I recommend a Kitchen Aid blender with a meat grinder and sausage stuffer attachments. If you are going to make different types of sausage or just make Italian sausage alot, you will need to have durable equipment. You should also have coarse and fine dies to grind the meat (comes with the meat grinder attachment).
Kitchen Aid with meat grinding attachment.
Kitchen Aid with sausage stuffing attachment.
Ingredients (about 15 to 20 links depending on the width):
5 pounds – boneless Boston butt (pork shoulder – in this case butt refers to the shoulder)
5 cloves – garlic, minced
1 cup – fresh Italian parsley, chopped
5 teaspoons – salt
1 tablespoon – black pepper
5 tablespoons – fennel seed
1 teaspoon – red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon – fresh rosemary, diced
½ tablespoon – fresh oregano, diced
1 tablespoon – fresh basil, diced
1 cup – dry white wine (e.g., chardonnay), very cold
One of the secrets to cooking fine Italian sausage is making sure you use fresh spices. It is also crucial not to make the sausage too lean. The butt is perfect, because it will contain a fair percentage of fat necessary for genuine Italian sausage. However, I like to trim away large chunks of fat that may exist in the meat (for my health).
Boston butt.
It is also important to get the meat cold before you put it in the grinder (it helps it move through the grinder better). Cut the pork up into 1 to 2 inch cubes and then place them in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Set up the grinder with the coarse die (see photo).
Coarse die for meat grinder
When the meat is cold, begin running it through the grinder (medium setting – I use setting 4 on my Kitchen Aid). Let the grinder do the work – in other words, don't force the meat through. Gristle may clog the grinder, but don't get dismayed. Simply clean the die and blade and finish grinding the rest of the meat.
Add the spices and wine to the ground meat. It is crucial to get the wine very cold before using it. I suggest you put the wine in the freezer for at least 15 minutes prior to adding it to the sausage mixture. Mix the ingredients thoroughly with your hands.
Spices and wine mixed with coarse ground meat.
Place the mixture in the freezer for another 30 minutes while you prepare the grinder with the fine die. Once the mixture of spices and meat is cold, begin grinding it again. This helps to mix the spices and meat. Once you have completed the final grinding, it is best if you let the mixture sit in the refrigerator over night to absorb the spices.
Finely ground meat and spices with fine grinder.
Fine ground sausage with spices and wine.
Prepare the sausage stuffer.
Hog casing.
Find the end of one of the hog casings (the longest casing if you can) and put a little water in the end. This will let it slip onto the cone (use the larger of the two cones – see photo).
Starting to thread casing on cone.
Threading the casing on the cone.
Thread the casing all the way on the cone so that meat can come freely out of the cone. Let some meat come through and then pull the end of the casing off the cone and tie it (this keeps air from going into the casing.
Tying off the end so no air is trapped before the meat goes in (note the casing on the cone to the left).
The rest is just allowing the meat to run through the cone until you fill the casing.
Sausage going through the stuffer.
It takes some practice, because air bubbles can form or the casing can break. If you get an air bubble just puncture it with a toothpick and force the air out. If the casing breaks you can tie off the end and start a new casing. I like wide sausage (see photo), but you can make them thinner if you prefer.
After the sausage has been stuffed.
Once the casings are filled, you can go about every 6 inches and form each link by twisting the casing.
Twisting the links.
You can freeze the sausage for months if you wish to store them.
Made from Tommy Moloney's award winning formula. The taste of these traditional Irish Sausages will transport you back to Ireland.
Features
Made fresh daily in USDA approved plant
Imported seasonings directly from Ireland
Perfect for a gift or traditional Irish breakfast
Reviews
As close to "home" as possible in the U.S.A. by Marsha Moyer-Payne from on 2007-10-05 Very similar to what he had in England growing up.
He thought they were great.
Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing List Price:$29.95 Sale Price: $16.47 You save: $13.48 (45%) Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Average Rating:
Description
This is the most comprehensive book available on sausage making and meat curing and has sold over 500,000 copies world-wide. It is easily understood, contains a wide variety of recipes, and is very effective in helping solve common problems. It is written by a man who learned the art of sausage making and meat curing at a very early age, and who made a living smoking and curing meats.
