Homemade Breakfast Sausage

Ingredients:

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/75LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

• 1 1/2 ounces (43 g) fennel seed

• 5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

• 1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

• 7/8 ounce (25 g) fresh ginger

• 3/4 ounce (21 g) fresh sage

• 1/4 ounce (7 g) red pepper flakes

• 1/3 ounce (9 g) brown sugar

• 1/3 ounce (9 g) ground black pepper

• 24-26 mm sheep casings (optional)

Instructions:

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, toast the fennel until slightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool.

2. Dice the pork into small, 1-inch (2.5cm) cubes.

3. In a large bowl, mix all of the other ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

4. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

5. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined and the sausage should stick to your hand when it's turned upside down.)

6. Form the sausage into patties or keep it loose.

7. If you're stuffing the sausage into links, add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all air pockets.

8. Stuff the sausage into sheep casings and twist links 15 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be around 2 inches [5 cm] long.)

9. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool about 2 times.

10. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and allow them to set overnight to dry out the casings.

11. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate into links.