Homemade Italian Fennel Sausage Recipes

HOMEMADE ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Cut pork shoulder into cubes. Place in a bowl and refrigerate while preparing the other ingredients.
• Grind garlic with a pinch of salt in a mortar to make a paste. Add fennel, anise, and black pepper. Bruise spices lightly with a pestle to release the flavors. Add red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, oregano, marjoram, coriander, mustard, allspice, sugar, and a splash of water. Stir to combine.
• Add the spice paste to the pork cubes. Mix thoroughly by hand. Add the remaining salt. Cover and refrigerate until flavors meld, 8 hours to overnight.
• Process the cold pork through a meat grinder on the slowest speed.
• Push a casing onto the stuffing tube of your meat grinder. Feed the sausage meat through the filling tray. Run the meat through the casing on the slowest speed until all the casing is used up. Tie casing at the end into a knot. Pinch and twist the meat to create links if desired.
• Place sausage onto a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours.
• Preheat a charcoal grill for medium heat. Separate the links and grill them until browned, about 5 minutes per side.

ITALIAN FENNEL SAUSAGE RECIPE (BAKED ITALIAN SAUSAGE)

Steps:

• Cut chicken fillet into small pieces
• Mix minced pork and chicken fillet with seasonings, salt, pepper, dried fennel seeds, and mustard.
• Add water too
• Mix everything well by hand, cover, and leave in the fridge to marinate overnight
• The next day fill the casings with the meat and spices stuffing (I use a hand meat grinder that has a sausage stuffer attachment. Tie the sausages with threads).

HOMEMADE ITALIAN FENNEL SAUSAGE RECIPE (MEAT GRINDER)

Steps:

• Keep your ingredients at 38-40°F/3.3-4.4°C (almost frozen) for easier cutting and grinding. Cut the pork and chicken into 1-inch/2.54-cm cubes (or smaller).
• In a large bowl, place all ingredients except for the hog casings. Stir to combine. Refrigerate this mixture while you set up your meat grinder.
• Using a meat grinder, coarsely grind the mixture. Send the mixture through the grinder slowly, so that you do not create a jam.
• After sending all of the sausage mixture through the grinder once, grind it using the coarse grind plate a second time.
• You can shape the mixture into sausage patties at this point if you would like. If you would rather have links in casings, refrigerate the sausage mixture while you do the next steps.
• Clean your meat grinder thoroughly and set it up for stuffing sausage. I needed to use the largest stuffing funnel for the hog casings. Rubbing the outside of the stuffing funnel with a little oil can help the casing slide on easier.
• Remove your hog casings from their packaging and rinse them in cool water. Prepare them for filling as directed on the packaging. For the ones I am using, I had to soak them in cool water for 15 minutes and then untangle a few and cut them into 2-foot (0.6 m) lengths. Then I opened one end of each casing I was using and let cool water (from the faucet) run through the entire length. I let water run through each casing I was using three times, and I only rinsed the insides of the casings I was planning to use. After rinsing, I tied a knot in one end of each casing and set them near the grinder on a paper towel.
• When you are ready to stuff sausages, slide a casing over the end of the stuffing funnel. I was able to get the casing to fit by gathering it like I would gather pantyhose I was about to stick my toes into, and then sliding it onto the funnel. My grinder recommends leaving 2 inches (5 cm) of casing overhanging the end of the stuffing funnel, but the directions for your grinder may vary.
• Very slowly start sending your ground sausage mixture through your meat grinder. One hand can use the stomper to push the mixture into the grinder while your other hand can help guide the casing as it fills.
• After filling a casing, you can make small links by tying off the casing frequently with kitchen twine. Start tying at the closed end of the casing, making sure there is room for the filling to extend to the open end so the casing does not break. Tie off the open end of the casing last.
• After you finish filling one casing, tie a new casing onto the machine and continued the filling process. I did not clean out the machine each time I had finished filling a casing.
• Once all of the sausage mixture is used, turn off and unplug your meat grinder. I recommend cleaning out your grinder immediately. I was able to salvage an additional 9 ounces (255 g) of sausage mixture that was stuck to various parts inside the machine. You can press these leftovers into patties, pan fry them, and enjoy them right away. (Yay, snack time!)
• Your homemade sausages will not stay fresh as long as the cured sausage you buy in the store. Any sausages that you are not planning to cook within 24 hours should be double-wrapped in plastic and frozen. If you have a vacuum sealer for food, you can use that for your sausages as an alternative to double-wrapping.
• Follow the directions on your casing packaging to store the casings that you did not use. For the brand I purchased, I dried the unused casings (the ones where I did not rinse the interiors), repacked them in salt, and stored them in the fridge where they will wait until my next sausage-making adventure.
• Note: Don't miss the updated Italian Fennel Sausage recipe video here! It is far more detailed than the video below!

