Tiny Sausage Links
You can make sausage links or you can make patties, which are a lazy man’s links. If you opt for links, you will need a sausage stuffer. You may also have to special order the casings from your butcher. It is a good idea to double the recipe, too, because it is easier to work with a larger amount. These are good breakfast sausages, but they also shine with kraut, lentils, or duck. Enjoy with a nice glass of Hungarian wine, or with a nice Hungarian man, i.e., artist Peter Hoffer.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes about thirty 3-inch (7.5-cm) links, enough for a large family breakfast
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
In a large bowl, combine the pork, veal, oats, ice water, maple syrup, Sriracha sauce, salt, sage, pepper, garlic powder, and ginger. Mix thoroughly with your hands. In a frying pan, heat a little canola oil over medium heat. Fry a small test patty and correct the seasoning if needed.
Step 2
Now, if you want to make patties rather than links, form the meat mixture into flattened golf balls. Return the frying pan to medium heat, add a little more oil, and then the patties. Fry, turning once, for about 3 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through. Serve hot.
Step 3
If you are feeling ambitious, load the meat mixture into the sausage stuffer. Slide the casing onto the stuffing tube and begin to stuff. The casing should be full and tight, but not full enough to burst when you begin to pinch the links. Stuffing sausage takes Yoda-like patience at the beginning. That’s why most folks say screw it and make patties instead. But making your own links is a skill, and with practice, you’ll be stuffing casings like a pro. To form the links, press your forefinger and thumb together to make a slight indent in the casing about every 3 inches (7.5 cm) or every second sausage, then twist each indent about 3 turns.
Step 4
Finally, fry the sausages in a frying pan with a little oil, turning to brown all sides, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until just cooked through. Serve hot.
