Real Cajun Simple Pork Sausage

Last week, I made Donald Link’s smothered pork strictly following his recipe in Real Cajun. For his simple pork sausage, I wasn’t interested in grilling or poaching sausage links, but in seasoned bulk sausage for pizzas, omelets, beans, stuffed bread, and other dishes that could use a bit of pork as a flavor and texture accent.

So this time I ditched the casings. If you want make links, use 6-8 feet of soaked and rinsed medium hog casings to make 4-inch sausages. Refrigerated, natural casings have a long shelf life and may or may not be packed in salt. Even if not, they’ll benefit from a soak. Refer to package directions. Once in casing, you can smoke the fresh links, grill them, or poach in beer or stock. But either use them within a day or two or freeze them; without smoking, they’re perishable.

Freezing the bulk sausage in 4-ouce pucks allows me to reach in the freezer, grab however many I need, and cook/crumble them in a skillet. Once I get back from the current trip, there’s a plate or three of biscuits and gravy waiting to be made.

Yeah, yeah, I’ll go the gym afterwards.

Simple Pork Sausage

6 lbs pork butt
1.5 lbs pork back fat
4 Tbl kosher salt
1 Tbl sugar
1 tsp ground fennel
1 tsp white pepper
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp seedless chili flakes
2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbl dried oregano
3 Tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbl minced garlic

Remove excess soft fat and connective tissues from the pork shoulder. Cut the pork and fat back into small cubes. Whisk together the salt, sugar, spices, Worcestershire, and garlic in a large bowl, add the pork and fat, and toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate overnight.

The next day, grind the seasoned pork with mixer fitted with a grinding attachment. Place a biscuit cutter on a cookie sheet, form a small sausage ball with your hands (4 oz is a good size), then press the ball into the biscuit cutter. Lift the ring from the resulting patty, place it next to the patty, and fill again with more sausage. Repeat until all the forcemeat is used.

Technique tip: Wet your hands and the cutter between each new patty to assure clean edges and fast work.

Note to self: Must get better control of lighting. Tastes delicious, but pics look kinda nasty.

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