Click on pic to enlarge
This is also a good recipe for Italian meatballs. You can substitute beef for pork or blend a combination of both.

Italian Seasoning
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried savory

Chop all in a small food processor to make it finer.

Sausage
• 1 tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning (from above mixture)
• ¾ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp fennel seeds
• ¼ tsp paprika
• ½ tsp red pepper flake
• 1 tsp Kosher salt
• 1 lb. batch of pork shoulder and add ¼ lb. pork belly fat (skin removed)
• 1 3-foot length sausage casing (29-32mm, 1 1/8″ – 1 1/4″, Natural Hog
• ¼ cup water

Open one end of the hog casing and fill a little with running tap water. Squeeze the water through the case. Do this a couple more times to clean the inside of the casing. Soak the casing in water with a touch of vinegar for an hour. This makes the casing easier to chew when cooked with the casing on.

Cut the meat into ½ inch cubes. This makes it easier to grind the meat through a small grinder setting on a KitchenAid grinder attachment. In the KitchenAid mixing bowl, add the sausage ingredients to the meat and the ¼ cup of water. Attach the mixing paddle and mix the meat, seasoning and water 2 minutes. Place the mixing bowl in the refrigerator. Need to always keep the meat cold to preserve the fat.

Setup the KitchenAid with the casing stuffer and stuff the casing. Roll the casing on the counter to get it even meat. About 4 inches from one end pinch the sausage and turn the link away from you. Another 4 inches down the same but roll the link towards you. Do this until the entire casing is completely linked. Place in the frig in a sealed container overnight if you will use the sausage the next day or you can place the links in a freezer bag and freeze until use.

Note: In the pic above I removed the casing. I will be making a Ragu today and like to brown the meat without the casing on first. If you like serving a link alongside spaghetti, then you might consider leaving the casing on while cooking the sausage in the sauce.

As of 5/3/23