Recipe For Making Beef Sausage
Making beef sausages at home can be a fun and delicious culinary project. Here’s a basic recipe for making beef sausages. Keep in mind that you’ll need a meat grinder and sausage stuffer for this process.
Ingredients:
1. 2 pounds (about 900g) of beef (use a mix of lean and fatty cuts, like chuck or sirloin)
2. 1/2 pound (about 225g) pork fatback or pork shoulder (for extra flavor and fat)
3. 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4. 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5. 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
6. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
7. 1/2 teaspoon paprika
8. 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
9. Natural hog casings or synthetic sausage casings
10. Ice water (for keeping the mixture cold)
11. Optional: additional seasonings and herbs to taste (such as fennel seeds, coriander, or parsley)
Instructions:
1. Begin by cutting the beef and pork fat into small cubes, making sure it’s cold but not frozen. Place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes before you start to keep the meat and fat as cold as possible.
2. Soak the natural hog casings in warm water to soften them, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Grind the beef and pork fat through a meat grinder, using a medium-sized plate (usually 4.5–6mm) for a coarse texture. Make sure to keep the meat and fat very cold during this process.
4. In a large bowl, combine the ground beef and pork fat with all the seasonings and optional herbs. You can adjust the seasonings to your taste.
5. Add a little ice water to the mixture (about 1/4 cup) and knead it gently until the ingredients are well combined and the mixture becomes slightly sticky.
6. Rinse and flush the casings under cold running water to remove any excess salt. Then, slide the casings onto the sausage stuffer nozzle.
7. Stuff the meat mixture into the casings, being careful not to overfill and avoiding air bubbles. Twist the sausages into links as you go along.
8. Once you’ve filled all the sausages, you can tie them off at the ends, or you can leave them as continuous links.
9. Prick any air bubbles in the sausages with a sterilized pin or needle to prevent bursting during cooking.
10. Let the sausages hang in a cool, dry place for a few hours to dry and develop flavor, or refrigerate them until you’re ready to use.
11. To cook, you can grill, pan-fry, or roast the sausages according to your preference until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
Enjoy your homemade beef sausages in various dishes or as a delicious addition to your meals.
