A customer at my shop in Boise said my pork shoulder trim was 'too clean' for good sausage.

He explained that leaving a bit more fat and connective tissue on the trimmings adds flavor and moisture, which made me reconsider my usual precision. Anyone have a specific ratio or method they prefer for sausage trim?

4 comments

4 Comments

white.keith2mo ago

That Boise customer is totally right. I used to trim my pork shoulder super clean too until my sausage kept coming out dry. Now I aim for about 25% fat in the mix, which is close to what @sandra_moore30 said. Leaving some of that softer fat and even a little silverskin makes a huge difference. It melts while cooking and keeps everything juicy. My texture and flavor got way better when I stopped being so perfect with the knife.

zarat372mo ago

Yeah, that softer fat really is the secret for keeping things moist.

ryan_hart3816h ago

Is leaving all that fat really the best move for every sausage though? I've been making sausage for years and I trim mine pretty lean, maybe 85/15, and my breakfast links come out snappy and not greasy at all. That extra fat just pools in the pan and makes a mess instead of staying in the meat. I remember a couple batches where I left more fat and the sausage just fell apart when I cooked it, like the texture was mushy instead of firm. Are you guys not having trouble with the casings splitting or the sausage being too loose with that much fat?

sandra_moore302mo ago

Read somewhere that a 70/30 lean to fat ratio is the sweet spot for most sausage. That customer might be onto something.