Homemade Hot Italian Sausage Recipe (2024)

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Homemade Hot Italian Sausage

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Well, this is it. I've been dreaming about making homemade hot Italian sausage for some time now. In fact my recent Christmas gift was the KitchenAid meat grinder and sausage attachment! I can't believe how good this turned out. This was the best Italian sausage I've ever had. Here's what I did:

Ingredients:
5 lbs pork shoulder
natural hog casings
2 T whole fennel seeds
1 T salt
1 T ground black pepper
1 T garlic powder
4 T red pepper flakes
1 cup ice water give or take ¼ cup

I started with a 7 lb pork shoulder from Costco. The shoulder was boneless so I didn't have to worry about cutting out a bone. Also, this is not a "picnic" shoulder roast, which is sold in a lot of grocery stores. The picnic is not the cut to get for doing this. You want a boneless boston butt or a boneless pork shoulder roast. I used a really sharp knife to cut up the shoulder so it could fit in my KitchenAid meat grinder attachment. I aimed for about ¾ in to 1 in size chunks. After the entire shoulder was cut up I ground it just once with the coarse plate of the grinder.

Look at all that fresh ground pork! Next I added all of the dry ingredients listed above and then the cup of ice water (cubes not included). The water just helps out with the consistency of the ground pork.
At this stage you can either form sausage patties or stuff the sausage into casings. I picked up some hog casings from my butcher shop because I wanted to have sausage links. Note: do not use collagen casings for this - you have to use real hog casings.

The hog casings come packed in salt so it is very important to soak the casing for at least 30 min prior to use. In fact, my butcher recommended soaking overnight. However, I didn't listen. I soaked the casings for about 10 min then changed the water, soaked again for 15-20 min and changed the water again. Finally I used a funnel to rinse water throughout the casing. This lets you see where any holes might be and also washes out residual salt from the inside.

One trick I learned while doing this was to keep the casings wet during the entire process. Even when the casing is on the sausage filling attachment, keep wetting it. I also kept about 4 inches of casing hanging off the attachment prior to filling. This gave some room in case air got caught in the mix. By not tying it off initially I was able to push air right out the bottom of the sausage. I'm not going to lie. This process was a lot of work. But once we got going it started getting smoother. I let the sausages curl up in an aluminum pan and then later I twisted them into links.

I roughly used my eye to select how long each link would be. I then twisted each one and then it was time to grill!

Before grilling I used a knife to cut each link free from the adjacent one. This gave me more flexibility on the grill. These sausages were great. There is quite a bit of heat from the pepper flakes so if you are scared of heat I'd back down to 3 or 3.5 T of red pepper flakes. I also recommend using fresh fennel seeds so that unique fennel flavor is really present. What a unique flavor to add to sausage! I love it! I can't wait to do this recipe for a tailgate!

Note: This recipe came from www.lets-make-sausage.com. It's a winner and it is also a great idea for any pregnant ladies who want to enjoy italian sausages but don't want any nitrates in their diets.

Homemade Hot Italian Sausage Recipe

An easy homemade hot Italian sausage recipe.

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 30 sausages

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs pork shoulder
  • natural hog casings
  • 2 T whole fennel seeds
  • 1 T salt
  • 1 T ground black pepper
  • 1 T garlic powder
  • 4 T red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup ice water give or take ¼ cup

Instructions

  • Grind pork.

  • Rinse casings with water.

  • Mix sausage seasoning together and mix with ground pork.

  • Stuff pork into casings.

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Homemade Hot Italian Sausage Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is hot Italian sausage made of? ›

Combine pork, paprika, garlic salt, salt, and black pepper in a large bowl; set aside. Place oil, anise seed, fennel seed, and red pepper flakes into a blender or food processor; blend well. Pour over pork mixture and mix until well combined.

What's the difference between hot sausage and hot Italian sausage? ›

The main difference in Italian sausage when compared to other sausages is the seasoning. The particular ingredient that usually sets Italian sausage apart is fennel. This is a licorice scented herb that gives Italian sausage its unique taste that is different than other types of sausage.

