Spicy Homemade Country Sausage

Posted by txazlady on July 24, 2011 · 4 Comments 

We love a good country sausage for breakfast.  But sausage always seemed like one of those “mystery” meats, that just “was”.  Sausage came in little round tubes.  I didn’t question how it was made or what was in it — until recently.   By happenstance, I came upon a recipe for homemade sausage.  And OMG!  It wasn’t hard.  I played around with the spices in the basic  recipe until  the seasonings were just right for us.   You may like yours mild ( like the basic recipe), or hot & spicy (like my version), or somewhere in between.  So give it a try and adjust the spices to your own taste.

Homemade Spicy Country Sausage

Spicy Homemade Country Sausage

Note: Basic recipe amount is first, followed by my adjustments in (  ).

• 16 oz ground pork
• 1 tsp  (1 1/2 tsp )  salt
• 1/2 tsp  (1 tsp) cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp  (1 1/2 tsp )  rubbed sage
• 1/4 tsp  ( 1/2 tsp )  fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp  (1/2 tsp) coriander

Variation #1:  Sage – Leave out the cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes; add about 1/2 tsp dried parsley.

Variation #2:  Maple -  Leave out the cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and sage; add 3 TB maple syrup.

Combine all ingredients.  Mix thoroughly until the spices are evenly distributed through the meat.  Cover and let sit in the fridge for several hours to let the spices blend.  Then cook a small amount and taste.  Add more spices, if needed.  And repeat the previous steps until you discover your “perfect” sausage blend. (Don’t forget to write it down.)

The sausage can now be cooked any way that you like.

Homemade sausage baked in the Solar oven

Roll out the sausage mixture between layers of waxed paper, then use a cookie cutter, or jar lid to cut circles.  (Or just make small patties.)  Layer the sausage patties into a baking pan, with waxed parchment paper between the layers.  Bake in a pre-heated solar oven for about 1 1/2  hours.

Homemade Spicy Country Sausage rolled out and cut.

But I only partially cook my sausage in the solar oven.  Take the patties out of the oven when they are about 1/2 done.  Cool and place layers of sausage into the freezer.  Take out pieces as needed. Finish cooking sausage in the solar oven, in the skillet, or in the microwave.  (By only partially cooking the sausage, they are not over-cooked when heated.)

I hope you enjoy your sausage.  Let me know how yours turns out.