How to Make Pork Sausage Out Of Plain Ground Pork

Beef and turkey sausage are widely available on the market, but pork is the most prevalent meat used in sausage making. Pork sausage comes in a variety of flavors and often has ethnic roots, such as Italian sausage, Polish sausage and Mexican chorizo. Some sausages are mild while others are intensely spicy, with many types falling between the two extremes. Beginning with a common base of ground pork, a simple breakfast sausage is created at home by adding signature herbs and spices for each different sausage type.

Things You'll Need

• 5 lbs. ground pork
• 1 lb. ground bacon
• 4 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. black pepper, coarsely ground
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• Small bowl
• Spoon
• Large mixing bowl
• Larger mixing bowl
• Ice
• 1 lb. containers with lids
• Aluminum foil
• Plastic food storage bags

Instructions

1. Mix the salt, black pepper, thyme, allspice and garlic in a small bowl using the spoon.

2. Put the ground pork and ground bacon into a large bowl that is nested in a larger bowl filled with ice.

3. Add the flavors from the small bowl and mix completely. Add the water and incorporate it thoroughly. At this point you can place the sausage you will eat within a day or two in the refrigerator. When you do this, use a container with a lid, wrap it in aluminum foil or place it in plastic food storage bags. For longer storage, freeze the sausage in meal-sized packages.

Tips & Warnings

• Extra fat is added to sausage to give it flavor and succulence. You can use fat back or any other flavorful pork fat instead of bacon.

• To create stuffed sausages, use a sausage-stuffing appliance or a grinder attachment intended for that purpose. The casings are threaded onto the spindle, filling out as the sausage is extruded through the hollow spindle. Twist the stuffed sausages at intervals to create individual sausages.

• Make other types of pork sausage by varying the herbs and spices. For sweet Italian sausage, use a combination of fennel seed, anise and cracked black pepper. For Mexican chorizo, flavor the meat with ground chili peppers, cumin, cinnamon and lots of onion and garlic. Use red wine for the liquid in both Italian sweets and chorizo. Make homemade brats with marjoram, coriander, nutmeg and celery seed, with milk used as the liquid.

• When you are using a new recipe, mix in a minimum of the flavorings with the ground pork and ground pork fat. Pinch off about a 1-inch ball, flatten it, put it into a small skillet, cook thoroughly and then taste. Adjust with more flavors as you go to customize your sausage. Take notes so that you will not have to test next time.

• Always work with the coldest elements possible. Ground meats are easily contaminated due to the large amount of surface area. If you choose to grind your own pork meat, know that it will grind better when it is very cold. Put your mixing bowls and grinder parts in the freezer until they are very cold. Return the sausage meat to the refrigerator any time you are not working with it.

References

• CD Kitchen: Basic Homemade Country Sausage Recipe
• SausageMania: Photo Tutorial
• The Spicy Sausage: Homemade Sausage Making Recipes
• Food Network: Homemade Mild Italian Sausage
• Simply Recipes: How to Make Homemade Sausage
• Macheesmo: Making Bratwurst

Resources

• United States Department of Agriculture FSIS: Focus on: Sausages