These step by step instructions will teach you how to make homemade sausages.
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How To Make Sausages At Home
I absolutely love sausages! The problem is you never really know what is in them, right? Sure, they are pork, but what part? 😬 Too many times I’ve taken a bite and ended up almost breaking a tooth from biting into something rock hard. Grossed out time and time again led me to purchase a KitchenAid sausage stuffer attachment and I’ve never looked back!
There are so many different types of sausage you can make, from sweet Maple Breakfast Sausages to Italian Sausages. Making them yourself allows you to make them to your own taste and know exactly what the ingredients are!
When choosing meat, I like to go to my town’s butcher shop. I ask them to cut me a nice fatty hunk of pork butt, also known as pork shoulder. (But saying ‘Pork Butt’ is just so much more fun!) Pork Butt is beautifully marbled; you need all that fat in your sausages, otherwise they will be dry.
How to make Sausages? (Easy Homemade Sausages)
Special Equipment:
Meat Grinder KitchenAid Attachment
Sausage Stuffer KitchenAid Attachment
Casing – 19mm or 21mm for breakfast sausages or 32mm for Italian or chorizo sausages
Step 1:
You always want to begin with cold meat and equipment. This is very important because if the meat warms up, the fat will begin to warm up and smear into the meat, which is sooo not good if you want yummy juicy sausages!
Chill your grinder and the bowl which the meat will fall into as well as the pork you’ve chosen. Separate the fat from the meat and dice them all into small chunks, the fat into smaller chunks so it’s easier for your grinder. Chill the meat again before grinding.
It’s important to cut your meat up small enough so that you don’t have to cram the meat into your grinder. This would also break down the meat while warming it up, causing the fat to smear. No good.
If you have the time I suggest you cut up your meat and chill in the refrigerator the night before you start your sausage making quest! This will ensure your meat is cold enough.
Step 2:
Use the thicker grinding disk, grind up the pork, then (if using) the fresh onion and fresh garlic. Mix the pork with all of the dry ingredients such as spices, salt etc, leaving out the wet ingredients for later. Refrigerate until cold.
Step 3:
Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, combine the seasoned ground meat with the liquids you’ve chosen. Chill again until you are set up to stuff the sausages.
Step 4:
I like to use sausage casings that are dried and don’t require soaking because I find them easy to use and store. I prefer to use 32mm casings with the 5/8” stuffer tube for most sausages including Italian sausages and 19mm or 21mm casing with the 3/8″ stuffer tube for breakfast sausages. I either buy casings from the meat department of my local grocery store or right through amazon.
Step 5:
Assemble the sausage stuffer, put the casings on the stuffer and you’re ready to start stuffing!
Step 6:
Leave a 6” tail and start the machine on speed 4. Keep filling the machine with meat with one hand and with the other help the sausage to the counter. You won’t be creating links until you’re done filling the casing with all of the meat.
If your machine starts to get too warm from all the work, the fat in your sausage will start to smear. This could appear like your pork is suddenly getting lighter in colour. If this happens, take a break and cool down your machine by placing it in the refrigerator until it is cold once again.
One you’ve pushed all of the sausage into the casing you can begin to forms the links.
Step 7:
Start by determining how big you want your sausages. Pinch the sausage where you want the link to be and twist a few times. With the other hand create the next link, twisting in the opposite direction. Continue this until you’ve turned all the sausage into links. You can tie off the ends with excess casing or string if you like.
Take a toothpick and pop any air bubbles you find throughout the links.
Tips & Tricks On How To Make Sausages Recipe:
Can you freeze sausages?
Yes you can! You should only keep fresh sausages in the fridge for 2 days, however you can store sausages in the freezer for 3-4 months. My sausage recipes make a whole wack of sausages so that I can freeze them and have sausages whenever my heart desires!
I lay them on baking sheets with non stick baking mats and stick them in the freezer until they are frozen, then transfer them to heavy duty ziplock freezer bags.
How to cook sausages from frozen
If you know ahead of time you can pull them out of the freezer to thaw in the fridge over night. If you suddenly want sausages and they are rock solid in your freezer, don’t fret! You can still have sausages!
Just take your cooking method and cook them a little slower at a lower temperature.
How to make sausages without casing
If you don’t have a sausage stuffer, or just prefer patties to links, making sausages becomes a heck of a lot easier (but maybe not as rewarding?). Complete this How to Make Sausages instructions to the end of Step 3. After refrigerating, form patties from the mixture. From here you can refrigerate for 2 days or freeze for 3/4 months.
Which meat is the best to make Homemade Sausage?
Moss commonly meat is pork, however lamb and beef are excellent as well as game animals. Pork shoulder is the one of the finest cut of pork to make sausages. Pork shoulder is also known as the pork butt, or Boston butt. It is also very cost-effective.
How to cook sausages
There are a few ways to cook sausages, I prefer the oven or frying them in a pan on the stove.
How to cook sausages in a pan
For thawed sausages heat a skillet on medium heat and, once hot, add the sausages. Turn every few minutes, for about 10-15 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 165°
For frozen sausages heat a skillet on low heat and, once hot, add the sausages with 1/4 cup water and cover with a lid. Allow to steam for 15-20 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 150°. Remove lid and increase the heat to medium. Fry the sausages, turning every couple of minutes to brown, until the internal temperature reaches 165°.
How to cook sausages in the oven
For thawed sausages heat the oven to 400° and line a baking sheet with a non stick mat. Place sausages on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°.
For frozen sausages heat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with a non stick mat. Place sausages on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165°.
How to make Breakfast Sausage?
One enjoys the sausage patties for breakfast. These Homemade Breakfast Sausage will delight you. Delicious and extremely simple, only some seasonings mixed along with the ground pork!
If you’ve never cooked sausage before, breakfast sausage is a good way to begin. You can make it with any combination of spices you enjoy. The traditional breakfast sausage is comprised of rosemary, sage, nutmeg, thyme, salt, red pepper flakes and pepper. We came up with a simple recipe of how to make breakfast sausage that my family enjoys with just a little ingredients. It is possible to freeze the mixture just like ground venison, and then bring it to your next Italian food, including it in meatballs, soups and much more.
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds of leftover venison (you can use any deer part to make this recipe) Then, you can run it through the largest holes in the meat grinder
- 2 pounds of pancetta go through the same grinding machine
- 1 Tablespoon salt
- 1/2 cup 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 Tablespoon of pepper
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1/2 Tablespoon red pepper flakes
Directions:
1. In a bowl, mix venison and pancetta using your hands until they are well blended. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and white wine and mix. Cool for 30 minutes.
2. Form the sausage into four-ounce patties. Don’t over-handle the mixture because this could affect the shape and texture of the sausage.
3. Warm olive oil in a 10-12” cast iron skillet. Add sausage patties, and cook on low heat by turning them frequently until golden on both sides. Cook in groups.
Here are a couple of my favourite sausage recipes!
These mild Italian sausages are bursting with flavour and a touch of spice.
A lovely breakfast sausage with mild herbs and a hint of maple.
Anything I missed? If you have any questions at all leave them in the comment section below!