A weekend of firsts

[jason]

Saturday I was happy to get my gift out, which was a meat grinder/sausage attachment for the wife's kitchen aid. I picked up some pork shoulder which was on sale locally. I cut it up into cubes and tossed it into the meat grinder. Added a butt rub to the mix and mixed it in. Cooked a small amount to taste test it. Tossed on sausage attachment and started making sausage.

This morning I went out into the garden and got some fresh cucumbers and okra. The okra I cleaned and froze. The cucumbers I made some bread and butter pickles, and the others the wife took to try out our families dill pickle recipe.

 

[CoachN]

I never sausage a sausage!

 

[jason]

The pickles have been a huge hit. The bread and butters, while not a popular choice, I've found great. I love them, and think sunday I'll try a spicy version. Bhut Jolokia's anyone?

The dills, while great flavor lacked some snap. We had no alum, and none were found in local grocery stores. It helps keep the snap, so that may be why.

The sausage. Very flavorful. But it was not as greasy. A good thing perhaps, but it also felt, well tough. I'm wondering if more fat as needed after all. It has not stopped me from eating it by far, but overall it gets a B- or a B. Just felt like it was missing something.