Recipe #23: Italian Sausage

Joan has made sausages once in my recollection. They were fine but too much work for the amount of sausages that were produced. So she now buys them at a local Italian butcher. Making sausages is a trial and error exercise. You get better with practice.

People think you need to add filler like bread crumbs etc. to reduce fat but that will create a solid log and will not be too nice to look at nor eat.

Sausage making is a messy business. Always wash your hands or wear latex gloves to protect everybody you feed from germs.

Good luck!

Ingredients:

2 pounds fresh pork shoulder have your butcher cut it in cubes [should be 40% fat to 60% meat]
1/4 cup of parsley,

2 teaspoons salt,

1 teaspoon sage { ? may be a wee bit strong}
1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

1 tablespoon anise seed ground with mortar and pestle

Cup of red wine to taste

2 yards of sausage casing.

Instructions:

Grind pork pieces into a large bowl

Add parsley, sage, salt, ground anise, pepper and a cup of wine.

Mix and refrigerate for about 3 and a half hours.

>Hint: Add black pepper, chilli pepper {to taste} also try adding sea salt to the anise seed in the mortar & pestle before grinding it altogether.

Prepare the casing:

Slip one end of casing over faucet and let warm water run through

Rinse casings well in several changes of warm water or white vinegar.

Let casing soak in warm water for 30 minutes till supple.

Feed mixture through sausage making device at a pace you can remain in control of sausage shape.

This makes about 8 big sausages so try it and then you can experiment with the seasonings.

Garlic maybe???