Sweet Italian Sausages
With the fresh, zesty taste of basil and garlic, these juicy sausages are a perfect homemade accompaniment to a variety of egg dishes. Ask the butcher to grind up the pork butt, and make sure the pork is well chilled (32°F) before starting on this recipe. The meat and fat need to stay very cold during the grinding and mixing process. Otherwise, the sausage comes out mealy because the fat doesn’t maintain its form and melts into the meat.
Recipe information
Yield
makes sixteen 2-ounces patties
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Combine the pork butt, fatback, and white wine in a large bowl and mix well. Make sure to keep the mixture cold. If it is a warm day, you can place the mixing bowl over a second mixing bowl of ice water.
Step 2
Add the garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper to the pork mixture. Using your hands, mix very well. Form the mixture into sixteen 2-ounce patties, each one about the size of a very small hamburger patty.
Step 3
Heat a large skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles on it. Arrange the sausages in a single layer in the skillet. Fry the sausages, turning them once, until golden brown and crusty on the outside and the interior loses its pink color, about 4 minutes total.
Spicy Italian Sausage Variation
Step 4
Reduce the amount of fennel to 1/2 tablespoon and add 1/2 to 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes.
