My dad told me to keep the sawdust from the bandsaw for stuffing sausage

He said it was an old trick from his time at the shop in Spokane, that it helped bind the meat and gave it a better texture. I tried it for about six months, using a cup of fine sawdust per 25 pounds of pork shoulder mix. Honestly, it just made everything feel a bit gritty, and a couple regulars asked if I'd changed my recipe because the mouthfeel was off. I stopped using it last fall and went back to just ice water and my normal spices. The texture is smoother now and I haven't had a single complaint. Has anyone else tried something similar, or was this just a very specific quirk from his era?

3 comments

3 Comments

walker.max1mo ago

Sounds like your dad's trick was more about stretching meat during lean times than improving texture. The grit you felt was probably from cellulose that just doesn't break down when you cook it. Good call going back to basics, some old methods are better left in the past.

graygonzalez1mo ago

Yeah, @walker.max is right about it being a stretch trick, not a texture one. You ever wonder how many "family secrets" are just clever ways to hide how little food there was? Makes you question all those old tips.

lunakim1mo ago

My friend's grandma swore her pie crust secret was "cold hands." Turns out she just used cheap shortening and ice water during the war, same as everyone. It makes you look at all those "special touches" differently. @walker.max has a point about stuff just being from hard times. My friend felt kinda sad when she realized there was no real magic to it, you know? Makes you wonder what else we're holding onto for no good reason.