Garlic Pork Sausage
- 5 pounds pork shoulder, a good mix of lean and fat, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 12 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 large bunch fresh sage or 2 small ones, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup salt
- 2 tablespoons crushed red pepper
- 3/4 cup cold water
- 1 cup grated Parmesan
- Hog casings, rinsed with water run through them and stored in fresh water
- Special equipment: meat grinder and sausage stuffer
- In a large bowl, combine the pork, garlic, sage, salt and crushed red pepper.
- Run the meat mixture through the meat grinder outfitted with the die with the largest holes.
- Repeat so that all of the meat goes through the grinder twice.
- Place half of the meat mixture in the bowl of a standing mixer equipped with the paddle attachment.
- Add half of the water and half of the Parmesan and beat on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Repeat this process with the remaining meat, water and cheese.
- Make, cook and eat a test patty to make sure the sausage is delicious.
- Attach the sausage-stuffing attachment to the meat grinder, keeping the grinder blade and die in place also.
- Keeping the sausage casing very wet, slide a manageable length onto the sausage stuffer.
- Place a generous amount of the prepared sausage mixture into the grinder pan.
- Give the casings a slight bit of resistance by holding onto the sausage stuffer with your three last fingers and letting the casing slip through your thumb and forefinger.
- Turn the machine on a medium-low speed and fill the casings, being careful to avoid any air bubbles.
- To get the feel for stuffing the sausages, you might have to do a couple tries.
- The first couple might be too loose or too tight; that's ok--think of them as the first pancake (the one that never comes out right that you have to throw away).
- Twist the casings to create sausages that are even in size.
- Tie each with butcher's twine to keep them nicely sealed.
- Prick the sausages with a pin or skewer all over to allow steam to escape while cooking (you don't want to have a blowout).
- Preheat a grill or saute pan.
- Cook the sausages until cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes on each side.
- Serve immediately or at room temperature.
- Cook's Notes: This is a BIG batch of sausage, but it freezes really well.
- If you have casings left over, pack them in salt and store them in your fridge--they will last a REALLY long time.
pork shoulder, garlic, fresh sage, salt, red pepper, cold water, parmesan, casings, sausage stuffer
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/garlic-pork-sausage-recipe.html (may not work)