The old timer at the meat counter in Fresno said to salt my grind 20 minutes ahead, and it actually worked

Tessa Foster · 2026-10-22T04:45:03.885234+00:00

I was grinding pork shoulder for sausage at my shop and an old butcher named Sal who stops in on Saturdays watched me dump salt in right before stuffing. He said let it sit 20 minutes first and mix it good, the meat gets sticky and holds together way better. I tried it the next batch and the links came out tight with no crumbly spots, plus my casing blowouts went from maybe 5 a batch down to 1. Now I set a timer and go trim briskets while it sits. Anyone else salt their grind early like this or do you wait till right before the stuffer?

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The old timer at the meat counter in Fresno said to salt my grind 20 minutes ahead, and it actually worked | Butchers - Free To Speak