Best 5 Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage Mild Or Hot Recipes

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Indulge in the delectable flavors of homemade sweet Italian sausage, a culinary masterpiece that tantalizes taste buds with its savory and aromatic essence. This versatile sausage, crafted with a blend of premium pork, aromatic spices, and a touch of sweetness, offers a culinary journey like no other. Whether you prefer the mild or hot variety, this recipe guide provides step-by-step instructions to create both versions, ensuring a delightful experience for every palate. Embark on this culinary adventure and savor the authentic taste of homemade sweet Italian sausage, perfect for grilling, frying, or incorporating into your favorite dishes.

Here are our top 5 tried and tested recipes!

SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE



Sweet Italian Sausage image

This sausage is really best with some sort of pig, whether it's domesticated pork or wild hogs. I've tried it with other meats and it's not as good. Black bear comes close, but it's a little too red to look right. Keep in mind my recipe is what I like, and it's representative of the typical sweet Italian sausages you will get all over the country. You can vary the seasonings to your taste. If you can get fennel pollen, it really adds a lot to the flavor. All butcher shops carry hog casings, and some supermarkets will sell them to you, too. Or you can buy sausage casings online.

Provided by Hank Shaw

Categories     Appetizer     Cured Meat     Main Course

Time 2h

Number Of Ingredients 12

4 pounds of lean ((ish) pork or wild boar)
1 pound of pork fatback
36 grams of kosher salt, (about 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon)
30 grams of sugar, (about 3 tablespoons)
18 grams of fennel seeds, (about 2 heaping tablespoons)
10 grams freshly cracked black pepper, (about a heaping teaspoon)
1 gram of nutmeg, (about 1/4 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 heaping teaspoon fennel pollen ((optional))
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup white wine, (chilled)
Hog casings ((if you are linking your sausage))

Steps:

  • Get out about 15 to 20 feet of hog casings and soak them in warm water.
  • Cut the meat and fat into chunks you can fit into your meat grinder. Mix together the salt, sugar, half the fennel seeds, black pepper, nutmeg, oregano and fennel pollen, then mix this with the meat and fat until every piece has a little on it. Put in the freezer until the meat and fat are between 30°F and 40°F. Put your grinder parts (auger, dies, blades, etc) in the freezer, too, and put a bowl in the fridge.
  • Grind half of the mixture through the coarse die on your grinder, and half through the fine die. This creates a more interesting texture. If your meat mixture is still at 35°F or colder, you can go right to binding. If it has heated up, you need to chill everything back down. Use this time to clean up the grinder.
  • Once the meat is cold, put it in a large bin or bowl and add the remaining fennel seeds, white wine and parsley. Mix well with your (very clean) hands for 2 to 3 minutes -- a good indicator of temperature is that your hands should ache with cold when you do this. You want to to mix until the meat binds to itself. You can also do this in a stand mixer set on its lowest setting, but I find you don't get as good a bind as you do when you do this by hand.
  • You now have Italian sausage. You can leave it loose, form it into patties, or link it. I link mine most of the time. Put the loose sausage into a stuffer and thread a casing onto it. Stuffing sausage is easier with two people, one to fill the links, the other to coil, but I do it solo all the time. Stuff the links well but not super-tight, as you will not be able to tie them off later if they are too full. Don't worry about air pockets yet. Stuff the whole casing, leaving lots of room on either end to tie them off; I leave at least three inches of unstuffed casing on either end of the coil.
  • To form the individual links, tie off one end of the coil. Now pinch off two links of about six inches long. Rotate the link between your hands forward a few times. (Here's a quick video on making the links) Look for air pockets. To remove them, set a large needle or a sausage pricker into a stovetop burner until it glows (this sterilizes it), then pierce the casing at the air pockets. Twist the links a little and gently compress them until they are nice and tight. Repeat this process with the rest of the sausage.
  • Hang your links on a wooden clothes drying rack for at least an hour, or up to overnight if you can hang them in a place that doesn't get any warmer than 40°F or so. This lets the links cure a little, filling their casings and developing flavor. Once you've taken the links off the hanger, they can be refrigerated for up to 3 or 4 days, or frozen for up to a year.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 98 kcal, Carbohydrate 3 g, Protein 11 g, Fat 4 g, SaturatedFat 1 g, Cholesterol 37 mg, Sodium 742 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 2 g, ServingSize 1 serving

HOMEMADE SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE (MILD OR HOT)



Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage (Mild or Hot) image

This is a very versatile Italian sausage which can be used in many different ways. You can take it from mild to hot and it's very easy to use. There are also different options for type of meat to use, like ground chuck or ground turkey (do not use ground beef). If using ground turkey, you'll have to coat your skillet with a little olive or veggie oil before cooking as it has very little fat and will stick to skillet.

