With the help of a meat grinder and a few spices, sweet and savory breakfast sausage is an easy morning treat you can make at home. It is a happy coincidence that the sausage most at home on the American palate is also the easiest sausage to put on the American plate. Country breakfast sausage was introduced to these shores by English settlers, and the basic flavor combination of pork, sage, and pepper has remained a favorite for hundreds of years. Which is not to say that there haven't been hundreds of variations. What I really like best about breakfast sausage is that it doesn't need a casing. You just make patties put them in a pan, and go. Photo by Lynne CalamiaThis recipe first appeared in Season 7 of Good Eats.
2pounds(2 1/2 pounds with bone) Boston pork butt, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
8ouncesfat back, diced into 1/4-inch cubes
2teaspoonskosher salt
1 1/2teaspoonsfreshly ground black pepper
2teaspoonsfinely chopped fresh sage leaves
2teaspoonsfinely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2teaspoonfinely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1tablespoonlight brown sugar
1/2teaspoonfreshly grated nutmeg
1/2teaspooncayenne pepper
1/2teaspoonred pepper flakes
Specialized Hardware
meat grinder
ACTIVE TIME: 30 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME: 1 hourhour45 minutesminutes
Yield: 2pounds or 16 (2-inch) patties
Procedure
In a large bowl or zip-top bag, combine diced pork with all other ingredients, toss, and chill for 1 hour.
Using the fine blade of a meat grinder, grind about 1 cup of the pork mixture at a time. Form into 2-inch rounds. Wrap in butcher paper, refrigerate and use within 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
For immediate use, saute patties over medium-low heat in a non-stick pan. Saute until brown and cooked through, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.