I’m a bit reluctant to post any advice, since I’m not at all an expert. Most of what I know about making fresh sausages, I have learned from a former colleague, and he was butcher before he changed occupation.
Some of the important stuff is mentioned already, but I will repeat some of it as it is easyer for me to get the details right.
I usually make my sausages in January or February, since I can get cheap ribs and pork belly.
First of all- keep everything as cool as possible. Put the grinder, bowls, liquids and so forth in the fridge, and keep it there as much as you can. This is partly because of food safety, but also to help the binding process work as it should.
I grind about 60-70% of the meat in the grinder, and cut the rest up using a sharp knife. It’s good to have help doing this cutting, since it is a lot of work. I do not feel the need for a dedicated stuffer, my old Electrolux works just fine as a stuffer i I don't rush it.
I make a “standard” flavour of the ground meat. I give the meat a good spin in my kitchen machine, adding a some water and some salt . Maybe some pepper as well. This is very important, since the salt and the moisture makes the ground meat release some of the proteins. This makes this meat capable of binding juices, flavours and any liquids you put into the finished product. You don’t need to use any potatoes or anything else if you use this method.
I usually make three or four different flavors, so it’s a matter of making smaller portions of the “standard” ground meat.
Then I add the chopped meat and the flavours that I want to use to each portion, and mix well.
I’ve tried to make a lot of different tastes. Some can turn out o be quite awful, but the ones that I usually make, are sausages with basil and garlic, sausages with fried paprika, dried paprika and some union, and sausages with lamb meat, thyme and garlic.
Once I tried to make “luxury cheese and bacon”- sausages. They were bland, and not tasty at all. I used Juniper- smoked bacon (delicious), and extra mature English cheddar. What a disappointment!
Sausages with a healty dose of Ardbeg single malt came out better, quite, “interesting”.. ?
Cranberries and orangepeel (just the orange part)- well, not bad.
If I’m going to freeze the sausages, I cook them for 20 minutes in non- boiling but hot water. They tend to be more juicy when I fry or grill them later, and the keep the nice shape.
If someone can spot any mistakes, feel free to say so. I’m not an expert.
A picture of my sausages, among other things.
