What fat for sausage?

[SDHNTR]

I’ve tried wild game sausage making a million times over the years with some good and some bad results, but never great. The one thing I can’t seem to get right is the fat. I’ve tried just using more of it, and I’ve tried beef versus pork, natural vs collagen casings and every cooking method imaginable. Hot and fast, low and slow, etc. No matter what, my sausages end up dry. All the fat renders out long before the sausage meat is cooked.

So what’s the secret? Is there a particular part of the animal where I should source the fat from? Or ask my butcher for? Like the belly vs the back of pork? I need fat that has a higher melting point, right? How come when I cook a Jimmy Dean or other store bought sausages, there is still fat you can see inside the sausage even after the meat is well cooked? On mine, the fat is long gone and either all dripped through the grill or liquified in the pan. And what’s left over is dry and crumbly. I want left over fat, still mixed in with the meat providing juiciness to the sausage. School me up please.

 

[MuleyFever]

I always use 20% pork fat and have never had an issue with dryness. I even often stab my brats at the end to let some fat out. I just get whatever pork fat I can find and even use bacon ends if thats all I can find. I use natural casings. Are you sure you are not over cooking it?

 

[SDHNTR]

I always use 20% pork fat and have never had an issue with dryness. I even often stab my brats at the end to let some fat out. I just get whatever pork fat I can find and even use bacon ends if thats all I can find. I use natural casings. Are you sure you are not over cooking it?

Tried every aspect of what you just mentioned. I use a instant read meat thermometer and usually pull at 145 -150 with wild pork and bear, and 125-130 with deer and elk.

 

[11boo]

Bacon ends were very good in my stuff. About 20% seemed good.

 

[TheWhitetailNut]

Tried every aspect of what you just mentioned. I use a instant read meat thermometer and usually pull at 145 -150 with wild pork and bear, and 125-130 with deer and elk.

This isn't possible, 125 would be rare with no rendering of fat at all. Any ground meat (especially if smoked) needs to be fully cooked unless its cured. Most my sausage made with venison are beef styles and for this I use brisket trim.

 

[jmez]

Fat doesn't render out under 180 degrees.

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[SDHNTR]

Fat doesn't render out under 180 degrees.

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Haha that’s funny.

 

[SDHNTR]

This isn't possible, 125 would be rare with no rendering of fat at all. Any ground meat (especially if smoked) needs to be fully cooked unless its cured. Most my sausage made with venison are beef styles and for this I use brisket trim.

Haha. You guys are funny. Telling me what’s not possible that I’ve seen with my own eyes plenty of times!

 

[SDHNTR]

Cook a ribeye to 125 internal and put it on a plate to rest for 5-10 min. Then tell me there’s no rendered fat on the plate!

 

[jmez]

How long does it take to grill a ribeye when max temp of the grill is 175?

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[svivian]

Comes here asking for help…..gets suggestions and advice…. tells everyone their wrong…. The internet summed up in a thread

 

[SDHNTR]

I’m talking about internal temperatures of the meat. Not the grill!

 

[kjw]

For sausage I use pork fat. The amount depends on what variety of sausage I’m making. What I have found that works best to keep the moisture in is adding high temp cheese. Makes a huge difference. Lots of times you can’t taste or tell the cheese has been added but you can definitely tell a difference in moisture content.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Call ahead to the butcher and ask for pure pork fat trim, they usually throw it away so you have to ask for it. Step up your temp to slowwwwly bring your sausage up, when it reaches temp throw it in an ice bath to stop the cook immediately.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Cook a ribeye to 125 internal and put it on a plate to rest for 5-10 min. Then tell me there’s no rendered fat on the plate!

Well you see there's fat all throughout that ribeye and the outside surface is a lot hotter than 125.

 

[MJB]

Don't fine grind the fat add liquid like wine or water too.

Remember the saying live high on the hog......for the best fat.

 

[SDHNTR]

Don't fine grind the fat add liquid like wine or water too.

Remember the saying live high on the hog......for the best fat.

Hey mark. Is that really where that saying came from? So does that mean the back fat is the best to use?

 

[Tod osier]

what’s left over is dry and crumbly.

I hesitate to jump in here, but this sounds like poorly bound sausage. Search "crumbly sausage homemade bind" in google. There is some art to it that includes not only the fat, but the moisture and the amount of mixing to develop a good bind. A poor bind is very distinctive, I've had it several times before.

I'll also put a plug in for my favorite way to cook sausages these days, which is now in the sous vide at 140. Not a long cook, just a couple hours to bring them to temp and them grill or pan sear. There is no thinking, and they are perfect texture and you don't' have to temp them. This will not fix a poor bind, they are still dry and crumbly.

I go with pork belly for fat.

 

[MThuntr]

I'm using fatty pork shoulder. I buy bulk from a butcher when I'm home. It's not the most economical but his prices are about 1/2 the price in the store...7lbs to 18lbs of game meat. I have no idea of the percentage of fat. I use Butcher-Packer sausage mixes that likely have some sort of binding agent in their mix...if the blend is too sticky I add more of water/beer.

Also with my experience i prefer a sausage stuffer with natural casing vs a stuffer attachment on a grinder. I found (again with my experience so yours will vary) it smashes the meat too much and makes a dense sausage that I don't like...very likely user error on my part.

 

[SDHNTR]

I hesitate to jump in here, but this sounds like poorly bound sausage. Search "crumbly sausage homemade bind" in google. There is some art to it that includes not only the fat, but the moisture and the amount of mixing to develop a good bind. A poor bind is very distinctive, I've had it several times before.

I'll also put a plug in for my favorite way to cook sausages these days, which is now in the sous vide at 140. Not a long cook, just a couple hours to bring them to temp and them grill or pan sear. There is no thinking, and they are perfect texture and you don't' have to temp them. This will not fix a poor bind, they are still dry and crumbly.

I go with pork belly for fat.

That's helpful. You may be right. I think the binding agent is an issue that missing.