Comments on: Fresh Italian Sausage

By: Jerry

Jerry — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:04:21 +0000

Hi
Great recipe! I had a few attempts at other recipe's but yours won, hands down. I'm sure it will become a family favorite.
I like the sage and fennel flavor. Seems to have just the right amount of spice and flavor.
thanks
Jerry Rhode Island

By: susan nero

susan nero — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 13:23:31 +0000

We made this for New Years Day and your recipe was a hit !! Since we can not purchase good italian sausage, we decide to make 20 pounds for New Years, and we are so glad we did ! Thanks for the recipe and instuction.

By: chuck

chuck — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 08:35:26 +0000

I love making sausage! Thanks for the refresher coarse, you do a wonderful job!

By: John

John — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 18:21:32 +0000

Jay

Most commercial sausages mix the coarse ground meats with emulsified meats to give ir a finer texture. This is for cooked sausages only.

By: Gokul

Gokul — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 06:18:46 +0000

Mount Everest Base Camp has been a admired destination for trekkers.The Everest Base Camp trek, a very well known mountain trek, starts at the upper Phakding and follows the Dudh Kosi valley which climbs up to the Sherpa village of Namche, a busy bazaar that’s a junction for trekkers, the local Sherpa and expeditions en route to the mighty Mt. Everest. All along this part of the trail, villages are interspersed with magnificent forests of rhododendron, magnolia and giant firs. In both the early autumn and late spring, the flowers on this portion of the trek make it the kind of walk you will remember for a long, long time. We trek along a high traversing path where we have our first good views of Everest and then head towards Tangboche Monastery, which is a 2 hour climb. The monastery sits at 3867m in a clearing surrounded by dwarf firs and rhododendrons. The monastery is structurally located on a ridge top with commanding views of the Everest landscape. The view from this spot, seen to best advantage in the morning, is absolutely mesmerizing and stunning and is rightly deemed to be one of the most magnificent in the world.We then descend to the Imja Khola and continue to the villages of Pangboche and Pheriche before finally approaching the Khumbu Glacier. We then follow the glacier, first to Lobuche, a vantage point for some spectacular views of the Ama Dablam and other peaks and then hike to Gorak Shep for a breather.
We have the opportunity to ascend Kala Pattar [5554m] from where we can get some awesome views of the Himalayan giants which literally frozen your senses with breathless admiration that beholds the eye; and makes up for the lung-bursting climb that took you up there. You soon realize it was absolutely worth it. This also includes fantastic views of the south west face of the colossal Mt. Everest. We then trek down to Everest Base Camp at the foot of the Khumbu ice fall before finally making our way back down to Lukla.

By: Chef Silvia

Chef Silvia — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:23:17 +0000

Yes, the ground size is important and if it's too course you may want to grind again...good advice mick. Though I haven't made sausage myself in years, I did grow up making it with my father who was an expert in all phases. He was always saying that it is the proportion of fat to meat that not only adds flavor but makes the difference between sausage and other cured pork products such as sopressata and capicola. There was nothing better than taking a bit of the meat (after it was ground, mixed with fat, seasoned with the addition of fennel seeds) and sauteing it for us to nibble on while we stuffed the rest into the casings...yum.

And Marillyn, Yes, you can use other meats...even combine it with bits of vegetables such as broccoli rabe. I suggest you look for inspiration at some good local butcher shops and go from there. Experiment. You'll never know what you'll discover and that's so much fun.

By: mick

mick — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:47:16 +0000

Hi, Ive been making sausages for a while now and one thing I can definitely say is temperature really affects texture… to Jay… you might want to look into double grinding your meat instead of the usual paddle mixer. It brings to it a distinct homey texture…bound but a bit chunky…:)

By: Leona Marchand

Leona Marchand — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:14:35 +0000

I have been lusting after this cookbook (Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curin )for a long time now. Sounds like I just need to buy it. Thank you for posting this recipe. I will be giving it a try soon.

By: Jay

Jay — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:34:57 +0000

I appreciate the fact you took time to post this. There are not a lot of sausage enthusiests out there and I dont know why. There is nothing magical about making sausage. But making great sausage does take a lot of failed attempts.

I have found some great recipes on the net and have made up someof my own very varying levels of success. In the end I always ended up with sausage but some have just not turned out as nice or tasty as others.

One thing I struggle with is the consistency of the cooked final product. I would like to get the consistency of something like Ekrich sausage. But mine is always more course than I prefer. I dont know if it is the grinded size of the meat, the handling, or the cooking that gets that very dense and firm consistency of store bought varieties. I have tried different grind sizes and cooking techniques but still have not mastered the process.

If anyone has any ideas I would appreciate the feedback.

By: Marillyn Beard

Marillyn Beard — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 22:19:41 +0000

I LOVE italian sausages, but we stop eating port a few years back. Could we use beef or chicken or even lamb? If you have suggestions or recipes… please let me know! Thanks!