Thursday, November 19, 2009

Homemade Breakfast Sausage



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I happened on Jane Grigson's book "Charcuterie and French Pork Cookery" back in 1974 and became an instant admirer. It was an alchemy of sorts. Curled into my favorite chair, warmed by the fire, I turned page after page and was transported incrementally to the wood-fired stove of a French farm kitchen and the wondrous world of charcuterie. I began with pate and moved slowly on to andouille and the boudins, blanc and noir, and ended, finally, with a cassoulet so delicious it made eyes cloud and mist. I no longer make pate, or, for that matter, cassoulet, but every so often I set dietary concerns aside and ready a batch of sausage for the breakfast or dinner table. I suspect that your holiday menu has been set in stone for several weeks now, so, rather than reinvent the wheel, I thought I'd use these few days before the feast to speak of other things. Today it's breakfast sausage for the family or guests with whom you'll share the holiday. Simple. Easy. Delicious. The patties can be made well ahead of time and frozen. They can be baked to feed a gang or grilled to feed just two. While I prefer to grind the meat I use, the sausage can be made with the ground pork you'll find in the supermarket. This recipe uses no exotic spices and you probably have everything you need in your pantry. Here's the recipe for this crowd pleaser.

Breakfast Sausage...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2-1/2 pounds ground pork
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
1) Combine salt, black pepper, sage, thyme, allspice, brown sugar, nutmeg and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Mix well.
2) Pat ground pork into a 12 x 18-inch rectangle. Sprinkle spice mixture evenly over pork. Mix well. Using a scoop or 1/4 cup measure, form patties about 1/2-inch thick. Place on a tray. Refrigerate for up to a week or freeze for up to 3 months. Yield: 21 patties.
3) To pan-fry, saute patties over medium-low heat in a non-stick pan, about 7 minutes per side.
4) To bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange patties on a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until center is no longer pink.

You might also enjoy these links:
Ryan's Recipe Blog - Taste Festival Sausage Making
Pork, Knife and Spoon - Making Sausage - A Primer
Italian Chef Blog - Fresh Italian Sausage

21 comments :

JoAnn said...

My son will love these with his eggs on a Saturday morning! These look so much better than the store-bought brand.

George Gaston said...

Mary, there is nothing sweeter than the aroma of sausage filling the kitchen on a holiday morning. One is already excited about the coming day, but when one smells breakfast sausage ~ you know it is a going to be a perfect day.

Your recipe is incredibly simple and filled with a wonderful combination of spices. I am definitely going to be making some of this for my holiday guest. Many thanks.

Anonymous said...

I've recenly become a convert to homemade breakfast sausage myself. It's so simple, and so much better than anything you can buy in the store. Plus, it's just satisfying to dig your hands into a big bowl of meat! :)

Federica Simoni said...

mmm..che buone!

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

This is very interesting mary. I would love to learn how to make andouille and boudin. I can't get good andouille or boudin here.

bj said...

We do love sausage...as you, we don't eat it often...but when we DO have it, it MUST be fried..Drained good, yes...but I can't even imagine not having it fried. I may just try this baking, tho....your recipe sounds delicious!!

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

Love homemade sausage! Yum.

The Chef In My Head said...

Mary, my tastebuds changed the day I discovered the combination of pork and allspice. It's one of my favorites, I bet these are great!!-LeslieMichele

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

I need to hunt that book done. I love sausage, and pork is my go to item. These look and sound fabulous. You are right, i have my menu set in stone til I start surfing around my favorite bloggers

free online adventure games said...

Wow I never thought to use brown sugar in a recipe like this. But I really love the smell of pan-fried freshly made ground pork patties. My own recipe calls for some Chinese parsley to be chopped into the meat. I'll try your recipe though!

CC said...

Mary, this sounds so delicious.. there is nothing so good as homemade sausage. I can remember from childhood, the smell and taste of the best homemade sausage ever. I'm not sure I will taste anything so wonderful as the "old-timey" farm breakfasts ever again, but this sausage recipe sounds wonderful..I will most certainly try it.

Donna-FFW said...

What a delightful way to make a Holiday breakfast extra special. 100xs better than store bought, Id wager.

Coleens Recipes said...

This looks excellent. I love home made sausage!!!

Deb in Hawaii said...

Wonderful--I love homemade sausage but I may cheat and try this one with ground turkey--I love all the spice in it.

Anonymous said...

Mary,
I've just never thought to make homemade sausage before --oh I bet the store bought does not compare to yours. Look so delicious
vickie @ cooking with vickie

Katy ~ said...

Mary, I've never made sausage, always thinking it needed those casings. This sounds doable and delicious! Thank you!

My Little Space said...

These look so tasty! yummmm.... I should learn to make my own sausage some time!Thanks.

Lea Ann said...

I can't wait to try this and am going to look for that cookbook.

Jaime and Jen DISH said...

These loook GREAT! And so much healthier than a store bought brand..I might have found my new back to basic recipe..thx.

Yosha said...

Just what I was looking for, thank you for posting! I've had a craving for a while but just couldn't make myself buy those packaged things in the store.

Finally this morning I broke a 10 yr fast and went to McDonald's. Only when I got to the office instead of saussage-egg, it was ham and egg!

I guess I really was just meant to make these at home. I am thinking of trying a half pork/half turkey. Thanks again!

Francisco Tovar said...

I love this recipe. Sausages yummy. What about buying some Mexican Ingredients at this site: http://www.TheLatinProducts.com

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