I finally stopped trimming fat off pork shoulder before grinding and the sausage got worse, here is why

Joel Shah · 2026-09-23T01:30:04.277775+00:00

I run a small shop in Toledo and for about 3 months I was trimming every bit of fat cap off my pork shoulders before grinding because I thought clean meat meant better sausage. A regular customer who ran a deli for 20 years told me I was throwing away the exact fat that keeps the grind from drying out, and he was right. I ran two 10 pound batches side by side, one with fat trimmed to about 15 percent and one left closer to 30 percent, and the lean batch came out crumbly and gray after a day in the case. The fat carries the flavor and holds moisture, so pulling it all out just gives you dry mealy links that nobody wants to buy twice. I now keep the fat cap on and just cube everything cold before it goes through the plate. Anybody else get taught to trim everything first, or was that just the shop I learned in?

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I finally stopped trimming fat off pork shoulder before grinding and the sausage got worse, here is why | Butchers - Opinions Matter