the fridge!

[Kreth]

Originally Posted by mosesbotbol

Fat back is much silkier than what you'll find on a pork shoulder. It's the quality of fat, not the fact that it is additional fat. I believe my friend trims down the shoulder a lot to utilize the fat back for fat. Other than keeping everything reall cold and not to pulverize the meat too much, it's fairly straightforward (and person job) making fresh sausage.

I'll have to try using fat back for my next batch. I agree about keeping things cold. I usually try to get the meat partially frozen, then cut it up into strips for the grinder. It goes back in the freezer after each pass. Grinding is pretty easy by yourself, but I find stuffing goes much quicker if you have one person feeding the hopper, and one person coiling the stuffed casing.

I do like air drying in the fridge for a few days. They shrink up a little and get that dark color.

I am into dry aging beef in my fridge. I have a whole sirloin strip (minus the 10 steaks we've ate so far) on week two. I get about a month or so on strip in the fridge!

That sounds interesting. Do you do it similar to this?

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Kreth

That sounds interesting. Do you do it similar to this?

Yes, very similar except that I just put in the towel for the first day and then place the exposed meat on a rack with a paper grocery bag underneath the rack to catch any liquid. I did not see a benefit with keeping towel on it everyday. Also, I just cut from one side and the cover the exposed area with seranwrap. You'll save a lot of meat doing this as that side stays fresh and does not need trimming. You can get 15+ steaks from one NY strip and at Coscto is around $60-75; that is friggin' cheap for so many strips!

If you do a rib eye, make sure it is bone-in and you take the membrane off of the bone (like pork ribs). Strips are the best bet as you don't lose as much when it comes to trimming. The sides get dried out like a scab and the fat gets red on top- all that has to be cut off so it looks like fresh meat. You large cuts as the article says. I also air dry yardbirds for a day or two the same way.

If you are a big steak lover, this is the only way to go; you'll be hooked.

[Kreth]

Thanks for the tips. I'll probably give this a try in another month or so when I start firing up the grill on a regular basis. Which cuts have you found give the best results for dry-aging?

[mosesbotbol]

Originally Posted by Kreth

Thanks for the tips. I'll probably give this a try in another month or so when I start firing up the grill on a regular basis. Which cuts have you found give the best results for dry-aging?

NY Strip is number one, followed by bone-in rib roast.

You can also try (not sure the name of cut) the one that is like a porterhouse, but the whole strip of them.

Considering the entry price on buying something, the strip is my overall favorite for ease of trimming and cost.