sausage emulsification

[rfathman]

I've been making a lamb sausage, grinding half the batch on a large dye and the other half on a medium dye. When I stuff the sausage, yes, equipment is chilled and I'm not using a blade with the stuffer my filling is partly emulsifying, like a bologna or Mortadella. Any thoughts?

Thanks,

rfathman

[NCPaul]

Welcome to the forum. Are you using a stuffer or are you using a grinder with the blade removed?

[vagreys]

As NCPaul suggests, using a grinder as a stuffer can give this result. Not tightening down the collar on the grinder, sufficiently, will also cause the meat to mash, even if the meat, itself, is cold. If the knife and grinder plate are not flush and tightly butted up together, meat can force its way between the blad and the plate and smear. Another problem that happens more often than people want to admit, is putting the knife in backwards. You'll get ground meat, but it will smear. Another cause of that fine mash/smear texture can be a result if the meat has lots of connective tissue and hasn't been trimmed sufficiently before grinding - connective tissue collects around the knife and causes the meat to smear as it goes through the grinder plate. All of these may result in the smear you describe - not really an emulsion, but a less than optimal grind.