Help with sausage seasoning, please.

We use sausage usually as an ingredient in other dishes, especially pizza, and the casing isn't at all important, more of a nuisance.

It's proven hard to find sausage without salt in our area -- the best requires an order of 20 pounds -- and it looks easy enough to make my own without casing and to order for the dish I'm making.

Conceptually, of course, but what is a good blend of spices? Italian Sweet is our objective.

Many thanks, Bob

Bob - here are two recipes I have. Both call for salt. The first is sweet. I've made the second one, but I'm sure you could adjust the red pepper as necessary.

SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE:
10 lbs Lean pork
5 T Whole fennel seed
5 T Dry basil
2 1/2 T Salt
2 1/2 T Ground black pepper
2 1/2 T Paprika
2 1/2 T Granulated garlic (garlic powder)
1/2 C + 2 T Marsala or Red Wine
Sausage casings (optional)

Grind meat medium to coarse. Add seasonings and wine and mix well. Stuff into casings, and twist into desired lengths, or form into patties.


Homemade Italian Sausage

This recipe calls for casings, if preferred you can simply use the sausage in bulk-form.
10 pounds lean ground pork butt only-anything else i.e., hams, tenderloins are too dry!

12 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dry basil
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon cracked rosemary
1/2 cup hot red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 heaping tablespoon fennel seed
1 heaping tablespoon paprika
1/2 cup grated cheese - Romano
1 cup dry white wine
1 heaping tablespoon salt
2 heaping tablespoon fresh finely ground black pepper
Casings (water packed)*

1. Coarsely grind the pork and glean then ground meat, picking out gristle, cartilage and veins of fat. If you trim your pork butt - you will not have a gristle or fat problem - good marbling in the first grind is desirable
2. Add seasonings, wine before second grinding, place meat in a large bowl, mix again by hand if needed. Grind one more time.
3. Use sausage stuffing attachment on electric meat-grinder.

NOTE: Do NOT use blade in meat-grinder when stuffing - or your casings will turn white and the sausage will be mushy.

If you have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, the meat grinding attachment works very well for smaller batches, 5 lbs or less. -RP

Howie nailed it.

rwj

Many thanks, Howie, and all validators. Best, Bob

Howie!!!!

Good recipes