sprinklefingers

i underestimated just how meaty a sausage-making class would be.

HOLY MEAT FLYING EVERYWHERE.

i wore an apron and i still found raw meat on the inside of my t-shirt when i got home. and the surprising thing? i wasn’t bothered by it at all. sure, stuffing meat into a grinder and then later guiding it into casings isn’t exactly what my hands were made to do, but i sure had a great and meaty time trying to figure it out.

the best thing about the class? it was taught by two women. two lady butchers, to be exact. camas davis and tray satterfield. these two are great teachers. very patient and totally willing to laugh at my ridiculous comments (it was a sausage-making class afterall.) i busted about 4 total sausages wide open while attempting to turn them into links, and camas & tray were as cool as cucumbers about it.

for a girl like me who is normally up to her elbows in sugar and butter, this was a real departure from my everyday. but camas & tray were excellent at making everyone involved in the class comfortable. the ladies walked through the sausage process giving their personal tips and hints along the way - then (and this was perhaps my favorite part) they gave us an encyclopedia of information on where and how to buy the meat to turn into actual sausages.

if you’re in (or close enough to) portland and have any interest at all in learning more about the meat you eat, i cannot (cannot) recommend the portland meat collective (and camas & tray) highly enough. they are, in a word, awesome. 

PS: what surprises me most about the the experience is that after returning home from the class (and showering) last night, i immediately began researching meat grinders online. as soon as mine arrives i plan to wow you with a recipe for my favorite sausage of last night - french garlic - so tasty with hints of thyme and brandy in every bite.