What Size Grinder Plate for Sausage?

  • By: Brendan

Did you know that there are over 200 varieties of sausages in the US alone? Everyone has their own favorite, so why not savor them all?

You can easily with your home meat grinder, a little skill, and of course the right grinding plate.

What size grinder plate for sausage

Meat grinder plates are available in several different sizes, which dictate the type of grinding results such as fine, medium or coarse.

If you want to cook up some tantalizing breakfast sausages, polish sausages or Italian sausages, you will need a 3/16″ plate hole size grinding plate, whereas if you want to make summer sausage, you should be using both a 1/4″ and 5/16″ grinding plate.


Meat Grinder Plate Sizes for Different Sausage Types

As mentioned earlier, there are over 200 varieties of sausages, so here are the top types you can make, and the respective meat grinder plate size needed to make them in the comfort of your home.

Sausage

Meat Grinder Plate Size

Breakfast Sausage

3/16″

Summer Sausage

1/4″ & 5/16″

Cajun Sausage

3/8″

Italian Sausage

5/32” & 3/16”

Bratwurst

1/4” & 5/16”

Chorizo

3 ¼”

Boerewors

1/4 inch

Longaniza Parillera

3/8” (pork) & 1/4” (beef)

Saveloy

1/8”

Falukorv

3/8”

 


Which is the Best Meat Grinder Blade for Sausage?

When it comes to the best grinder plate for sausage, there’s no one size fits all design, because it truly depends on the type of sausage you’re making.

For example, if you’re looking to make jerky sausages, then you will need a fine grind with a 3/32 inch and 1/8-inch grinding plate.

If you’re making German, Polish or breakfast sausages, you will require medium ground meat with a 5/32 inch and 3/16-inch grinder plate.

To make summer sausage or bratwurst, 1/4 inches and 5/16 grinder plates are your best options.

It’s also worth mentioning that the sizes for each type of sausage are just recommendations, and aren’t set in stone.

This means that you can mix and match several grinding plates until you get your desired texture for the type of sausage you’re making.

Some sausage aficionados prefer to kickstart the sausage making process with a coarse grinding plate, and finish with a fine grinding plate, regardless of the type of sausage they’re making.


How Many Times to Grind Meat for Sausage?

Most, if not all home sausage makers grind their meat twice for more consistent results. First, the meat is passed through a coarse grinding plate, and next a fine grinding plate or one in between depending on the variety of sausage.

Some people only use a coarse grinding plate, but grind the meat with it thrice. Others grind once, mix the seasoning and rusk, and grind once more with a 10mm grinding plate.


What Kind of Pork do You Grind for Sausage?

Pork shoulder is the best cut to grind to make pork sausage, because this area of the animal is rich in fat.

You simply have to cut the pork shoulder into 1-inch pieces, and be sure to discard all the sinew and silver skin.

Then chill the pieces in your freezer for 15 minutes to 30 minutes, and grind them with your meat grinder.

When it comes to selecting the right pork cut for sausage, you should do some math, and aim for a ratio of 80 percent meat and 20 percent fat.

This means that you should steer clear of cuts such as pork tenderloin, because they will result in dry sausages that aren’t very flavorful.


Can You Grind and Stuff Sausage at the Same Time?

Even though many people will tell you that you can’t grind and stuff meat at the same time to prevent crumbling, you can do both in the same step.

But you will get the best quality sausages if you grind, mix, taste, adjust seasoning and then stuff.

Adding to this, there are also certain recipes that ask that you cure the ground meat and spices in the fridge before you stuff.

But it all boils down to what works best for you, and if you’re happy with the results, so if you want to grind meat and stuff at the same time, go right ahead.

Grinding and stuffing at the same time is also quick and easy, but again you may risk the quality of the end results.


Who Makes the Best Meat Grinder Plate?

When shopping for the best meat grinder plates, you’ll be spoilt for choice, owing to the myriad options available. The most important factor to consider is the durability of the respective plates, and that’s an area where The Sausage Maker takes home the gold.

Conceived in 1972, The Sausage Maker manufactures and sells a wide range of grinder plates, to make a variety of different sausages.

The #10/12 grinder plate is perhaps the company’s best selling grinder plates, and is crafted from robust quality carbon steel.

This is a hub-less grinding plate, so it’s essentially two plates in one, making it reversible.

The #10/12 3/8″ grinder plate is yet another top-selling item by the company and is made from high-strength stainless steel. It features a hub, making it easy to attach and remove it from the grinder.

Kasco, founded in 1901 is a market leader in the grinder plate space, and manufactures a long list of grinder plates.

The company’s meat grinder plates are engineered to minimize contact between the plate and knife, resulting in a cooler cutting surface.

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