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ISBN13: 9780025668607
Condition: New
Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Reviews
10 stars by Massimo Maddaloni from Bozeman, MT United States on 2010-07-15 I'll keep it plain and simple: I knew nothing about sausage making, I studied this book and I succeeded from the very first time. The only flaw I can point out is the lack of information about fermented sausages but, other than that, it's top notch.
Book Review by McGyver from on 2010-07-14 As a rookie in the art of Curing & Smoking Meat, I was looking for a recipe book for basic recipes for kielbasa, salami, pepperoni & sausage. But this book is so much more than that. Not only does it have a lot of recipes, but it fully explains EVERYTHING that someone starting out should know: types of smokers w/plans on how to buld your own, effects of spices, cures, water, cold & hot smoke, meat preparation, why cooling smoked meat/cooked meat is so important & dozens of other bits of info and tips. When I showed this book to the person who got me started in this hobby, he was very impressed with this book. If anyone is looking for a book on Curing & Smoking Meat, THIS IS THE BOOK TO BUY: you will not need to buy any other book on this subject.
Great Sausage Recipes and Meat Curing by Edward F. Shermer from Stacy MN on 2010-02-05 The Bible for meat smoking. Everybody who does this should own this book. I finally got my own. Even pros use it as it has much needed info. Even has stuff you can't get off the web and awesome recipes. GREAT recipes for venison and very reliable. Even worth it if you HAVE to pay full price.
Good to have on the shelf by Mr. Adam S. Langman from Australia on 2010-01-31 This book was a good read and is not only aimed at the home cook but also at the small commercial kitchen as well. This is good and bad if you are a home cook like myself. There are large sections on commercial additives and food law which while perhaps interesting is not particularly relevant to the home cook. I would have preferred these (many) pages to be replaced with expanded techniques or recipes.I have tried a couple recipes and I have no complaints except that the measurement units are in cups, teaspoons etc. I believe that it is accepted that weight is a better way to go as not all cups are the same and indeed differ in different parts of the world. I find it easier to work with 50g salt as opposed to 1/4 cup for example.The writing style was competent if not exciting. Overall I preferred Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn for it's style, enthusiasm, technical content and recipes but I don't regret buying this book.
Best sausage book, period by Gary London from on 2009-12-25 Very informative on smoking meat, making sausage, meat cures (and why they are needed), lots of info on casings, great recipes. I hunt a lot, take 3 or 4 deer a year and make 20-30 lbs of sausage. This book is excellent. Recommendation; don't b a cheap sausage stuffer or cheap grinder, you'll just end up buying better ones. The Sausage Maker stuffers are excellent quality (I have the 5# one) and Cabela's commercial grinders can't be beat; just watch for sales. I use the smallest, 1/2 horsepower, and can grind a whole deer without any trouble.
Omaha Steaks 16 (3 oz.) Italian Sausages List Price:$44.99 Sale Price: $24.99 You save: $20.00 (44%) Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Description
Our all-natural smoked Italian Sausage is made from select cuts of pork and features red and green bell peppers, paprika and other natural spices just like the neighborhood butcher used to make. Serve on a bun with roasted red peppers. Cut up and serve with pasta and marinara sauce. Slice diagonally and serve as an appetizer. Or use in breakfast casseroles. Serve them up any night of the week for a quick, delicious meal!
HOME SAUSAGE MAKING is the classic in the field. Now completely revised and updated to comply with current USDA safety standards, this new edition features 150 recipes. Included in the lineup are 100 recipes for sausages (cased and uncased) and 50 recipes for cooking with sausage, all written for contemporary tastes and cooking styles. There are instructions for making sausages with beef and pork, fish and shellfish, chicken and turkey, and game meats. Ethnic favorites include German specialties such as Bratwurst, Mettwurst, and Vienna Sausage; Italian Cotechino and Luganega; Polish Fresh and Smoked Kielbasa; and Spanish-Style Chorizo, Potatis Korv (Swedish Potato Sausage), Kosher Salami, and Czech Yirtrnicky. On top of all the meat varieties, there is an entirely new section on vegetarian sausage options.
