Pork Sausage Garlicky Spicy Recipes

HOMEMADE SAUSAGE MEAT SPICE MIX

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl and you're done. It's that simple.
• If you'd like a finer blend, add it to a spice grinder and process for 10 seconds.

GARLIC PORK SAUSAGE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the pork, garlic, sage, salt and crushed red pepper. Run the meat mixture through the meat grinder outfitted with the die with the largest holes. Repeat so that all of the meat goes through the grinder twice.
• Place half of the meat mixture in the bowl of a standing mixer equipped with the paddle attachment. Add half of the water and half of the Parmesan and beat on medium-high for 3 to 4 minutes. Repeat this process with the remaining meat, water and cheese.
• Make, cook and eat a test patty to make sure the sausage is delicious.
• Attach the sausage-stuffing attachment to the meat grinder, keeping the grinder blade and die in place also.
• Keeping the sausage casing very wet, slide a manageable length onto the sausage stuffer. Place a generous amount of the prepared sausage mixture into the grinder pan. Give the casings a slight bit of resistance by holding onto the sausage stuffer with your three last fingers and letting the casing slip through your thumb and forefinger. Turn the machine on a medium-low speed and fill the casings, being careful to avoid any air bubbles. To get the feel for stuffing the sausages, you might have to do a couple tries. The first couple might be too loose or too tight; that's ok--think of them as the first pancake (the one that never comes out right that you have to throw away).
• Twist the casings to create sausages that are even in size. Tie each with butcher's twine to keep them nicely sealed. Prick the sausages with a pin or skewer all over to allow steam to escape while cooking (you don't want to have a blowout).
• Preheat a grill or saute pan. Cook the sausages until cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes on each side. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

BAKED ZITI WITH SPICY PORK AND SAUSAGE RAGù

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add pancetta and sauté until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to bowl. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper. Add half of pork to drippings in pot; sauté until brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer to bowl with pancetta. Repeat with remaining pork. Add sausage to same pot. Sauté until no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes. Add onions, carrots, celery, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, and crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add wine and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add pancetta and pork with any accumulated juices; boil 2 minutes. Add tomatoes with juice. Cover and cook until pork is very tender, adjusting heat as needed to maintain gentle simmer and stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.
• Uncover pot; tilt to 1 side and spoon off fat from surface of ragù. Gently press pork pieces with back of fork to break up meat coarsely. Season ragù to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.)
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 15x10x2-inch glass baking dish or other 4-quart baking dish. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta; mix into ragù. Season mixture to taste with salt and pepper; transfer to prepared dish. Sprinkle both cheeses over. Bake until heated through and golden, about 20 minutes.
• *Pancetta (Italian bacon cured in salt) is available at Italian markets and in the refrigerated deli case of many supermarkets.