Homemade sausage: Mastering the art of traditional flavors

Preparing homemade sausage is straightforward, but it does take time. A bit of patience is required. However, for this flavour, it's worth making the effort now and then. especially since, instead of smoking, you can bake it in the oven. Such a sausage slices well and stays fresh for an extended period.

What is the advantage of homemade sausage? It’s all about the ingredients. When you prepare it yourself, you have full control over the type of meat you choose. It should be fresh and of good quality. You can opt for pork shoulder, neck, or ham, and completely avoid adding fatty bacon or lard. You will also need to purchase casings and ensure they are thoroughly cleaned and rinsed.

You can't make sausage without a good grinder with a special attachment. If it's languished in the kitchen unused, ensure it’s perfectly sharpened. There's a considerable amount of grinding involved in sausage-making, and it needs to be precise; you also have to adjust the grinder's sieve size. For leaner cuts of meat, use an 8 mm attachment, and for fattier cuts, use a 4 mm one.

Once all the types of meat are ground, it's time to thoroughly mix the mixture and season it. After preparation, sausages can’t be seasoned again, so it’s best to do it straight away. For a robust flavour, you'll need salt, naturally, as well as pepper, garlic, and marjoram. According to the recipe for baked sausage, the mixture should be set aside for 48 hours in the refrigerator. Then you need to mix it again, adding water. This is the time when you finalise the seasoning of the meat. After that, simply attach the sausage-making equipment and form your sausages.

Ingredients:

• 1.6 kg of pork shoulder or ham, neck - optional,
• 1 kg of trimmings from pork loin and ham,
• 40 g curing salt,
• 3 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper,
• 2 tablespoons marjoram,
• Package of Traditional Polish Garlic or granulated garlic.

Preparation Method:

1. Divide the meat into two categories. Grind leaner meat through an 8 mm sieve and fattier meat through a 4 mm sieve.
2. Combine both types of meat, add spices, and knead the mixture thoroughly. Cover everything with foil and refrigerate for 48 hours.
3. Next, approximately 200 ml of water should be added to the meat and knead again; the mass should be elastic. You can season it further with pepper.
4. Attach the sausage-making equipment, prepare the casings, and form the sausages.
5. Preheat the oven to 80 - 100°C with the upper and lower heating function.
6. Place the sausages on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven. Bake for about 1.5 to 2 hours until the sausages have golden skin.