Making sausage at home is simple and pain free. Once you've learned the basics, experimentation and sausage innovation are bound to take over. Then before you know it, you will be making gourmet sausages that are better than anything you can buy in the market, and at half the cost! Charles Reavis's Home Sausage Making introduces a world of banger possibilities--from traditional pork to salmon and poultry. However, you will need more than just the book. A meat grinder is recommended as is a sausage stuffer and sausage skins. Beyond that, ingredients are pretty basic. This is, after all, reaching right back to the peasant kitchen--and the mindset that there's a way to use everything from snout to tail except for the squeal. Start with Reavis, then reach beyond. --Schuyler Ingle
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ISBN13: 9781580174718
Condition: New
Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Reviews
Great first book! by Kristi G., mom of Sage from Rome, GA on 2010-05-20 I am new to sausage making and this was the book I picked. It has a pretty long section just explaining things - equipment, casings, techniques, tricks, basically a very good primer.The recipes that I have tried, I will agree, are too weakly spiced for my taste, but that's easy enough to solve, I just added more in the same proportions.It covers all the basic sausage types. It's best, in my opinion, for the beginner as a primer, than maybe as a great recipe book per say. It's a real confidence booster too, and encourages one to dive in and do it.I'm very pleased with what I've learned from it, and I'm saving money and making healthier, tasty sausage at home, so I give it 4 stars.
Good for a start by Robert J. Scire from Port Richey, FL on 2010-05-02 This book has some great history of sausage and some nice recipies. We have onl made Italian sausage to date and modified the printed recipies to our taste... overall the book is good for the beginner
Home Sausage Making by Royal Caroler from Hawaii, USA on 2010-02-19 Home Sausage Making : How-To Techniques for Making and Enjoying 100 Sausages at HomeThe book is great. You can't put it down. It gives information on equipment, choices, sources for spices, different casings and more. It gives stories on histories on various sausages, recipies on veal, pork, chicken, game, vegetarian and more. A great find that inspires you.
Great for the beginner. by J. J. Schwarz from Appleton, Wisconsin on 2010-01-09 This book came with a sausage making/stuffing kit I purchased from Lem Products. (5 lb stuffer kit.) It gives you just enough information to get started safely, without overwhelming you with all of the details and nice-to-know stuff you can learn later when you find yourself addicted to sausage making. I have made several of the recipes and they turned out great! While this book is not the definitive text on the subject, it gets you making sausage.I recommend this book to any beginner. With a handful of useful tips and solid recipes the authors have insured that you will be successfully making great, fresh sausage in no time.
GREAT starter book by Baker Man from Riverside, Ca, U.S.A. on 2009-08-12 This book has everything you need to know about getting started in sausage making. It is well written and informative. It remains in my reference book collection for some of the outstanding recipes inside. I have won BBQ contests with the Bavarian summer sausage and the Polish sausage recipes, no kidding! This is a must have if you are interested in making sausage at home.How does fresh sausage taste? You may never eat store bought sausage again, not willingly at least!
Fans of Aidells sausages know there's a whole world beyond kielbasa, and it starts with Bruce Aidells gourmet sausages. In BRUCE AIDELLS' COMPLETE SAUSAGE BOOK, the king of the links defines each type of sausage, explains its origin, teaches us how to make sausages, and treats us to his favorite recipes for cooking with them. Hundreds of related tips and essays on Aidells' never-ending quest for yet another great sausage round out the collection, which includes color photos of 16 of the most mouth-watering dishes. With the COMPLETE SAUSAGE BOOK in hand, you'll be ready to add this most versatile, hearty, and satisfying ingredient to your gourmet cooking repertoire.
