Im thinking of buying myself a new toy (KA grinder) so I can make tomato sauce this fall, and also for grinding meat. Who here has a good sausage recipe, or uses a good sausage spice pre-mix that they like particularly well? You really don't know what cuts of pork go into the store-bought sausage, and right now, good cuts of meat are really reasonable. I think it would be fun to make some home-made sausage.
Sausage recipes
- Thread starter halo
- Start date
I can send you one! as soon as I go over to my folks' house & get it. We make Italian sausage every year--yep, this time of year get those pork shoulders on sale & stock up-after my Grandfather came over here from Sicily (1901) he had a little store & he sold the sausage he made there. We still have all of his equipment & make a big day of it every fall--the whole family gets together & makes sausage.
The key to it is you fire up a skillet when you first start grinding & keep cooking "test patties" until you find the seasoning blend that's right for you. Every branch of our family seasons theirs a little different. Some like more pepper, some like more fennel.
We do some in casings and some in patties for the freezer.
There is also a book I found at the library & it's GREAT - it is
"The art of making sausages, pates and other charcuterie" by Jane Grigson.
I found a recipe in it for Christmas sausage that we are going to try this year. There is a small butcher shop in Wisconsin who only makes and sells this certain sausage during Christmas and it is SOOOO good--very German recipe, and Jim's Mom always makes a run there & stocks up some for us. Their recipe is an old family secret & we've tried for years to guess the ingredients- this recipe is about as close as any we've found.
2 lbs lean pork shoulder
1 lb hard fat back
2 tablespoons coarse salt
a pinch of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ea of pepper, sugar, quartre-spices (that's cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & pepper) a pinch of mustard seed & a good pinch of saltpeter.
You put these into casings & tie them in a ring, & dry them in an airy place (60 deg. F) for 24 hours. To cook them you simmer them in stock.
I'll post the Italian sausage recipe later today. Mom wrote it down a few years back as we were making it so we'd have exact measurements of the spices.
The key to it is you fire up a skillet when you first start grinding & keep cooking "test patties" until you find the seasoning blend that's right for you. Every branch of our family seasons theirs a little different. Some like more pepper, some like more fennel.
We do some in casings and some in patties for the freezer.
There is also a book I found at the library & it's GREAT - it is
"The art of making sausages, pates and other charcuterie" by Jane Grigson.
I found a recipe in it for Christmas sausage that we are going to try this year. There is a small butcher shop in Wisconsin who only makes and sells this certain sausage during Christmas and it is SOOOO good--very German recipe, and Jim's Mom always makes a run there & stocks up some for us. Their recipe is an old family secret & we've tried for years to guess the ingredients- this recipe is about as close as any we've found.
2 lbs lean pork shoulder
1 lb hard fat back
2 tablespoons coarse salt
a pinch of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ea of pepper, sugar, quartre-spices (that's cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & pepper) a pinch of mustard seed & a good pinch of saltpeter.
You put these into casings & tie them in a ring, & dry them in an airy place (60 deg. F) for 24 hours. To cook them you simmer them in stock.
I'll post the Italian sausage recipe later today. Mom wrote it down a few years back as we were making it so we'd have exact measurements of the spices.
Last edited:
Halo Last year when we butchered our pigs I made over 75 pounds of sausage. I went online and got recipes and asked on here. I tried alot of them but the family really liked the sausage I made with Leggs Old Plantation Pork Sausage seasoning. They have a country sausage that is great. They also have an italian sausage, and maple, and jalepeno mixes I got the mixes at SaveAlot they have them up by the registers The package does 25 pounds but you can make smaller batches. Hope this helps Micki
- Thread starter
- #4
Here's my notes on our family sausage-making and 3 recipes--we make all of these & find them good. It's not hard at all and fun to do. We usually start about mid-morning & wrap it up around mid-afternoon.
Making Sausage
Cleanliness is important, so is cold. To prevent bacterial growth, meat is never allowed to get warm, and water added to an ingredient is ice water.
The night before, spices are mixed, bagged & labeled for the different kinds of sausage.
A picnic table makes a good work table. Spread with newspapers and assemble equipment: bowls, meat grinders, sausage stuffing attachments, cutting boards and knives.
Determine the amount of fat the sausage will contain. Traditionally sausage is about 50 percent fat. (We prefer 30 percent fat).
Meat is cubed, ground and weighed into 20 pound batches & mixed with garlic and spices. The sausage casings are untangled and attached to the kitchen faucet and fresh water run through them to rinse off the salt they are packed in.
Stuffing funnels are fitted on the meat grinder & lengths of casing threaded on to the funnels. Seasoned ground meat is forced through the grinder into casing. To keep air bubbles from forming, the casing is tapped gently with a knife as it moves off the attachment to be stuffed. Casing is twisted at desired intervals (about every 3 inches for Italian sausage). By alternating the direction of each twist, the sausages will not spin & become untwisted.
Two 65 pound cases of untrimmed, bone-in pork butts and 1 hank of casing (300 feet) will yield 7 packages of approximately 10 pounds of finished sausage each. Trim off desired amount of fat. Use bones to flavor spaghetti sauces and soups.
Following are recipes for Italian sausage, Sage breakfast sausage & fresh kielbasa. We do both links and form some of it into "logs" without the casing so we can slice off patties. We also just bag some of it loose.
Italian sausage:
10 pounds ground pork butts
3 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
8 cloves finely minced garlic
5 teaspoons fennel seed
1 tablespoon anise seed
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parlsey
Proceed as directed in text.
