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[sparcebag]

WOW!! Family Italian sauage recipe from grand parents!!!!

Man I cant find any decent Italian sauage anywhere!! And to think its in Twig Mn.??

Would you be willing to share the recipe?? It sure would be appreciated!!!!

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Its something that is taught and handed down over the generations. There are no measurements on paper or in memory. We get our finished product by the balance of spices in stepped process till we hit that mark we know and will always remember. No two garlics are the same, nor black pepper, nor fennel and paprika.

Starts with the right texture. Trimming the pork butt of all undesirable tissue. If it looks like something you wouldn't put in your mouth it gets tossed. At the same time we're looking at fat content and adjust. The meat gets put back in the fridge to stay cold, cold meat though out the process is critical to prevent smearing. Then a coarse grind. That coarse grind is the texture we want, you can't hide crud in that, thats why the extra time to trim the pork butt is so important.

Nothing else gets put into the sausage but spices. No fillers, soy protein, water/ice and so on.

Salt (Noniodized)

Black Pepper

Garlic

Paprika

Fennel Seed

Red Pepper or Cayenne pepper, there is a distinct difference flavor so its just a matter of what your looking for.

The mixing part is more a blending and not squishing everything together like a meatloaf.

That makes a difference in the end product. Remember keep the meat cold.

Next is what will be the hard part for most but you have the list of spices and they are all much different. Getting the right amounts by using sight, smell, and taste. I have the advantage because I know that flavor I'm trying to get to.

The black pepper shouldn't give any heat to the sausage just enough to add flavor. Paprika gives a delicate flavor and color.

Fennel seed of coarse is a powerful spice and you don't want to over do it.

Garlic, is probably the toughest one but there is a large enough window there before you over do it and not enough.

Red or Cayenne pepper, they do have flavor but you adjust to how hot you want the sausage. I like it hot but not so hot to overcome the taste buds.

Salt brings it all together. Not enough and you might be adjusting the wrong spice to get your finished product.

So your mixing this up and you know what you want it to taste like. Don't try and hit that all at once, come into it slow with frying up samples. Then adjust. It gets tweaked till you get what your looking for.

I wouldn't stuff it till your sure about what you have. You can let it sit in the fridge and come back to it in a day and sample it again. Just don't pack it in a mound, let it stay loose.

If you want you can weigh the pork after its been trimmed and write down the measurements of spices. Could even takes notes for next time. We don't.

Now that was with 100% Pork.

You can add venison. I'd go 50/50 and heavy on the fat.

Part of that flavor your looking for is coming from the fat.

It won't be the same as the 100% Italian but it shouldn't be either.