Homemade Sausage Making

Inquiring minds want to know!
Do you mostly make sausages, bacon, or whole-muscle products such as ham?
Do you find yourself limited to less than 5 basic or favorite recipes?

dang I make several things, fresh sausage, Italian and Oktoberfest, breakfast links both, maple and sage varieties, smoked sausage, pepperettes, teryaki stix. liver wurst, head cheese, bierwurst, hot dogs, peameal bacon, smoked pork loins, smoked pork hocks, turkey legs,summer sausage, jerky, andouille, Kielbasa, Col. special sausage,Pepperoni and probably a few I forgot. like Moose-strami, regular bacon smoked cheese is what I'm doing tomorrow, some Gouda, Jarlsberg and colby will go in the smoke tomorrow and some almonds too. Now I'm hungry. LOL

My first choice is fresh meat. When I make sausage it is one of about six or eight fresh or hot smoked recipes and then there is bacon and ham from butts. Some smoked chicken and turkey and some cold smoked salmon and perhaps this year if the fishing is good some hot smoked fish.

...guess I'm not as well-rounded as some. (That is, unless belly measurement counts.) I primarily do two: a favorite chorizo recipe and the Texas Hot Links recipe, plus whatever third type (usually experimental) I happen to be playing with. All are fresh or smoked, one-kilo batches. Maybe some day (sigh) I'll take the plunge and build fermenting-capable equipment.

I am always trying different types of Charcuterie, but the things I make most often are smoked polish, fresh brats, and maple and black pepper bacon.

The demand is high, so it seems that I never have enough

My neighborhood demands I make gooooooood Hungarian sausage, because they can buy everything else around here. Yes sir.
I'm limited to the family's taste I'm helping.

Great question!

I usually make 2 things - an old standby and something new. The old stanbys:

- Kabanosy (#1 favorite in my house)
- Salami finochiana
- Spanish chorizo
- Andouille
- Kielbasa
- Bacon
- Coppa
- Mortadela
- Cotto
- Mexican chorizo
- Bulk breakfast sausage

Got some fuet going right now. Not sure how it will turn out, because I used soft fat instead of back fat. Don't know what got into me.

Cheers,
Jeff

I mostly make fresh sausage, the number of recipes I am comfortable with is closer to 10.
Time permitting I enjoy brining and smoking ham as well. Time estimated percentage scale I would say 90% sausage and 10% ham.

For me it's a toss-up of chicken-Italian-dried-tomato-black olive sausage for my wife, and regular Italian for me and my F-I-L, with the occasional batch of smoked Polish or Kolbasz. I never ever run out of having whole smoked chicken on hand, or Canadian bacon for that matter. I like the whole smoked pork loin the best, the only difference between Canadian bacon and ham for sandwiches being the thickness of the slices. RAY

Sausages: Polish kielbasa always seems to be in demand. Easy to make, too, which is a plus.
Thai chicken is the biggest seller, but requires MUCH more effort on the part of the sausage-maker
Beef: Brisket...low & slow. Easy cook, too.
Chicken:beer-can chicken because its quick & easy (notice a theme here?)
Pork shoulder: pulled pork always sells. And relatively easy.

Sausages I make fresh brats the most. BBQ I make ribs the most.