Features
ISBN13: 9781580081597
Condition: New
Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed
Reviews
Great ,and Complete by Robert L. Trinneer from Pohatcong N.J. USA on 2010-02-24 Yes this is the best book on sausage making available for the AT HOME sausage maker today
Great Sausage Book by Barney C. Kelleher from Long Beach, Ca on 2009-12-13 The author knows his stuff. Very well written and easy to follow directions. You are encouraged to monkey a bit with seasonings once you have made a few batches. Like more garlic? Just put it in there. Like 'em hotter? Tip the can on the chilis and let 'er rip! More sage? Less? Its your call. My friends now look forward to the arrival at the bbq party of the "custom" made sausages. "Whats it gonna be this time"? Hang on to your socks. Everybody loves 'em. I'm hoping for another book with greatly expanded recipes. Keep it coming!
great product by C. freeman from on 2009-07-13 Love this book! Great recipes, works well in small batches. Alot of helpful info and tips for the beginner. Highly recommend.
Best one I've found. by T. Brokamp from Blue Ridge Mountains, VA on 2008-12-06 As a professional restaurateur/novice sausage maker I went shopping for a book that could provide some guidance together with a variety of recipes. I reviewed the 6 books available from my library and this was the only one I wanted to keep around. Aidell provides great base recipes and helpful timely tips for me and my crew as we tweak and develop our own recipes and techniques. I shall point out that Aidells' brand of commercially packaged sausage is inferior to the quality and flavor produced when following the recipes in this book. But really that should not have come as a surprise since homemade is usually worth the effort.
We produced a most respectable medium heat level smoked andouille yesterday using Aidells' recipe using only half of the cayenne and red pepper called for. Call me a wimp but I think full strength would have brought tears to a Cajun's eyes.
Very helpful from start to finish...and tasty results too. by H. T. Brown from Redmond, Wa on 2008-01-07 This is our first attempt at sausage making, and this book did a fantastic job of helping us through it. The bratwurst we made come out perfect on the first try. The background information that it provides helps you see the entire process. Then, the details help you with tips-and-tricks that ensure success. It even tells you when things are going to be difficult (so we didn't try hotdogs for our first sausage making experience.) The recipes themselves taste great, and are much less greasy than what you can buy at the store. That, in itself, is worth the work.
Oh Boy! Oberto classic sticks are the perfect snack, bursting with flavor in every bite. Since 1918, three generations of the Oberto Family have been making fine quality meat snacks. Oberto offers a tradition of quality you can taste!
Features
32-ounce bag
Bursting with flavor with every bite
Smoked sausage sticks
Reviews
Oh boy Oberto's are #1 by Al Do Ma from on 2010-08-25 You can't find these bad boys in Kentucky, so i usually have my mom ship me a bag every now and then. Thank goodness you can buy these online.... now I don't have to talk to my mom as much!!!
Tastes a lot like dog food by T-Bone from Bay Area, CA on 2010-08-04 I thought this was a great deal in the warehouse deals section, but it was pretty nasty and smelled like dog food when I opened each bag. Slim Jim is made of crap too but at least it tastes good.
Oh Boy Oberto, Ohhhhhh Goooood. by Chauncy Cummings from on 2010-07-30 I really enjoyed the smoked sausages, it took me nearly 3 weeks to finish. But I would definitely purchase this again.Oh Boy! Oberto Cocktail Pep Smoked Sausage Sticks, 3.8-Pound Package
OBoy Oberto's are the best by Norman C. Barthold from Nashua NH on 2010-01-17 My kids enjoy The Cocktail Pepsticks so iI buy them and send them to my kidsOh Boy! Oberto Cocktail Pepperoni (2.8-Pound) Sticks, 45-Count Bag
Tastes Great! Just wish they sold the larger diameter logs... by Justin Thomas from on 2010-01-08 So tasty they didn't last much longer than a week.I was hoping for the thicker pep logs, but these hit the spot. I'll be ordering more until I can find a source for the larger ones outside of gas stations.
The Art of Making Fermented Sausages List Price:$19.95 Sale Price: $13.57 You save: $6.38 (32%) Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Average Rating:
Description
The majority of books written on making sausages do not tackle the subject of fermented sausages at all. The topic is limited to a statement that this is an advanced field of sausage making which is not recommended for an amateur sausage maker. Well, the main reason for writing this book was that the authors did not share this opinion. On the contrary, they believed that any hobbyist could make wonderful salami at home, if he only knew how. Highly technical papers were published in Food Technology journals which unfortunately were written in very difficult terms. Thus the idea of bridging the technology gap that existed between Meat Science and the requirements of the typical hobbyist was born. With more information obtainable every day, and commercial starter cultures available to the public, there is little reason to abstain from making quality salamis at home, regardless of the climate and outside conditions.
