How to Make Italian Sausage in Casings
Homemade sausage is fun and rewarding to make. You can make your sausages as mild or as spicy as you like---and you will know exactly what is in them, unlike sausage you buy off the shelf. To make Italian sausage in casings, you will need a sausage stuffer, which you can buy as a stand-alone unit, or as an attachment to a Kitchen-Aid or meat grinder. Italian sausage can be served in many different ways. Chop and add to spaghetti or soup, fry it up with some peppers and onions, or put it in a bun with some spicy mustard. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- 10 ft. of 32-35 mm natural hog casings
- Orange juice
- 1 ½ tbsp. fennel seed
- 1 tbsp. coriander
- 2 tbsp. coarse salt
- 1 tbsp. dried red pepper flakes
- 1 tbsp. sweet paprika
- 1 tbsp. black pepper
- 5 lbs. unseasoned ground pork
- Sausage stuffer
- Cotton kitchen string
Instructions
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1
Prepare the casing by soaking it overnight in salted water with a little orange juice added. After soaking, rinse the casings by inserting a small funnel at one opening and flush water through the length of the casing several times.
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2
Place the fennel and coriander seeds in a small frying pan and lightly toast until they start to brown, stirring constantly. This should only take a few minutes. Grind the fennel, coriander, salt and hot pepper with a mortar and pestle or food processor. Add the paprika and pepper to this mixture.
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3
Spread the ground pork in a wide shallow bowl, or on a baking board. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the pork. Using your hands, mix the pork and spices together until well blended. Refrigerate for at least three hours to allow the flavors to mingle.
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4
Take out ½ cup of the pork mixture and fry it in a pan until browned, adding water as needed. Taste the sausage to see if you have added the right amount of spices for your tastes. Add more seasoning as needed.
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5
Begin stuffing by attaching the casing to the stuffing tube, and tie the other end of the casing in a knot. Work the pork mixture through the stuffer, into the casing. Fill the entire casing, but not too tightly, you will need room to separate the links. Every four to six inches, twist the casing and tie with cotton kitchen string. Separate the sausages into meal-size portions and freeze those you will not be cooking in the next day or two.
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6
To cook, boil for ten minutes in an inch of water, then fry, roast or broil the sausage until it is browned on the outside and reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
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