American Farm Style Sausage#1

Before mass-produced breakfast sausage filled grocery store coolers, farm kitchens turned out batches like this one, fragrant with warm spices and absolutely free of fillers and preservatives.

This old-school recipe combines ground pork and veal with a blend of nutmeg, cloves, mace, and sage, plus breadcrumbs and water to keep things tender and juicy. You can stuff the mixture into sheep casings for traditional links or simply shape into patties and pan-fry for breakfast.

The spice blend is what makes this special: nutmeg and cloves bring a subtle sweetness, mace adds depth, and sage gives it that classic breakfast sausage character.

Chef Tips

• Keep everything cold while mixing so the fat doesn’t smear and the texture stays right
• Fry a small test patty first to check seasoning before stuffing or shaping the whole batch
• Freeze uncooked patties between parchment paper for quick weekday breakfasts
• Use casings soaked in water if stuffing links to make them pliable and easier to work with