5 Essential Meat Processing Tools Under $50

The new year is a great time to set some goals to "meat" for the upcoming year. If you are a deer hunter you probably just finished processing your deer meat into snack sticks, jerky or whatever you like to make, and it is a good time to look at the year ahead. We can look back at any mistakes or challenges we faced in the previous year and come up with ways to improve. So, without further ado here are some goals to work toward in the coming year!

It's easy to chase big upgrades, larger grinders, better smokers, and more capacity. You don’t necessarily need a bigger grinder or a new smoker to get better results; you might just need a few smaller, less expensive tools to take your sausage and jerky making to the next level!  Some of the biggest improvements in meat processing don't come from expensive equipment. They come from the small, often-overlooked tools that help you work cleaner, safer, and more consistently in every single batch.

Whether you're running a full-time shop or grinding your own meat at home, the right low-cost tools will help you:

Improve product quality
Prevent costly mistakes
Speed up your workflow.
And make the entire process a whole lot smoother

In this post, we're highlighting five tools under $50 that are the kind of supplies you'll be able to master quickly and find yourself reaching for every time you step into the shop.

#1 Digital Thermometer

If you worry about the flavor, texture, and appearance of whatever you are cooking, there is one thing that will help with all three: a digital thermometer!  Whether you are making snack sticks or bratwurst, cooking your meat to the right temperature is crucial for all three, and there is no better way to do it than with a reliable digital thermometer.  Stop smoking the meat before it is done, and you'll end up with mushy, unevenly flavored meat that looks like it's been boiled instead of cooked; overcook it, and you will end up with dry, flavorless, scorched sausage that no one will want to touch!

The Escali Folding Digital Thermometer (Escali Folding Digital Probe Thermometer - Walton's) is a great option for both sausage makers and grill enthusiasts.  It reads temps from -49 to 392°F, so your sausage should be no problem; it folds up to save space, and it comes with batteries

Budget Buster Option - A thermometer with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, like the Meater+ (Meat Thermometers - Walton's), can let you sit on your couch watching football while you kielbasa smokes outside!

Budget Option - The Walton's Waterproof or 12-inch probe Digital Thermometers are a great way to get a good product but save some $!

Hand holding a meat thermometer over a grilled piece of meat.

#2 Quality Boning Knife

A Sharp knife makes any job easier, especially when dealing with large quantities of meat!  Not all boning knives are created equally. First, there are different lengths, shapes, and styles, like Stiff, Semi-flex, and Flex knives. Then there are differences in the quality of the blade, the handle, and even how long the edge will last.  So, lots to consider here, making sure you have the right tool for the job is going to help the sausage-making process easier and more enjoyable!

The Victorinox 6" Semi-Stiff Boning Knife (Victorinox Curved Boning Knife Sku 26047515) is a great workhorse boning knife that can be effective in almost any situation.  It has a fibrox handle for easy cleaning and grip stability, it has a 56-58 Rockwell edge to allow you to make more cuts between sharpening, and this is what you will find in the majority of professional meat processing shops!  Bonus: they are dishwasher safe!

Budget buster option - At JUST above $50, the Rose handle boning knife from Victorinox (Victorinox Wood Curved Boning Knife - Walton's) is an equally great knife with the added advantage of a gorgeous rosewood handle. This is a knife you might pass down to your kids with proper care!

Budget Option - The Walton's 6" boning knives are what we usually use whenever we know we are going to be hitting up against a lot of bones, or dragging the blade across hard surfaces.  There is no reason to put a $50 knife through that abuse, but a $15 dollar knife?  We say hack away!

Person in orange gloves cutting raw chicken on a countertop.

#3 Cut-resistant glove

Now that you have a nice knife with a razor-sharp edge on it, we need to get you some protection for your off-hand!  We often say that sharp knives don't cause accidents, dull knives do.  This is because with a dull knife you have to push harder, and it is easier to slip and cut your offhand.  Well, they make cut-resistant gloves to prevent this from happening. These gloves are worn on your non-knife hand and can be worn under a nitrile glove to prevent them from getting dirty.

The A6 from HexArmor comes in a pair, and you only need it on your off-hand, so you are basically getting 2 for 1!  They have a special weave of polyester fibers that allows for high dexterity while providing A6 cut resistance.  While you shouldn't try to cut your hand with this on, it will protect you (and your business) from all but the clumsiest of people!

Budget buster option - The original cut-resistant glove, the Steel Mesh glove clocks in around $75, but will keep your hand safe from any knife known to man.  The downside is that you are sacrificing a lot of dexterity for this protection, so gripping and maneuvering large cuts of meat can be an issue.

Budget option: Cut-resistant knit gloves are lightweight and flexible, and at only $6 a pair, you won't need to get too upset when you have to replace one!

#4 Sausage Pricker

Unless you are using a vacuum stuffer or are VERY thorough about making sure there is no air in your stuffers' cannisters, you are going to have some air pockets in your sausage.  Something that not enough sausage makers use anymore is a Sausage Pricker.  This is just a small handle that is about the size of a pairing knife with 3 or 4 sharp tines coming out of it, and its purpose is to remove air pockets from sausage before cooking.

The standard Sausage Pricker (Sausage Pricker - Casing Perforator) is the general and budget-buster option here, as there really isn't another option available!  It doesn't take a lot to figure out how to use them, just poke the tines into the sausage casing where you see an air pocket and slightly squeeze the casing to allow the air to escape.

Budget option: You can use a knife with a sharp point, or some forks have sharp enough tines to do this; toothpicks will also work for this purpose!

#5 Extra Meat Lugs

We are assuming you are not still grinding and mixing in a large metal bowl. If you are, go directly to Meat Lugs & Carts - Walton's and at least get a General Duty Lug!  However, since anyone who has taken the time to read this almost certainly has at least 1 lug, believe us when we say that getting an extra meat lug (or 2) can make it easier to make batches of sausage, jerky, or whatever you are making.  Especially if you make several flavors at once!

The 70 lb Meat Lugs Meat Lugs - 70 lb Capacity (Heavy Duty) are the heaviest duty lugs available, come in 9 different colors, stack inside each other for easy storage, and have lids available in case you need to store items in a cooler overnight.

Budget Option - The Walton's General Duty Meat Lug Walton's General Duty Meat Lug holds up to 50 lb, is freezer and dishwasher safe, and at around $10 less expensive than the 70 lb version, it allows you to purchase a few more!

Budget Buster Option - Don't want to carry your full meat lugs around?  Well, a Single Lug Dolly Single Lug Aluminum Dolly - Walton's lets you roll your meat from the processing area right to a cooler or fridge for easy loading!