What is Italian sausage seasoning made of? ›

Spices – I use a combination of fennel, basil, oregano, red pepper flakes, paprika, nutmeg, and coriander. Parsley – Adding some chopped fresh parsley will add some nice flavors and freshness to the Italian sausage. Garlic – Finely minced cloves are traditional to use and provide outstanding flavors.

Why is hot Italian sausage red? ›

You've probably noticed some sausages are labeled as “hot” and others are labeled “mild.” The difference here is that hot sausage has spicy red pepper in its ingredient list, whereas mild sausage does not.

What spices are most commonly used in sausages? ›

Some of the most popular whole herbs and spices used in sausage making are: Tellicherry Peppercorns. Fennel Seed. Yellow Mustard Seed.

What are the INGREDIENTS in Johnsonville hot Italian sausage? ›

Ingredients: Pork, water, corn syrup, and less than 2% of the following: pork broth with natural flavorings, salt, spices, dextrose, paprika, natural flavor, spice extractives, BHA, propyl gallate, citric acid.

Does all Italian sausage have fennel in it? ›

Every processed meat product has a traditional product characteristic. Traditionally, Italian sausage contains fennel and black pepper. Typically the black pepper used in Italian sausage is a coarser particle size than you find in fresh pork sausage. Fennel is the spice that gives Italian sausage its Italian flavor.

What kind of seeds are in Italian sausage? ›

Fennel seeds are also the primary flavoring for Italian sausage, and their flavor is most prominent when they're toasted or sautéed in oil. Caraway and fennel seeds can be used interchangeably, but the subtle flavor differences will be detectable.

What is in Jimmy Dean hot sausage? ›

INGREDIENTS. Pork, Water, Contains 2% Or Less: Corn Syrup, Salt, Natural Flavor, Vinegar, Sugar, Monosodium Glutamate, Pork Broth.

How to make sausage at home? ›

So, I put everything in one step here.
  1. Collect equipment and non-spoilable materials (meat grinder, sausage stuffer, fruit, herbs, spices, salt, natural hog casings, etc...)
  2. Get meat. ...
  3. Carve the meat into 1-2 inch chucks suitable for grinding.
  4. Prepare flavorings.
  5. Partially freeze meat and flavorings.

What is the white stuff coming out of Italian sausage? ›

It is a penicillin-based mold similar to the white mold you will find on a fine cheese like a French Brie or Camembert. It's a natural part of the fermentation process of producing artisanal salumi, and the salami mold has its own flavor and flora.

What gives sausage its distinct flavor? ›

Salt: Salt enhances flavor and acts as a preservative. Sugar: Sugar can be used to balance the saltiness in sausage and add a slight, tasty sweetness. Spices: Various spices give a sausage its robust flavor. Commonly used sausage spices include black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, parsley and paprika.

What is the best cut of pork for Italian sausage? ›

The ideal cut of pork for sausage making comes from the shoulder area of the hog because it will generally offer you that ideal meat to fat ratio of 80/20.

What is a spicy Italian sausage called? ›

'Nduja – Italian spicy, spreadable sausage made with pork. Salami – Cured sausage, fermented and air-dried meat. Soppressata – Italian dry salami (sausage) Sopressa – Italian aged salume. Strolghino – Italian cured pork.

What is Italian sausage called in Italy? ›

Salsiccia

What kind of meat is Italian sausage made of? ›

In North America, Italian sausage (Italian: salsiccia, Italian: [salˈsittʃa]) most often refers to a style of pork sausage. The sausage is often noted for being seasoned with fennel or anise as the primary seasoning.

Is hot Italian sausage beef or pork? ›

Ingredients: Pork, Less than 2% of the following: Sugar, Water, Salt, Paprika, Spices (including red pepper & fennel), Potassium Chloride, Natural Flavors, Extractives of Paprika.

Does hot Italian sausage have pork? ›

Ingredients: Pork, salt, sugar, fennel seed, coriander, paprika, oregano, basil, black pepper.

What is hot Italian sausage? ›

Sweet or mild Italian sausages may have things like fennel, basil, onion or garlic powder, oregano, paprika, thyme, and other assorted flavors. Hot versions will have added red pepper flakes and maybe a little more garlic.

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