4 Homemade Sausage Recipes
By Tabitha Alterman
The following ingredient combinations, which yield 2 pounds of sausage, are great for beginners. Aim for 10 to 30 percent fat in any mixture, depending on your dietary preferences. These mixtures all make fine sausage patties, but the beef-and-cheese mixture works better inside a casing as the cheese can burn when cooking.
Fresh sausage should last a few days in the refrigerator, or a few months in the freezer. This, of course, depends on how long you’ve had the meat before you turn it into sausage.
Sweet or Hot Italian Pork Sausage
2 feet medium hog casing
2 pounds pork butt, ham, loin or pork trimmings
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp each: kosher salt, black pepper, fennel seed, ground oregano, ground basil and crushed red pepper
Chicken Sausage With Apple
2 feet medium hog casing
2 pounds chicken scraps with skin (If skinless, add 2 tbsp lard 1 tbsp kosher salt)
1 tsp black pepper
2 small apples and 2 small onions, finely diced and sautéed in 2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp sautéed and cooled leeks, shallots or onions
1/4 cup white wine
Mediterranean Lamb Sausage
2 feet small hog casing or sheep casing
1 1/2 pounds lamb
1/2 pound pork fat
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 big handfuls fresh mint, chopped
1 tbsp sweet paprika
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp each: ground oregano, ground basil, ground parsley, cayenne
Juice and grated zest of 1 lemon
Beef-and-Cheese Sausage
2 feet medium hog casing
2 pounds chuck, rump or other beef trimmings
2 tbsp each: rosemary, mustard seeds
2 tsp each: salt, black pepper
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese, such as Cheddar or Colby Jack
Read more about making sausage: How to Make Sausage at Home: Instructions, Equipment, Recipes.
Equipment Sources
KitchenAid
Highly recommended stand mixer with attachments available for grinding meat and stuffing sausages
Pleasant Hill Grain
Meat grinders and sausage stuffers
The Sausage Maker
Variety of meat grinders, sausage stuffers and casings
Butcher & Packer Supply Co.