- Level: Intermediate
- Total: 2 hr
- Prep: 1 hr 45 min
- Cook: 15 min
- Yield: 8 six-inch links
Ingredients
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup minced shallot
1 1/2 pounds veal shoulder, cubed
1/2 pound pork fatback, cubed
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt
One 4 1/2-foot hog casing, soaked in water 30 minutes and then flushed with water
Cornichons, for serving
Whole-grain mustard, for serving
Toasted or grilled bread, for serving
Directions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely.
- Combine the veal and pork fatback with the shallot mixture, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, coriander, sugar and 1 tablespoon salt in a large bowl. Transfer to a large plastic zip-top bag and refrigerate overnight.
- At least 30 minutes before grinding the meat, place all of your tools (including the meat grinder parts, stand mixer bowl, stand mixer paddle attachment and sausage stuffer parts) in the freezer to chill.
- Using your meat grinder, grind the marinated meat mixture twice through the small die plate into the chilled bowl of the stand mixer. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, then return the mixture to the mixer and beat on medium speed using the chilled paddle attachment, 45 to 60 seconds. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Stuff the sausages (see Cook's Note) and, for best results, refrigerate overnight.
- Before cooking, pierce each sausage several times with a pin. Grill over medium heat until the center registers 150 degrees F, 10 to 12 minutes. (You can also pan-fry or broil the sausages.) Serve with cornichons, mustard and bread.
- If you don't have time to stuff sausage links, cook the sausage mixture loose in a skillet or form it into patties for grilling or pan-frying.
Cook’s Note
How to Stuff Sausage: 1. Spoon the sausage mixture into the stuffer's canister and lightly oil the outside of the nozzle. Thread a hog casing onto the nozzle, pushing it all the way back so the casing bunches at the base of the nozzle. 2. Pull about 3 inches of casing out from the nozzle. Crank the handle to push about 1 inch of the ground meat mixture into the casing. 3. Press out any air between the meat and the end of the casing and tie off the casing. (Use kitchen twine or make a knot.) Try not to leave any air between the meat and the knot. 4. Crank the handle to push 5 more inches of meat into the casing, pulling the casing gradually so it doesn't get overstuffed. The sausage should have some give to it; press the casing with your thumb ¿ it should leave an indentation. 5. Stop and twist the casing a few times to form a link, then continue pushing meat through and twisting the casing to form 6-inch links. 6. When all of the meat is used, press out any air and tie off the casing at the end. Refrigerate for up to 2 days. You can cook the links joined together or cut them apart.
