Sausage, when you think about it, is a pretty perfect food. Not only is it great when grilled, but it can be done up in any number of dishes in countless world cuisines. From the smoked links of Texas barbecue to full plates of sausage and peppers, sausage goes where few meats can. That is why it’s important to be able to make your own.
While it may seem confusing or labor-intensive, it’s not as hard as you may think. Once you have the right equipment (a dedicated meat grinder or the meat grinder attachment for your handy dandy Kitchenaid stand mixer and a sausage stuffer if your grinder doesn’t come with an attachment), you’re well on your way to throwing your first sausage party.
Did you really think we wouldn’t make that joke?
The question, then, is what all goes into the sausage you’re about to make. The truth is, you can do pork or turkey or really whatever meat you’re feeling (heck, mix’ em up — go nuts!). To get you started, we spoke to executive chef and pitmaster of Auburn, Alabama’s newly opened Bow & Arrow, Caleb Fischer to get some of his favorite sausage recipes.
One of these recipes is for a turkey sausage that works just as well as a turkey burger as it does in sausage form and the other is for a delightful jalapeño cheddar sausage. Whether you end up smoking, boiling, grilling, or doing something different, you’re going to love both of these
Note: For the recipes, one gram is equal to .03 ounces.
Turkey Sausage
Ingredients:
- 2267 g ground turkey
- 118 g oats
- 499 g water
- 39 g salt
- 6 g #1 curing salt
- 2 g black pepper
- 2 g red chili flakes
- 7 g mustard seed
- 5 g brown sugar
- 7 g garlic
- 29 g milk powder
Method:
- In a small sauce pot, heat the water until simmering, and then add oats.
- Cut the heat and allow the oats to fully hydrate in the water, then cool.
- Once oats are thoroughly cooled, combine turkey, oats, and all seasonings.
- Mix until uniform.
Chef’s note: “This sausage works great in casings, as meatballs, or even as a turkey burger that stands its ground next to any beef you put beside it.”
Jalapeno Cheddar Sausage
Ingredients:
- 2267 g pork shoulder
- 41 g salt
- 6 g #1 curing salt
- 9 g black pepper
- 7 g red chili
- 14 g sugar
- 18 g mustard seed
- 9 g garlic powder
- 5 g onion powder
- 113 g jalapeño, seeded
- 454 g water
- 227 g cheddar cheese
Method:
- Dice meat to a uniform size to fit in the mouth of a grinder.
- Combine all dry spices and seeded jalapeños; mix uniformly with the raw shoulder; let cure for 3-4 hours under refrigeration.
- Grind the meat, spices, and jalapeño in a grinder fitted with a .25-inch plate, and process the entire batch of meat.
- Once ground, mix in the remaining ingredients, the water and cheddar, and mix well with your hands (do not use a mixer to mix the meat).
- Once the mixture becomes tacky and has a uniform appearance, the sausage is ready to be used, either as is or stuffed into casings and smoked.
