"Sweet" Italian

[SmokyMose]

It's been a little slow around the site today so I thought I'd post a recent sausage stuff.
I started with Rytek's recipe and another I found on the net and came up with my own:
5# butt
1 cup chopped fresh Parsley
2 tsp salt substitute ("NoSalt" brand)
5 garlic cloves-minced
1 tbsp course black pepper
4 tbsp Fennel seed
4 tbsp Paprika
2 tsp Anise seed
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tbsp Onion Powder
2 tsp Basil
1 cup red cooking wine
1 tsp #1 cure

Started with an 11# boneless butt from GFS. Thought I'd get 2- 5# batches but no. After trimming the nasty fat I got 5# and 4#.


Ground it through a 1/4" plate and again through a 3/16 plate. I like to have it not quite frozen before grinding each time.


Mixed and put in the fridge to co-exist for the night.


Next day: stuffing time! Using 34-35mm pre-tubed from Syracuse Casing. I rinse them the day before and soak in the fridge overnight and rinse again the next morning to soak for an hour or so and rinse again.


I let it "air dry" for a couple of hours before putting it in the fridge for the night.

Next day was packaging time. 18 links plus a midget gave me 6 packages of 3 plus the midget.
I cooked the midget and got the boss's taste test "Seal of Approval" :-)


Not sure why it's considered "sweet" with so little sugar but whatever. The Basil really comes through.
Sorry, no plate pics.
Thanks for looking, and stuff on!

Dan

 

[chopsaw]

Looks good Dan . When talking Italian sausage , if it has fennel and no hot pepper it's considered sweet . Nice work there .

 

[SmokyMose]

Looks good Dan . When talking Italian sausage , if it has fennel and no hot pepper it's considered sweet . Nice work there .

Thanks, chop! I think next time I do Italian I'm going to give the Fennel a split second in the coffee grinder instead of using whole seed....

 

[chopsaw]

Yup . I grind half and use half whole . Also toast it in a dry pan really wakes it up .

 

[smokerjim]

looks like some good stuff, thanks for sharing your recipe!

 

[jbo_c]

Looks good. Don’t think I’ve ever seen cured Italian sausage.

Jbo

 

[jcam222]

Looks great!! I love a good Italian sausage.

 

[Fueling Around]

So good looking sausage.
You got the "Seal of Approval" which counts more than the bro crow

Yup . I grind half and use half whole . Also toast it in a dry pan really wakes it up .

Do you toast all of the whole seed and grind half?
I just toast all and crush them in baggie with a hammer. Not fond of whole seed.

 

[indaswamp]

chop gave you all the pointers I had...he got ya covered.

 

[Steve H]

Looks really good. I made some very close to your recipe and really liked it. I took it a step farther and smoked them.

 

[SmokyMose]

Looks really good. I made some very close to your recipe and really liked it. I took it a step farther and smoked them.

Thanks, Steve! When it gets a little nicer out I'm going to thaw some out and try it.

 

[SmokyMose]

looks like some good stuff, thanks for sharing your recipe!

Thank you. I wish more people would.

 

[SmokyMose]

Looks good. Don’t think I’ve ever seen cured Italian sausage.

Jbo

It's not actually "cured"per se. I use #1 cure in it because I like to hang dry in open air for an hour or two before going in the fridge to finish drying and I just feel it's safer.
It adds a touch of color and I can thaw and smoke if I want.
Thank you!

 

[chopsaw]

Do you toast all of the whole seed and grind half?

I grind most of it anymore . I would agree on the whole seeds . Cracked or coarse ground works good .