Here are three delicious fresh sausage recipes. We have a sausage stuffer for making salami but if you don’t have one you can make skinless sausages shaped by hand. No need to mince the pork yourself either. You can have it minced by a butcher. Fat content is very important in sausages and should be at least 30 percent – it helps the meat to stick together and adds both flavour and moisture. Keeping the meat and liquids as cold as possible also helps retain moisture.
Each of these recipes uses 1kg (2.2lbs) of pork mince and 15g (½ oz) of non-iodised salt.
Breakfast sausages – this recipe is from CHARCUTERIE by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. To your pork mince add the salt, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, ¾ of a teaspoon of ground white pepper, 22g (¾ oz) of grated fresh ginger and 15g (½ oz) of finely chopped fresh sage. If you have a stand mixer this is ideal for combining the mixture, otherwise mix by hand making sure to distribute the ingredients evenly. Add 110ml (3.7 fl oz) of chilled water and mix again until well combined. I used less salt than the original recipe – if you want to test for seasoning, fry a little of the mixture to taste it and then adjust the seasoning to your liking. The mixture is now ready to stuff into casings. This sausage mix can also be made into patties and is best sautéed.
Pork and fennel sausages – this is an adaptation of our Tuscan salami recipe. To your pork mince add the salt, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of toasted and roughly ground fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper. Mix to distribute the ingredients evenly and then add 100ml (3.4 fl oz) of chilled red wine and mix again until well combined. Stuff into casings or form into skinless sausages by hand.
Fresh Mexican chorizo – another delicious (slightly adapted) recipe from CHARCUTERIE. Weigh 10g (⅓ oz) of dried cascabel chillies and toast them in a dry pan. When cool, remove the stems and seeds and grind as finely as possible. Add to your pork mince along with the salt, 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, 1½ teaspoons of hot paprika, 1½ teaspoons of chipotle powder, 1 teaspoon of dried oregano, ½ a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper and ¼ of a teaspoon of ground cumin.
Make sure not to overcook your sausages – the internal temperature when cooked should be 65ºC (150ºF).
michelle picker cooks 