Meat Choice

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Rick
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Meat Choice

Post by Rick » Sat Jan 04, 2020 13:59

As most recipes call for 10# of meat, it always seems when I buy a bone in pork butt it weighs out at roughly 9 1/2 #. So to make up the shortfall can I add a pork jowl? As I have a whole case on hand. This would be for a fresh kielbasa recipe, but I was wondering if the jowl meat would give it to much soft mouth feel, as jowl meat isn’t as firm as say the hard back fat which I don’t have any of at the moment.
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Scogar
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Re: Meat Choice

Post by Scogar » Sat Jan 04, 2020 14:05

I've screwed up an awful lot on my trajectory of sausage making. Haven't seen too many things that made enough of a difference to take an otherwise good sausage to bad. There seems to be a lot of flexibility in my experience. Unless you were actually trying to dial a specific result or sausage in I think you could add the jowl, or just as likely ignore the remaining half pound (of course cure adjustment and a small dialing of the salt would be the only course corrections that are "truly" important).

Just my two cents...much more experienced answers will hopefully follow from the more expert charcuterists
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Bob K
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Re: Meat Choice

Post by Bob K » Sat Jan 04, 2020 14:12

The best and easiest way is to simply convert your recipes to percentages, that way is doesn't matter if you make 10 lbs. or 4 lbs
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Re: Meat Choice

Post by Rick » Sat Jan 04, 2020 16:39

Good point Bob.
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redzed
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Re: Meat Choice

Post by redzed » Sun Jan 05, 2020 18:11

Take Bob's advice, work in percentages and in metric. You'll be able to do most calculations in your head. Jowl is a great addition to most sausages. The fat is firm and together with the meat, the jowl has a distinct and desirable flavour and texture. You are lucky to be able to source it, because I can't unless I get a side of pork.
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