COUNTRY SAUSAGE
About 2 pounds or eight 5-inch sausages
I. FRESHLY GROUND
The seasonings below are our favorite for a savory breakfast sausage. For one tasty alternative, see Chicken and Apple Sausage. Please read Making Sausage at Home and Grinding Meat at Home.
Cut and chill as directed in Grinding and Mixing Sausage:
- 1 ½ pounds pork shoulder, trimmed of connective tissue
- 8 ounces leaf lard or pork fatback, rind removed
As the meat and fat chill, mix together in a bowl:
- 2 crushed ice cubes, if using a meat grinder, or ¼ cup cold water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh sage or ½ teaspoon dried sage
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh marjoram or thyme, or ½ teaspoon dried marjoram or thyme
- (2 teaspoons minced fresh savory or ½ teaspoon dried savory)
- (1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper)
- (¼ teaspoon ground bay leaf)
- (Pinch of ground cloves)
Grind the chilled meat with a food processor or a meat grinder fitted with a ¼-inch plate (if using a food processor, mix the meat with the seasonings after grinding; if using a meat grinder, mix them before grinding). Fry a small piece of the mixture in a skillet, taste, and adjust the seasonings if needed, being careful not to overmix. Form into patties or stuff into:
- (6 feet of ¾-inch sausage casings, 4 feet of 1 ½-inch sausage casings, or 2 square feet of caul fat, prepared as described in Stuffing Sausage)
If you used a food processor to grind the meat, do not stuff it into casings.
To fry sausage patties and crépinettes, arrange in uncrowded batches in a cold, ungreased skillet and place over medium heat. Cook until well-done and browned on both sides, draining excess fat as necessary. To cook links, see here; remember that crépinettes can also be grilled. The sausage can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or tightly wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months.
II. PREGROUND
For a good, casual compromise between homemade and store-bought bulk sausage, start with ground pork and add seasonings as desired. Buy pork that is pale pink, or 25 to 30 percent fat. (If the ground pork looks really lean, replace up to a quarter of it with finely chopped bacon.)
Prepare the seasoning mixture for Country Sausage I and place in a bowl. Add 2 pounds ground pork to the seasonings in small clumps. Toss these clumps with the seasoning, then lightly knead until well mixed. Form the mixture into patties or crépinettes. We do not recommend stuffing preground pork into casings.