Homemade Breakfast Sausage



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Sausage is typically made from ground meat and while any meat can be used it is typically made from pork, veal, beef and lamb. Traditionally, sausage making was the result of efficient butchery. The leftover pieces or scraps along with the fat, blood, and offal were seasoned and stuffed into casings to be cooked or cured.

As far as breakfast sausage recipes go homemade breakfast sausage is a great place to start because it lends itself well to not stuffing in casing. Although you certainly can if you prefer, but you don't need to.

Homemade breakfast sausage, fried eggs, and toast.Homemade breakfast sausage flavored with fragrant sage, pungent ginger, and fresh garlic.
Pork fat and pork butt on a cutting board.

The pork fat and pork butt. The pork butt is from the shoulder and is available bone-in or boneless. It is best cooked using a moist heat method, such as braising or stewing, but they can also be smoked or ground.

The meat and fat are cut into small chunks for the grinder.

The meat and fat are cut into small chunks for the grinder.

Fresh sage, fresh ginger and garlic.

Fresh sage, fresh ginger and garlic.

Kosher salt and cracked pepper.

Kosher salt and cracked pepper.

All the ingredients for the sausage, combined in a mixing bowl.

Combine the pork butt, pork fat, salt, pepper, and sage in a large mixing bowl. Set aside. Rough chop the ginger and garlic and process in your blender bowl, along with 125 grams of ice and 125 grams of water. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the puree through the strainer. Add the contents of the strainer to the meat mixture. 

The meat mixture, ready to grind.

Mix well to combine and rest the mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to grind the sausage.

The sausage after going through the grinder.

Grind the mixture through the small die of the grinder, into the mixer bowl set in the ice.

Sausage ready to roll into logs.

Wrap your sausage into logs, if you are not going to stuff them into casings. Add about a pound of sausage to a length of film.

Sausage being rolled into logs.Fig. 1
Sausage being rolled into logs.Fig. 2
Sausage being rolled into logs.Fig. 3
Sausage being rolled into logs.Fig. 4

Fold the end of the film over the sausage and shape into a log, (Fig 1). As you roll the sausage pull the film tight to force it to compact, somewhat, (Fig 2). While pinching and holding the twisted ends roll the log until it is tight and firm, (Fig 3). Tuck the rolled ends under the log and wrap with a second layer of film to hold the log in shape, (Fig 4).

The result: six 1-pound pork sausage logs.

When you are finished rolling the pork breakfast sausage into logs you should have something that looks like this.

Homemade Breakfast Sausage With Sage Ginger And Garlic

This is an awesome homemade breakfast sausage that tastes far better than anything you can buy in a grocery store.

Equipment

  • Meat grinder or grinder attachment for a stand mixer.
  • Yield: 6 pounds sausage
  • Prep Time: 1-hour

Ingredients

  • 1.5 kilograms / 60 ounces / 3.3 pounds pork butt, diced - 1-inch cubes
  • 750 grams / 26.5 ounces / 1.6 pounds pork back fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 40 grams / 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 30 grams / 5 tablespoons fresh sage, fine dice
  • 6 grams / 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 18 grams / 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
  • 50 grams / 5 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated 
  • 250 grams / 250 milliliters / 1 cup ice water

Method

  1. Combine the pork butt, pork fat, salt, pepper, and sage in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
  2. Although the recipe calls for the garlic and ginger to be minced and grated, respectively, there is an easier way, unless you want to shave a 3-inch piece of ginger on a microplane.
  3. Rough chop the ginger and garlic into small pieces. Place in your blender bowl. Add 125 grams of ice and 125 grams of water. Puree on high until the ice is melted, about 30 to 45 seconds. Set a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the puree through the strainer, reserving the ginger garlic water. Place the water in the fridge until you are finished grinding.
  4. Add the contents of the strainer to the meat mixture. Mix well to combine and rest the mixture in the refrigerator until you are ready to grind the sausage.
  5. Place the bowl of your stand mixer into a large mixing bowl. Add ice to come halfway up the outside of the mixer bowl. Grind the mixture through the small die of the grinder, into the mixer bowl set in the ice.
  6. Add the water to the ground mixture and mix on medium-low, with the paddle until the water is incorporated and the mixture takes on a sticky appearance.
  7. Saute a small piece and taste it. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
  8. Divide the mixture into 1-pound portions, roll into a log, and double wrap in plastic.
  9. If you prefer you can stuff the mixture into casings at this point.

Notes

  1. While the recipe calls for the pork butt and pork fat to be cut into 1-inch cubes, the size of the pieces need to fit into the feed tube of your meat grinder. So, adjust the size as needed.
  2. The general guideline is that you want the meat and fat to fall into the feeder tube and be pulled into the screw without much, if any, force.

Tags: homemade breakfast sausage, breakfast sausage recipes, pork breakfast sausage