ITALIAN FENNEL SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine salt, fennel seed and red-pepper flakes. Add pork to the spice mixture along with the garlic, and wine. Using your hands, mix thoroughly for 1 full minute, until the pork begins to appear tacky and sticks to the palm of your hand.
• Heat a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Use a heaping tablespoon of pork mixture to make a small, thin sausage patty. Add a teaspoon or so of olive oil, and cook the patty for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Taste, and if needed, add salt or any other seasonings to the uncooked sausage mixture and mix to combine.
• Divide and form the remaining sausage into 8 2 1/2-inch patties, placing them on the prepared baking sheet as you go. Cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to come together. (Patties can be made ahead and covered and refrigerated or frozen at this point until ready to use.)
• To cook, wipe out cast-iron pan, and return to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. When it shimmers, add patties in a single layer, leaving space between them. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned on the surface and just cooked through.
• Drain sausages on paper towels, and serve hot.

SWEET ITALIAN FENNEL SAUSAGE

Steps:

• In a bowl combine the pork, curing salt, black pepper, fennel seeds, garlic, sugar and cayenne pepper. Mix to make sure seasonings are well distributed throughout the pork. Freeze for 30 minutes.
• To prepare the forcemeat, pass the mixture through a meat grinder using the large hole plate. Transfer to an electric mixer, using the paddle on the lowest speed, and mix for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and slowly add the stock and mix for 2 minutes. Switch to high speed and mix for 30 seconds.
• To form the sausages, place about a cup of forcemeat in a 12 by 16-inch piece of plastic wrap. Shape into a 1 1/2 by 8-inch sausage and wrap with the plastic to a tight roll. Tie both ends by forming a knot. Wrap again in aluminum foil. Repeat the process until all forcemeat is used.
• In a large saute pan bring court bouillon to a simmer. Poach the prepared sausages for 10 minutes or until firm to the touch. Allow to cool and unwrap sausages. In a cast iron pan, over high heat, saute the sausages in olive oil until nicely browned. Slice and serve with honey mustard and minced onion.

HOMEMADE MILD ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Combine the pork butt, garlic, paprika, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, cayenne, anise, parsley, and red wine in a large bowl and toss well to coat. Refrigerate covered overnight or up to 24 hours.
• Pass the mixture through a meat grinder fitted with a medium die. (Alternately, transfer to a food processor in 2 batches and process until finely ground.) To test the seasoning, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet, and cook about 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Adjust seasonings, to taste.
• Using the sausage attachment on a mixer, stuff the meat into the casings, if being used. Twist and tie off to make 4-inch sausages. Alternately, shape into patties. Cook sausage in usual manner, making sure the internal temperature of the sausage links reaches at least 150 degrees F. Uncooked sausage can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze and use within 3 months.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH FENNEL, PEPPERS, AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat broiler.
• Toss together all ingredients except fennel fronds with 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large shallow baking pan. Broil 4 inches from heat until sausage is browned and vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Turn over and stir, then broil until sausage is just cooked through and vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes more. Serve sprinkled with fennel fronds.

HOMEMADE BULK ITALIAN SAUSAGE, CHICAGO STYLE

Steps:

• Blend together all of the ingredients with the exception of the ground pork until they are thoroughly and uniformly mixed.
• With your clean hands blend the mixture of seasonings into the ground pork until it is well and uniformly blended inches
• Place the sausage in the refrigerator overnight in a covered container so that the flavors can blend before use.
• When I make I usually use 1/3 of it rather quickly on a deep dish pizza and freeze the rest for later use.