5# coarse ground pork shoulder with some fat removed ,fennel,hot pepper flakes,black pepper & salt.For hot sausage 2 TBS crushed red hot pepper,1 TBS Fennel seed & 1 TBS Salt;Medium Sausage 1 TBS or less of crushed red hot pepper flakes,1 TBS Black Pepper,1 TBS Fennel seed & 1 TBS Salt;For mild sausage use 2 TBS black pepper,salt and fennel seed.Mix ingredients and stuff in casings or make into patties .We freeze the sausage using it in our sauces,lasagna,for fried sausage & fried bell pepper sandwiches , fried then added to our homemade pizza and we have fried hot sausage and eggs fried in the spicy sausage grease for breakfast.This will work with game meat by the addition of pork fat.We made pizza for friends with our hot sausage and they wanted the recipe to make venison sausage.My grandparents used the hot sausage recipe for pepperoni by adding lots more pepper and salt,stuffing it in casings and hanging it from the rafters in the attic of their NY home with lots of paper under it to absorb the fat drips.They would hang it in the basement in the fall and none of the rodents would even go near it. I also have our family meatball recipe which we use to make meatloaf if anyone is interested.

I do not doubt your recipe is great. I have found that Zach's spice is very good and cheaper then I can make myself. And in most cases their spices are fresher then the crap in the local market. I generally use a little more then they recommend. Seeing your referance to N.Y. you are thinking folks in Texas have never eat good Italian sausage. I grew up in Chicago and pizza and Italian sausage where the biggest part of my diet there. Now all I can think of is an Italian sausage/Italian beef combo sandwich.

http://www.zachspice.com/

quote:

Originally posted by baboon:
I do not doubt your recipe is great. I have found that Zach's spice is very good and cheaper then I can make myself. And in most cases their spices are fresher then the crap in the local market. I generally use a little more then they recommend. Seeing your referance to N.Y. you are thinking folks in Texas have never eat good Italian sausage. I grew up in Chicago and pizza and Italian sausage where the biggest part of my diet there. Now all I can think of is an Italian sausage/Italian beef combo sandwich.

http://www.zachspice.com/

We get spices from Penzys or grow & dry my own peppers then crush them can't get any fresher.After reading the additives on commercial mixes I'll stick with this recipe, people get sausage everywhere but this our own calabres style.

Sounds wonderful, but definitely not for someone who has or is prone to heart disease!!!

quote:

Originally posted by 22WRF:
Sounds wonderful, but definitely not for someone who has or is prone to heart disease!!!

BTW I've been in CCU but I don't consume this in excess just once in awhile the purpose was to share with others another way to utilize meat to make sausage with a different flavor sans sage after hunting in it in Colorado for so many years we have no taste for sage.

For me fennel sausage is a very interesting ,different flavour, well worth making. BTW when you say 'Italian Sausage' - there must be 1000 different sausages in Italy !!!

quote:

Originally posted by mete:
For me fennel sausage is a very interesting ,different flavour, well worth making. BTW when you say 'Italian Sausage' - there must be 1000 different sausages in Italy !!!

Everyone has their formulation this just happens to be from our calabrese family. The area where we lived in NYS had many from that region of Italy so buying food or eating out in restaurants was a pleasure since it was in the style I grew up with,we could always tell the restaurants with sicilian chefs went once never to return again.

I would be interested in your meat loaf and meat ball recipes. I use Mama Leone's meatball recipe that includes raisins. I don't like big raisins in my meat balls so I cut each raisin in half. My wife thinks I'm nutz but it makes for a finer meatball.

A local restaurant has a Tuscan meat loaf and am looking for a recipe like that. They won't give it to me and I haven't taken the time to experiment.

Thanks,

BJ

quote:

Originally posted by Parker12SSS aka BigJohn:

I would be interested in your meat loaf and meat ball recipes. I use Mama Leone's meatball recipe that includes raisins. I don't like big raisins in my meat balls so I cut each raisin in half. My wife thinks I'm nutz but it makes for a finer meatball.

A local restaurant has a Tuscan meat loaf and am looking for a recipe like that. They won't give it to me and I haven't taken the time to experiment.

Thanks,

BJ

Seared Tuscan-Style Meat Loaf

Serves: 6

INGREDIENTS

2 cups 1-inch crustless country bread cubes

1/4 cup milk

3/4 lb. ground pork

3/4 lbs. Ground Veal

3/4 lbs. Ground Beef

1/4 lb. thinly sliced mortadella, finely chopped

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Kosher salt

4 large eggs

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 very large onion, finely chopped

1 medium carrot, finely chopped

1 large celery rib, finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbsp. minced parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons minced sage

1 1/4 cups dry white wine

1/2 cup water


DIRECTIONS

1. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. In a large bowl, mash the bread with the milk until a paste forms. Add the ground pork, veal, beef, then the mortadella, Parmesan, and nutmeg. Season with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt.

2. In a small bowl, lightly beat 3 of the eggs and pour over the meat. Using your hands, gently work in the beaten eggs. Pat the meat into a large ball. Lift the meat from the bowl and gently toss it back and forth to compact it slightly. Transfer the meat to the cookie sheet and pat it into a 10-by-5-inch loaf. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, parsley and sage and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 8 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Heat the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil in a medium roasting pan set over a burner. Season the meat loaf with salt and carefully slide it into the roasting pan. Cook the meat loaf over moderately high heat, undisturbed, until browned on the bottom, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and using a spatula, loosen the meat loaf from the roasting pan. Using 2 spatulas, carefully transfer the meat loaf to the cookie sheet, browned side up, then slide it back into the roasting pan.

5. Return the roasting pan to the burner, add the wine and cook over moderate heat until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the cooked vegetables, spreading some over the meat; spoon some of the liquid on top. Place a sheet of parchment paper directly on the meat loaf, pressing it all around. Cover the roasting pan tightly with foil and bake the meat loaf for 35 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 155°F. Uncover and let the meat loaf rest in the pan for 15 minutes.

6. Transfer the meat loaf to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil. Set the roasting pan over low heat and add the water. Using a spatula, scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom and side of the pan and bring to a simmer. In a small bowl, lightly whisk the remaining egg. Measure out 1 cup of the hot pan juices and whisk them until the gravy is slightly thickened and creamy, about 2 minutes. Pour the vegetable gravy into a warm gravy boat and cover. Cut the meat loaf into 1/2-inch slices and serve with the gravy.

Make Ahead: The meat loaf can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.