I’ll show you how to make Vietnamese pork sausage using a meat grinder from A to Z, super easy at home

How to make Pork Sausage using a meat grinder

• 1

  Freeze the pork

  After purchasing the pork, rub it with salt, then rinse it 2 – 3 times with water to remove impurities and excess salt. Next, let the meat drain naturally or use paper towels to dry it.

  Cut the pork into large pieces about 1cm thick and place them in a plastic bag, then put it in the freezer refrigerator to chill quickly for about 2 hours.

  Wash the pork fat with salt and then cut it into small pieces. If the fat has skin on it, be sure to remove the skin. After that, place the fat in the freezer for 1 hour. Once the fat is firm, put it in the meat grinder to grind it finely.

  Next, return the finely ground fat back to the freezer to keep it fresh.

  Tip:

  • Chilling the meat and pork fat will help the mixture bind better during grinding, resulting in a more chewy and crispy sausage.
  • You don’t need to wait for the meat to freeze completely; the pork should just be chilled, and it is ready when it feels a bit firm to the touch.

  

  

  

  
• 2

  Prepare the spice mixture

  You prepare a bowl, add to the bowl the spices including 50g of fish sauce, 1g of monosodium glutamate, 15g of granulated sugar (sugar is not a mandatory ingredient, so you can reduce the amount of sugar or omit it according to your preference), 30g of tapioca flour, 1 teaspoon of baking powder (a heaping spoon) and about 1/2 teaspoon of ground white pepper.

  Tip: Depending on your preference for spiciness, you can add more or less pepper. Using white pepper will not affect the color of the sausage after steaming.

  You use a spoon to mix the mixture well and then store it in the refrigerator.

  

  

  
• 3

  Grind the sausage for the first time

  First, you should prepare a basin of water and add some ice cubes, add a little salt to make the ice water colder, then soak the meat grinder in the ice water for about 10 – 15 minutes before grinding.

  When the grinder is cold, take it out, put all the chilled meat into the machine, add 3 – 4 ice cubes, cover the grinder, and grind for 15 seconds.

  Tip:

  • You should press the grind button in a pulsing manner rather than holding it down, as this will cause the machine to heat up quickly. The heat from the machine will affect the binding process of the sausage.
  • At this step, you can add 3g of a crunchy and chewy additive to grind with the meat to make it easier for the sausage to succeed.

  

  

  

  
• 4

  Grind the sausage for the second time

  You add the fat to the machine, add 2 – 3 ice cubes, and continue grinding in a pulsing manner for about another 20 seconds. Next, you take the bowl of seasoning, add 4 – 5 ice cubes and about 2 – 3 tablespoons of ice water, stir well, and then add it to the grinder.

  Continue grinding in a pulsing manner for 20 seconds. At this point, the meat should have formed a smooth and sticky texture.

  

  

  
• 5

  Grind the sausage for the third time

  You continue to add 2 – 3 ice cubes into the grinder and pulse for 25 seconds. After that, let the machine rest for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then repeat the process with the ice cubes – pulse for 25 seconds for another 2 – 3 rounds. After each grinding, open the grinder lid and use a spatula to mix the ground meat mixture once.

  Grind until you see that the sausage mixture has become smooth like baby food, has a nice shine, and when you lift the spatula, the mixture is slightly loose but not runny.

  

  

  

  
• 6

  Wrap the sausage

  Before wrapping the sausage, use a little cooking oil to coat the inside of the mold so that the sausage does not stick. If using banana leaves to wrap, briefly blanch the leaves in hot water to make them softer and easier to wrap.

  Divide the sausage mixture into 2 portions, each 500g, then place them into 2 plastic bags. Press the sausage towards the bottom of the bag and roll it up, using a toothpick to poke holes in the plastic bag so that when steaming, the sausage has space to expand.

  Place the sausage into the mold tightly to shape it. If using banana leaves, wrap the sausage similarly to how you would wrap Western-style sticky rice cakes. When wrapping, remember to press firmly to make the sausage denser.

  

  

  

  
• 7

  Steam the sausage

  You prepare a steaming pot that is boiling, place the sausage into the pot, and steam for about 40 – 45 minutes. After cooking, take it out and let the sausage drain, cooling naturally overnight for a firmer texture. You can then cut it and enjoy right away or store it in the refrigerator to consume later.

  
• 8

  Final product

  The finished sausage product should have good elasticity, chewy, crispy, and not crumbly. When cut, the sausage is very chewy and tastes just right.