Homemade Mild Italian Sausage

My husband bought me a Kitchen-Aid Stand Mixer a few years back and for the next few special occasions, he gifted me with special attachments that don't come with the original mixer. One such gift: a meat grinder! I must admit I didn't use it right away & never actually thought of using it to make sausage.

As a child, I remember my Mom using a meat grinder that she attached to our pull-out bread board, which she had to crank by hand. She used it to grind larger cuts of meat into its' ground version for meatloaf, etc. Now since I can buy meat already ground, my meat grinder attachment gift sat unused for a while.... until I saw an online recipe by Emeril Lagasse, showcasing his homemade Mild Italian Sausage recipe. So we tried it out & I can't say enough how easy, inexpensive & rewarding it is to grind your own sausage! It's so easy I don't really feel like I'm doing any work....ya know, like 'extra credit'. (Spongebob - Season 2/Episode 10 "No Free Rides". hehe)

So, back to the sausage....

Emerils Mild Italian Sausage (http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/homemade-mild-italian-sausage-recipe/index.html)

Ingredients you'll need:

3 pounds well-marbled pork butt (Buy ground pork if you don't own a meat grinder)
2 Tbl minced garlic
1 Tbl + 1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp toasted fennel seeds*
1 Tbl salt
1 Tbl freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp ground anise* (Anise is simply ground fennel seeds)
2 Tbl freshly chopped Italian parsley
3 Tbl dry red wine (I used balsalmic vinegar)
Pork casings, optional (I just bagged mine since I would use mine like ground beef.)

If your fennel seeds (found in the spice section at the supermarket) aren't toasted, simply measure what you'll need and 'place whole spices in a sauté pan, preferably non-stick, over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 5 minutes'. (This tip from Bon Appetit:  http://www.bonappetit.com/tipstools/tips/2008/04/how_to_toast_spices#ixzz21xmrNtxr)

STEP 1: Cut meat into small cubes. Combine meat and all remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.

I had purchased a 13 pound Pork Loin from Costco. (Instead of Pork Butt,
which the recipe calls for)

I sliced off what would be pork chops, then cut that even smaller into cubes.

Here the meat is all cubed and ready for the spices!

I added the remaining ingredients and tossed the meat to get a good coating
 on all of it; then covered & placed in 'fridge.

STEP 2: Pass meat through meat grinder.

Always use the tool provided to push the meat down into the tube.

Here is the meat as it passes through the grinder for the first time.

If the pieces aren't small enough, pass them through the grinder a second time.

STEP 3: Time for a taste-test! Fry up a few teaspoons to check for a satisfactory flavor. (If your pork was pretty lean you may have to add a tiny bit of oil to fry the meat in.) Adjust the seasonings as desired. I thought it tasted awesome the first time and didn't change a thing!



Frying up a little for my first taste of homemade sausage!

I wrote the necessary information on my bags and scooped out some into each.

I then weighed them and either added more or took some out so that I ended up with several 1 pound packs.

I had divided my meat into three pieces before I started. I then made 1/3 Mild Italian, 1/3 Spicy Italian and 1/3 Breakfast Sausage.

*Like to try my Breakfast Sausage Recipe? click here