DIY Dinner Party: Make Sausage
Posted by ReadyMade
Project by Dave Nosiglia; words by Lia Huber; photo by Andy Lyons
Advice From: Dave Nosiglia, Boston Sausage Company/The Smokehouse; Norwell, Massachusetts
Nosiglia, who started Boston Sausage Company (better known as The Smokehouse) with his dad 26 years ago, learned to make sausage in Germany, France, and Austria. Sausage-making is an art with very few ingredients: meat, salt, and seasonings. Pick the right ones, combine them wisely, and you have magic.
Skill Level
Easy
Active Time
Half a day
Cost
$
- 3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 4 t crushed fennel 2 t coriander powder
- 1 t freshly ground black pepper
- 2 t crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 T kosher salt
Materials
- Measuring spoons
- Mixing bowl
- Meat grinder
Tools
For Any Sausage: Choose your meat. Nosiglia says to choose meat with around 85% fat content to avoid dry sausage.
Measure your salt. Salt brings out the flavor in sausage, but too much can be overpowering. Nosiglia recommends using between 1 teaspoon and 1 1/2 teaspoons per pound of meat.
Choose your seasonings. You can let your imagination run wild. In general, you’ll want to use about 1 tablespoon of spices per pound of meat. Some favorites of Nosiglia are fennel (whole or crushed seeds), coarse ground pepper, and coriander powder. “If you want to spice it up, add a dash of crushed red pepper.”
Mix it well. If you’re starting with ground meat, mix the salt and spices first with a few tablespoons of water to create a slurry (to blend better with the meat). If starting with a whole cut, cut the meat into chunks about the size of an ice cube, mix with salt and seasonings, grind through a 1/4-inch grinder, and mix again. Then stuff into sausage casings or use as is.
For Italian Sausage: Toss together pork with spices and salt in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Using a 1/4-inch meat grinder or a grinder attachment on a stand mixer, grind the pork mixture. It’s ready to use.
