Italian Sausage

By Dan Cannon

  3    Heaping tablespoons Fennel seed

  3    Heaping tablespoons Kosher Salt

  1    Heaping tablespoons Thyme

  2    Heaping tablespoons Black Pepper

  1    Heaping tablespoons Paprika

  1    Heaping tablespoons MSG

1/2  Teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2  Teaspoon Coriander

 15   Cloves Garlic crushed

   3   Bay leaves finely crushed

1/2  Cup Dehydrated milk

1/4  Cup Sugar

1/2  Cup Bread crumbs, finely ground, dried

  1   Can beef stock, 14.5 ounce

  Pork Butt, 7 pounds

  Pork fat,  1 pound

  Hog casing, medium, about 12 feet

In a  large  jar  pour  in  beef  stock, then put in that same jar all seasonings listed above  EXCEPT  the dehydrated milk, sugar, and bread crumbs.  Stir, mix, or shake well.  Put in refrigerator to blend.

Remove Pork Butt meat from bone and cut  into 1 inch wide strips.  Put pork butt strips in freezer for 45 to 60  minutes.    This  provides a cleaner grind with less moisture loss. 

Grind the pork FAT strips through a MEDIUM grate on grinder by itself.

Remove butt strips from refrigerator and grind through  a COARSE grate on grinder by itself.

  In large bowl or bus pan now mix thoroughly  the ground butt, fat, the jar  of  blended seasoning from refrigerator, stock, dehydrated milk, sugar, and  bread  crumbs.    This should be a very painfully cold and messy task.   If not, something is not right.  Now put ground pork mix into a 2 gallon  freezer  bag and put in freezer for 90 - 120 minutes, or in the refrigerator overnight.    I  am  a stickler for this flavor blending stage, so use your best judgment.

Clean your casings by running about  1/2  quart,  twice,  through each full length casing.  Just put under  sink  faucet for water, then lift entire length of casing from one end to  the  other to force the water through.

For  best results, texture, and consistency, stuff the casing  with  a separate non-grinder type stuffer.  In other words, I like  it  better when  it  is  not  forced  out  with a screw, but instead  with  blunt pressure.

Smoke in your favorite smoker, with favorite woods for roughly 3 hours at 235 - 245 degrees.

This  is  basically the sausage making technique method we used at the Q-fest seminar at San Dimas, 11/6/99.  Hope everybody enjoys.

Dan Cannon,

www.BBQbyDan.com

Dan@BBQbyDan