I love Italian Sausage with spaghetti or with peppers and onions on a crusty sub roll, browned up in a hash, in a soup or on a stick. I just love sausage and it’s really easy to make your own and keep it gluten and dairy free.
Before I started making sausage it sounded like something that should be really complicated. I had in mind sausage links that you see hanging in the markets. Well those are dried sausages which do take more work. But what I make is fresh sausage and it really can be as easy as mixing.
Now you can grind your own pork butt or to make it ever easier, you can also buy ground pork. Just remember to ask questions about any ground meats you buy to make sure it’s just ground meats. The easiest way to get the consistency you want is to get the butcher to grind the pork butt for you while you shop. You can have it ground course or fine, however you like your sausage.
Did I mention it will also save you money to make your own sausage? A pork butt ground up costs almost $2-8 per pound less than buying sausage. This can add up. Also when you buy sausage you really need to pay close attention to the ingredients list. If it has more than meat and spices then you are paying for things you don’t need or want.
I like to make my own Italian sausage, sweet and hot, breakfast sausage, Chorizo, Chipolatas and my favorite Pancetta Sage Sausage that I use in my stuffing mix for Thanksgiving.
Now don’t get all crazy when you see lots of ingredients because they are just spices. Grab them all, toss them into a bowl and then you only have a few things to mix together.
Ingredients:
3 pounds of ground pork
1 1/2 tsp ground fennel
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 Tbs parsley
1 T sweet paprika
1/2 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 TB brown sugar
1/2 C cold filtered water
Directions:
If you are grinding the pork yourself that is the first thing you want to do. Add the ground pork into a large bowl
Assemble all of the spices into a small bowl.
Ok ready for the hardest step? Add the small bowl to the large bowl, add in the water and dive in with your hands and mix it together.
I like to cook off a little piece to see if I like the amount of seasonings. If not I make the adjustments and cook a little more.
Decide what shape you want to store your sausage in for use later. You can portion it out into half pound bags or make patties, logs or balls. I like balls so I can add it to just about any recipe including a soup. I’ll lay out the portions onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and freeze them so when I toss them into a plastic bag they won’t stick together.
OK, so now that you’ve read this, are you going to give it a try? Let me know when you do and if you make adjustments to the seasonings.
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Yes, please. Do you deliver? I can only imagine how good this sausage and your dish that's shown taste. 🙂
Shirley
I'd love to share. Send up some of those pork chops and we'll swap!
We always make our own sausage! It is so easy. I love this flavor combo too. I'm always surprised when I see an italian recipe without fennel. I mean, that's what makes the sausage italian in my opinion!
Alisa I'm with you on the fennel. I love that spice!
I plan to try this with tempeh soon. I'll report back…
Johnna I would love to hear how that turns out. What a great option it would be.
Why did this not occur to me until now? WHY? WHY? We love sausage, here. We keep joking about how Max got all of the German genes from Sam and I because it's one of the few meats he will eat. He also dunks everything in mustard. Even his broccoli. BUT, he makes me peel the casing off. So, now I can make it cheaper, better and without having to peel it. Genius! You might be getting a talk along with Shirley, in a few days. 😉
xoxo,
Tia
DIane, I don't know why I don't make sausage. I have a meat grinder. I have made far more complicated things in my life. I think I should put a stop to this non-sausage-making nonsense. Bookmarking and buying some pork ASAP.