Pork Back Fat

[Habanero Smoker]

I ordered some pork back fat for sausage making. In the past I just used the trimmed fat from the butts I've been grinding, so this is the first time I will be using fat back. It came with the skin (rind) still attached. For those who use pork fat back, do you skin it or not before grinding. I'm going to skin it this time because I found a sausage recipe that calls for pork skin. I have a feeling that skinning the fat prior to using is going to be necessary, because the recipe that calls for pork skin requires the pork skin to be cooked for about 45 minutes, before you add it to the recipe. I would like to know what others are doing, in order see if I have to go through this extra step.

[MoSmoke]

Habs,
Skin it. Very few sausage recipes and I'm not sure I'd even call them sausage call for using the rind.
What you are after is the "Fat" off of the back. It's a more solid type of fat and doesn't smear as easily.
Most anything I've seen that uses the rind was cooked and molded like head cheese.
Like you, I usually just use the extra trimmed fat from the butts that I prepare for pulled pork as the added back fat in the sausage I make.

Good luck.

John

[3rensho]

I buy fat back as well to use when the butts are too lean.  I always skin it.  I've come across a few sausage recipes that call for skin but have never tried one.  I'm sure it's used commercially.  One can also make an Italian product out of the fat back called Lardo.  I don't have a recipe but it tastes very good and is available locally.

[Stickbowcrafter]

I only ordered back fat once, got enough to last me a good while. It came skin off and vacuum sealed. Back fat freezes well and I use small batches from the freezer as needed.

I'd take the skin off before grinding. Just my opinion.

-Brian

[iceman]

They have said it all Hab. I always skin it and keep it as cold as possible. Makes a differance in the texture of the sausage compared to the fat in the pork butts. Like MoSmoke said it's a firmer fat with a higher rendering temp than whats in the butts. It's getting hard to find up here. The local butchers aren't allowed to sell it thanks to the ADEC and FDA idiots in Anchorage. They have been marking it as Bird Food and getting it to me that way.

[HCT]

Habs, where did you get it? Online or locally, I've been looking for it also. Thanks

[Stickbowcrafter]

The Niman Ranch specializes in organically raised stock. I bought some back fat from them a while back from their web site and have been real pleased with it. Top notch stuff. They are a little on the expensive side.

http://www.nimanranch.com/control/product/~category_id=pork-specialty-cuts/~product_id=349900-91-01

-Brian

[Habanero Smoker]

Habs, where did you get it? Online or locally, I've been looking for it also. Thanks

HCT;
I ordered it from Adams located in Kingston, NY. It's a privately owned grocery store that sells excellent produce and meats. I will never use them again for ordering back fat. They took their time getting it in (two weeks) and made it apparrent that they did not wanted to order it for me. I'm pretty sure it has a lot to do with the fact that they make their own sausage, and they would rather use it then sell it. I purchased 8 pounds at $1.99/lb. I did call Josef's, but they use their back fat for their own sausage, and since they slaughter their own hogs they use all of it and didn't have any to sell. While I was waiting for the order from Adam's to come it, I did find that some ShopRite stores carry it, so you may want to try them. The only problem with buying it from ShopRite is that the back fat is packaged by Hatfield is in small portions weighing .3 - .45 of a pound, and it has the skin on. If the store has it, it will be next to the salted fat back, and in my area it goes for 1.99/lb.

Stickbow;
Thanks for the link. Next time I need some I will probably use this source.

3rensho & MoSmoke;
Thanks for the information. Looks like I will be spending some time skinning. As mentioned, pork is getting leaner each year, and they trim it too much to get any extra fat for sausage making. Today I found a good source for pork fat. The man at that store was also telling me that I would have to remove the skin, but he said he prefers to use pork fat, and they keep plenty on hand for haunters that like to make venison sausage. But I have to agree with everyone, that the back fat is much firmer.

[HCT]

Thanks Habs, will try Shop-rite next time I'm in Brookfield. They carry alot of the odd pork products that are hard to find.

[HCT]

I know I picked up the wrong stuff. The market had fat back shins, anout 1/4 inch thick. Not thinking I just threw them in the cart. I haven't opened the package yet but I know it was a mistake. Can't be too much fat on it. Oh well.

[Habanero Smoker]

I've haven't heard of the term fat back shins. The fat back that I purchased was at least 1/2" thick and the thickest was around 1 1/4" thick. It was labeled as Fresh Pork Fatback. Since I had to remove the skin it took about 1.5 pounds to give me around a pound of fat. What was odd was that the thinner pieces had the thickest skin.

[HCT]

Oooops, skins not shins and about not anout. :D :D :D

[Habanero Smoker]

I was searching the internet, and it seems that if you have a deep fryer you can make fried pork rinds from them. Where did you get them? I may try to pick some up myself.

[HCT]

A market called Price-Rite. It seems to be a part of Shop-Rite, it sells a lot of their products.

[iceman]

Oooops, skins not shins and about not anout. :D :D :D

Skins, shins, smins, what the heck! Pork fat rules no matter what you call it. It's all good.  ;D ;D ;D