Reviews
Serious Info for Serious Sausage Makers by Kraig from Warner, NH USA on 2010-04-12 This is a book about the hows and whys of fermented and smoked sausage making. If you are interested in understanding the process then this is the book for you - there is nothing else that even comes close. It will not only allow you to make your own copies of those wonderful sausages you've seen hanging in that little ethnic store on the corner, but will give you the means to create your own variations. If you are the type that likes to know the details then you will love this book. If you are just looking for a recipe book then you will probably be disappointed - there are a few here, but this is more a book about understanding the process. Just what I was looking for.
The Art of Making Fermented Sausages by Jay Hall from on 2009-12-07 This book is not designed for the beginner sausage maker, which is also prefaced in the book. As a sausage maker myself, I found this book to have very good information for most meat processors. Dry and semi dry sausage making is one of the most difficult, however with this book, you'll understand all the practices in which to make an authentic, old world, finished fermented sausage.
Making Salami by bim007 from Los Angeles, CA on 2009-11-22 This book is excellent if not a bit repetitive about the science involved in the processing of meat for salami. It gave me much more information than I have been able to find on the internet and would recommend it to anyone who is about to undertake the project. It is a must!
Great book by David S. Olsten from on 2009-11-07 The book is great. Very technical, yet understandable in plain English. Not sure how soon I will be fermenting sausage but I am sure this book will make it possible. Living in Hawaii has it's drawbacks as far as sausage making goes because the temperature rarely drops below 65 degrees Fahrenheit.(If you could call that a draw back---Sorry to my family in Minnesota) This book provided the information I needed to build a controlled fermenting chamber, something I needed in order to master the art of fermented sausage in Hawaii. I would recommend this book to anyone who is really serious and wants to become a master sausage maker. Aloha!
A superbly organized, unique, and highly recommended addition to personal and professional culinary collections by Midwest Book Review from Oregon, WI USA on 2009-09-16 There is both an art and a science to the making of fermented sausages. And both will be found within the pages of Stanley and Adam Marianski's "The Art Of Making Fermented Sausages", a 272-page compendium of illustrated, step-by-step instructions that will enable even the most novice culinary hobbyist with all the information the non-specialist general reader will need to produce quality meats that would grace any dining occasion with friends and family. Readers will learn how to control meat acidity and remove excess moisture; select proper temperatures for fermenting, smoking and drying; both understand and exercise effective control over the fermentation process; choose appropriate starter cultures and make both traditional and fast-fermented products; select and operate the proper equipment, safety measures, and more. Of special note is the extensive section featuring fifty-one fermented sausage recipes. A superbly organized, unique, and highly recommended addition to personal and professional culinary collections, readers of "The Art Of Making Fermented Sausages" will also want to visit the Marianski website at [...] which is dedicated to the 'art and science' of smoking meats and sausages.
Sausages Sale Price: $8.95 Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Average Rating:
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When a poor woodcutter named John rescues an elf in distress, the elf rewards him with three magic wishes. Later, John and his wife Martha sit dreaming of all the lovely things they could ask for. But as the hours pass and John begins to get hungry, a chance remark begets not riches but a string of sizzling, succulent sausages! The argument this causes between the couple leads to a very silly situation, which only their last remaining wish can put right. Jessica Souhami’s gorgeous cut-paper collages and short, rhythmic text make this a perfect book for reading aloud.
Reviews
"read it again!!" by "mom of seven" from on 2008-10-17 My three year old and six year old sons loved this story, which we found at our local library. They laugh when I pretend to pull sausages off THEIR little noses. The illustrations are fun and the boys always beg me to "read it again". Reading it always makes me crave a sausage, so I think I'll plan a sausage dinner one of these nights, and eat them after reading through this book for the 100th time! Enjoy!
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