Fresh pork sausage is generally made by grinding and seasoning lean
pork trimmings from bellies, hams, and shoulders. Fresh sausage should
contain about 20 to 30 percent fat. If more fat is included, the
sausage may be too greasy and shrink a lot in cooking. If entire
shoulders or hams are used, it may be necessary to add some fat.
Prepare sausage by grinding the meat through a coarse plate (½-inch
holes), mix thoroughly, spread thin, add seasoning, and mix
thoroughly. Regrind through a finer plate (⅛-inch holes), for a more
uniform mix with the seasoning.
For seasoning 100 pounds of trimmings, a suggested seasoning formula
would be the following:
• 2 pounds of salt
• 6 ounces of pepper
• 1 to 2 ounces of sage
Other seasoning such as mace, nutmeg, cloves, or red pepper can be
added in small amounts (not to exceed 5 ounces) if desired.
Seasoned sausage should not be frozen for longer than 2 or 3 months
since salt hastens the rancidity of pork. Unseasoned ground pork may
be frozen for up to 5 to 6 months, then thawed, seasoned, and used.
Sausage may also be stuffed into casings for use either with or
without smoking. Artificial casings can be obtained from local
butchers or natural casings (small intestines) can be used. Natural
casings should be washed thoroughly, cleaned, and scraped prior to
use. Stuffing sausage requires skill and proper equipment. It is best
to have sausage stuffed and smoked by a local custom processor.