Sage breakfast sausage:
1- pounds ground pork butts
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons rubbed sage
5 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ground allspice
3 medium onions, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced.
Proceed as directed in the text.
Fresh kielbasa:
(not smoked)
10 pounds ground pork butts
5 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
6 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1 tablespoon marjoram
8 ounces ice water
Proceed as directed in the text.
Making Sausage
Cleanliness is important, so is cold. To prevent bacterial growth, meat is never allowed to get warm, and water added to an ingredient is ice water.
The night before, spices are mixed, bagged & labeled for the different kinds of sausage.
A picnic table makes a good work table. Spread with newspapers and assemble equipment: bowls, meat grinders, sausage stuffing attachments, cutting boards and knives.
Determine the amount of fat the sausage will contain. Traditionally sausage is about 50 percent fat. (We prefer 30 percent fat).
Meat is cubed, ground and weighed into 20 pound batches & mixed with garlic and spices. The sausage casings are untangled and attached to the kitchen faucet and fresh water run through them to rinse off the salt they are packed in.
Stuffing funnels are fitted on the meat grinder & lengths of casing threaded on to the funnels. Seasoned ground meat is forced through the grinder into casing. To keep air bubbles from forming, the casing is tapped gently with a knife as it moves off the attachment to be stuffed. Casing is twisted at desired intervals (about every 3 inches for Italian sausage). By alternating the direction of each twist, the sausages will not spin & become untwisted.
Two 65 pound cases of untrimmed, bone-in pork butts and 1 hank of casing (300 feet) will yield 7 packages of approximately 10 pounds of finished sausage each. Trim off desired amount of fat. Use bones to flavor spaghetti sauces and soups.
Following are recipes for Italian sausage, Sage breakfast sausage & fresh kielbasa. We do both links and form some of it into "logs" without the casing so we can slice off patties. We also just bag some of it loose.
Italian sausage:
10 pounds ground pork butts
3 1/2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons coarse ground black pepper
8 cloves finely minced garlic
5 teaspoons fennel seed
1 tablespoon anise seed
1 1/2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh parlsey
Proceed as directed in text.
Sage breakfast sausage:
1- pounds ground pork butts
3 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons rubbed sage
5 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cloves
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon ground allspice
3 medium onions, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced.
Proceed as directed in the text.
Fresh kielbasa:
(not smoked)
10 pounds ground pork butts
5 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
6 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon coarse ground black pepper
1 tablespoon marjoram
8 ounces ice water
Proceed as directed in the text.
- Thread starter
- #6
I've used Alton Brown's Breakfast Sausage recipe from the Food Network. I especially like the way he seasons the cubes of meat before feeding the cubes through the grinder.
I also advise testing a small patty to see if you like the test before adding more seasoning, red cayenne pepper, sage, etc.
Note: I mix the salt, pepper and other dry seasonings in a small bowl then sprinkle over the diced meat. Also, I used slightly larger cubes than 1/4-inch cubes - mine were more like 1/2-inch to 1-inch cubes and that worked fine for me. You can use dried sage, thyme and rosemary if you don't have fresh. Just use 1/3 as much of the fresh if using dried. I have doubled this recipe as I usually like to make about 4-5 lbs. sausage at one time.
Alton Brown's Breakfast Sausage
* 2 pounds pork butt (2 1/2 pounds with bone), diced into 1/4-inch pieces
* 1/2 pound fat back, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
* 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* Special equipment: meat grinder
Directions
Combine diced pork with all other ingredients and chill for 1 hour. Using the fine blade of a grinder, grind the pork. Form into 1-inch rounds. Refrigerate and use within 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. For immediate use, saute patties over medium-low heat in a non-stick pan. Saute until brown and cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Breakfast Sausage
Rated: 5 stars out of 544 Reviews
I also advise testing a small patty to see if you like the test before adding more seasoning, red cayenne pepper, sage, etc.
Note: I mix the salt, pepper and other dry seasonings in a small bowl then sprinkle over the diced meat. Also, I used slightly larger cubes than 1/4-inch cubes - mine were more like 1/2-inch to 1-inch cubes and that worked fine for me. You can use dried sage, thyme and rosemary if you don't have fresh. Just use 1/3 as much of the fresh if using dried. I have doubled this recipe as I usually like to make about 4-5 lbs. sausage at one time.
Alton Brown's Breakfast Sausage
* 2 pounds pork butt (2 1/2 pounds with bone), diced into 1/4-inch pieces
* 1/2 pound fat back, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
* 2 teaspoons kosher salt
* 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves
* 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
* 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
* Special equipment: meat grinder
Directions
Combine diced pork with all other ingredients and chill for 1 hour. Using the fine blade of a grinder, grind the pork. Form into 1-inch rounds. Refrigerate and use within 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. For immediate use, saute patties over medium-low heat in a non-stick pan. Saute until brown and cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
Breakfast Sausage
Rated: 5 stars out of 544 Reviews
- Thread starter
- #8
Dried spices are more concentrated than fresh, so if you use dried, use 1/3 of the "fresh" amount.
Peepless your recipe looks yummy! we will have try that one this fall!
Peepless your recipe looks yummy! we will have try that one this fall!
- Thread starter
- #10
Similar threads
New posts New threads Active threads
-
Latest threads
-
-
-
Suggestions on Cleaning Run- Started by RY29
- Replies: 0
-
-
A rooster adopted us! How do we debug him?- Started by Fluffybuttz
- Replies: 0
-
-
Threads with more replies in the last 15 days
-
