A lot has happened since we first announced the low sodium sausage project and it is time for an update.
We started just before the Christmas holidays, getting all new equipment and supplies; and we did embark on some easy and some challenging low sodium sausage project going into the holidays. Some 10 lbs of sausage was devoured over the Christmas and New Years holidays.
Shopping List l Tool List l Tips & Tricks l Videos l Recipe l Print Recipe
Our initial attempt of pre-Christmas sausage making included a batch of spicy Italian sausage and a batch of summer sausage. We would definitely not recommend the summer sausage to a beginner, it was absolutely awesome, but requires a lot of work and attention, among those, aging in it in your fridge for about a week with a good hot wood smoke afterwards.
After we ran out of the summer sausage and the Italian, we followed up with a lamb, juniper and sage flavored sausages, which we tried to stuff into skinny sheep casings. It was amazing, but the sheep casing is delicate and challenging; lots of holes poked, go for the hog, it is great and has a good bite. It will be our bratwurst go-to for the future!
The most important fact we learned for making sausage is ‘keep it cold’. Get the best freshest meat you can get your hands on and get it to a semi-frozen state before processing. We even put our meat grinder in the fridge before processing the meat.
When we grind and mix the meat we use two shallow rectangular steam table trays, which you can get from your local restaurant supply store. We put a layer of crushed ice in the lower and set the other one on top. That is the one you grind the meat into.
After what we learned from the first batches, a bratwurst style sausage would be a great first starter project, it is really easy and you get your first best home made sausage ever, with the ingredients you picked, everything you can actually name and pronounce. And don’t be fooled, you cannot make a good sausage for a few cents; it needs a couple of dollars.
Here is the recipe for the spicy Italian, we don’t know how authentic it is, but we love it anyway.
You need a good mix of lean and fatty meats.
About 3 lbs of pork shoulder, that should be the leaner meat
Half pound of Bacon or pork belly, which would be the fattier meat
And here is the spice mix
3 teaspoons of Smoked Paprika
3 teaspoons of Aleppo Pepper
1 teaspoon of Chili Flakes
2 teaspoons of roasted Fennel
Chilled white wine, about 4 tablespoons
Add salt to your liking, we don’t, because I can’t have any.
Shopping List
For the Sausages
1-2 links casing of your choice, we prefer hog.
3lb pork shoulder
1/2 pound bacon or pork belly
Spice Mix
3 teaspoons of Smoked Paprika
3 teaspoons of Aleppo Pepper
1 teaspoon of Chili Flakes
2 teaspoons of roasted Fennel
Chilled white wine, about 4 tablespoons
Salt
Tool List
Here is what you will need. Complete list coming soon.
Recipe
Making Spicy Italian Sausage
Ingredients
1-2 links casing of your choice, we prefer hog.
3 lbs pork shoulder
1/2 pound bacon or pork belly
3 teaspoons of smoked paprika
3 teaspoons of Aleppo Pepper
1 teaspoon of chili flakes
2 teaspoons of roasted fennel
4 tbsp chilled white wine
Salt to your liking
Steps
Grind the semi frozen meat through a ¼” or 3/8” die in the meat grinder
Mix well with the spice mixture and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge before stuffing it into hog casings.
Tips & Tricks
Grind the semi frozen meat through a ¼” or 3/8” die in the meat grinder
Mix well with the spice mixture and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge before stuffing it into hog casings.
Videos
Watch “How to make your own sausage” trailer (12 seconds):
Print Recipe
Grind the semi frozen meat through a ¼” or 3/8” die in the meat grinder Mix well with the spice mixture and let it sit for a few hours in the fridge before stuffing it into hog casings.Spicy Italian Pork Saussage
Print Recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
No Comments