Evening Edge
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DEL.ICIO.USLinton Hopkins' Homemade Pork Sausages
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Professional sausage grinders and plungers are available online, but many chefs and sausage makers use the readily available KitchenAid grinder attachment and sausage stuffer kit. These products fit both their tilt head and bowl lift stand mixer. It is possible to stuff the sausage into the casings using a canvas pastry bag, but the attachments make the process far easier.
Sausage casings are procured from the intestine of lambs, sheep, hogs or cattle. Casings can be purchased thoroughly cleaned and packed in salt from specialty butchers or online at sites such as nimanranch.com. It is important to soak the casings in water for at least a half-hour and up to two days to rehydrate them and remove the salt. They should be flushed clean with cold running water to further clean and rehydrate them.
If you want to give sausage making a try without casings, reach for a box of plastic wrap instead (instructions follow).
Hands on time: 40 minutes Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes Serves: 6
Ingredients:
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1 pound lean pork such as pork loin, diced
12 ounces fatback, rinsed free of salt if salted, patted dry and diced
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt, or to taste
8 ounces crushed ice
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
Scant 1/2 cup powdered milk (1 ounce)
5 feet prepared sheep casing or plastic wrap (see note above)
Instructions:
Place the pork and fatback on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer, and chill until almost frozen, about 15 minutes.
Place the semi-frozen mixture in the grinder fitted with the coarse die. Grind into a bowl over a bowl of ice. Return the ground meat to the rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer, and chill again until almost frozen, an additional 15 minutes.
Place the semi-frozen mixture, salt and crushed ice in the grinder fitted with the fine die. Grind into a bowl over a bowl of ice.
Place the meat mixture in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the paprika, dry mustard and ground white pepper; beat on high for 4 minutes; add milk powder. Beat for an additional 2 minutes.
To taste and adjust for seasoning, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of the sausage, and cook until browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
If using casings: Stuff the sausage into the casing, and twist off into 3-inch intervals. Or follow the directions for making sausage with plastic wrap.
If using plastic wrap: Spoon 2 to 3 ounces of the sausage mixture onto a square of plastic wrap. Roll mixture in the wrap and twist one of the ends tightly, press to remove any air bubbles, then twist the other end until the mixture forms a firm and fully packed 3-inch sausage shape. If necessary, secure the twisted ends with paper clips to keep them from loosening. Chill the sausages until ready to cook.
To cook: Bring a shallow saucepan of water to 170 degrees. Add the sausage and cook until the internal temperature registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 7 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausages from the poaching water and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Once chilled, remove from the ice water. Set aside.
Place the semi-frozen mixture in the grinder fitted with the coarse die. Grind into a bowl over a bowl of ice. Return the ground meat to the rimmed baking sheet. Transfer to the freezer, and chill again until almost frozen, an additional 15 minutes.
Place the semi-frozen mixture, salt and crushed ice in the grinder fitted with the fine die. Grind into a bowl over a bowl of ice.
Place the meat mixture in the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the paprika, dry mustard and ground white pepper; beat on high for 4 minutes; add milk powder. Beat for an additional 2 minutes.
To taste and adjust for seasoning, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of the sausage, and cook until browned on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
If using casings: Stuff the sausage into the casing, and twist off into 3-inch intervals. Or follow the directions for making sausage with plastic wrap.
If using plastic wrap: Spoon 2 to 3 ounces of the sausage mixture onto a square of plastic wrap. Roll mixture in the wrap and twist one of the ends tightly, press to remove any air bubbles, then twist the other end until the mixture forms a firm and fully packed 3-inch sausage shape. If necessary, secure the twisted ends with paper clips to keep them from loosening. Chill the sausages until ready to cook.
To cook: Bring a shallow saucepan of water to 170 degrees. Add the sausage and cook until the internal temperature registers 150 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 7 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausages from the poaching water and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Once chilled, remove from the ice water. Set aside.
Nutrition:
Per serving: 448 calories (percent of calories from fat, 86), 13 grams protein, 2 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 42 grams fat (15 grams saturated), 85 milligrams cholesterol, 1,004 milligrams sodium.
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