Provided by Michelle Leigh Gossman

Categories     World Cuisine Recipes     European     Italian

Time 12h20m

Yield 12

Number Of Ingredients 14

3 pounds ground pork
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 ¼ tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
¾ teaspoon ground fennel seed
¼ teaspoon brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon dried thyme

Steps:

  • Place the pork and red wine vinegar in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, paprika, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, brown sugar, oregano, and thyme. Knead until flecks of spice are evenly distributed through the sausage.
  • Divide the sausage into thirds, and form into 3 logs; wrap each in plastic wrap. Place wrapped sausage into a freezer bag before freezing, or store in refrigerator for at least 12 hours before cooking.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 243.1 calories, Carbohydrate 2.3 g, Cholesterol 73.6 mg, Fat 16.4 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 20.5 g, SaturatedFat 6.1 g, Sodium 640.3 mg, Sugar 0.5 g

HOMEMADE SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE



Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage image

If you want to go all out in making sausage, you'll need a few tools. A good sausage stuffer is a must if you want to make sausage links. Some are a struggle to work with, others are awesome. The LEM 5lb. Sausage Stuffer is one we always love. If you want to play with grinding your own cuts of meat instead of buying pre-ground meat, the KitchenAid Meat Grinder attachment and the stand alone Gourmia Meat Grinders are great choices.

Provided by Diane

Categories     Appetizer     Main Course     Sandwiches     Side Dish

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 12

3 pounds ground Pork ((ideally ground pork shoulder))
1 1/2 Tablespoons Salt
1 Tablespoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
2 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Tablespoon ground Fennel
1 Tablespoon Onion Powder
1 Tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon dried Thyme Leaves
1 teaspoon dried Oregano Leaves
3 Tablespoons Red Wine (- optional)
casings (- optional)

Steps:

  • Mix together all the seasonings in a bowl (salt, pepper, sugar, fennel, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, thyme, and oregano).
  • Combine the pork, seasonings, and optional red wine in bowl and make sure all spices are blended into the ground pork. If unsure of flavor, heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Cook a small patty and then taste test. Adjust seasonings if needed.
  • Divide into patties, or portions for what ever you want to cook it with. You can freeze the sausage too.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 319 kcal, Carbohydrate 4 g, Protein 19 g, Fat 24 g, SaturatedFat 8 g, Cholesterol 81 mg, Sodium 937 mg, Sugar 2 g, ServingSize 1 serving

HOMEMADE MILD ITALIAN SAUSAGE



Homemade Mild Italian Sausage image

Provided by Food Network

Categories     side-dish

Time 8h45m

Yield about 3 pounds of sausage

Number Of Ingredients 11

3 tablespoons dry red wine
3 pounds well-marbled pork butt, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted fennel seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground anise
2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley leaves
Pork casings, optional

Steps:

  • Combine the pork butt, garlic, paprika, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, cayenne, anise, parsley, and red wine in a large bowl and toss well to coat. Refrigerate covered overnight or up to 24 hours.
  • Pass the mixture through a meat grinder fitted with a medium die. (Alternately, transfer to a food processor in 2 batches and process until finely ground.) To test the seasoning, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet, and cook about 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Adjust seasonings, to taste.
  • Using the sausage attachment on a mixer, stuff the meat into the casings, if being used. Twist and tie off to make 4-inch sausages. Alternately, shape into patties. Cook sausage in usual manner, making sure the internal temperature of the sausage links reaches at least 150 degrees F. Uncooked sausage can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze and use within 3 months.

HOMEMADE SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE RECIPE - (4.2/5)



Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage Recipe - (4.2/5) image

Provided by sheilaolim

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 pounds ground pork
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/4 teaspoons paprika
1 1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

Steps:

  • Place the pork and red wine vinegar in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, paprika, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, brown sugar, oregano, and thyme. Knead until flecks of spice are evenly distributed through the sausage. Divide the sausage into thirds, and form into 3 logs; wrap each in plastic wrap. Place wrapped sausage into a freezer bag before freezing, or store in refrigerator for at least 12 hours before cooking

Tips:

  • Choose high-quality pork: Opt for pork shoulder or pork butt, as they have a good balance of fat and meat, resulting in a flavorful and juicy sausage.
  • Grind the pork yourself: This ensures the freshest sausage and allows you to control the texture. If you don't have a meat grinder, ask your butcher to grind the pork for you.
  • Use fresh herbs and spices: Fresh herbs like basil, oregano, and thyme add a burst of flavor to the sausage. Ground fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, and garlic powder are also commonly used seasonings.
  • Mix the seasonings thoroughly: Ensure the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the pork mixture for a consistent flavor in every bite.
  • Use natural hog casings: These casings provide a traditional look and texture to the sausage. If you're new to sausage making, you can also use collagen casings, which are easier to work with.
  • Stuff the sausage tightly: Avoid leaving air pockets inside the casings, as this can lead to spoilage. Use a sausage stuffer or a meat grinder with a sausage stuffing attachment.
  • Prick the sausages: Before cooking, prick the sausages with a fork or toothpick to prevent them from bursting.
  • Cook the sausage thoroughly: Cook the sausages until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C) for mild sausage or 165°F (74°C) for hot sausage.

Conclusion:

Homemade sweet Italian sausage is a delicious and versatile ingredient that can be used in a variety of dishes, from pasta sauces to sandwiches. By following these tips, you can create a flavorful and authentic sausage that will impress your family and friends. Experiment with different herb and spice combinations to create your own unique flavor profile. Whether you prefer a mild or hot sausage, making it at home allows you to customize it to your liking. Enjoy the process of creating your own homemade sausage and savor the delicious results!

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