Isaiah overseeing sausage making last weekend, proudly wearing his apron made my Gramma Butchy.We've been busy with a lot of meat processing around here in the past two weeks. I decided I better blog about it before more exciting news takes front page (namely lambs.)
Last summer my craigslist lurking paid off. I found an ad for a meat saw and grinder. It was a drive, but dad and Nate made the trip and hauled home some heavy Hobarts. After setting up a makeshift "meat shop" they tested things out with a whole beef that we bought. Things worked well, and they had all the meat processed and wrapped in about five hours. Family pitched in and helped for the day with kid wrangling, wrapping, and hauling. Half of the meat now resides in our freezers and half in my parents. Our 60+ pounds of hamburger took less than ten minutes to grind, twice, with the large grinder. Having a father who used to cut meat for a living didn't hurt either.
Last weekend Dad and Nate decided to test the grinder a bit more. 160 pounds of beef, pork, and venison were transformed into potato sausage, bratwurst, italian sausage, and snack sticks.
All of it tastes great, and is being thoroughly enjoyed by all. Nate smoked the italian sausage and snack sticks.
It is a great feeling to have plenty to feed the family. Mukwah didn't mind the giant bones that came his way either. Both weekends of meat processing he was loose the majority of the time, without wandering away. Is it surprising that he didn't leave the meat shop door?
Kohen and Isaiah loved the process as well. When we were processing the beef Kohen was up "helping" before I was. I don't know if I'll be able to eat the flank steak, seeing his perfect kindergarten printing on that white wrapped package brings a smile to my face. Last weekend Isaiah informed me it wasn't a "meat shop" anymore, it was now a "sausage shop." Whatever the name, I like it.
SHEARING NOTE: Shearing is next Saturday, the 26th, in the evening. Onlookers are welcome, help is appreciated. You won't even have to brave a walk across the awful ice to the barn, we are shearing/lambing in the garage again. Hopefully this will be the last year before the barn is completely set up, though I do admit I don't mind the very short walk to do lamb checks!
