Yummy Sausage

Once you make your own sausage, the store-bought stuff never quite measures up. This fresh pork sausage is built on a smart ratio: lean pork shoulder ground with a good amount of pork fat, which is what keeps the links juicy and tender instead of dry and crumbly.

The seasoning leans Italian but with a twist. Fennel seeds bring that classic sweet, licorice-like note you expect in a good sausage, while a touch of star anise deepens it with a warm, almost five-spice aroma that sets these apart.

Grinding the meat and fat together through a coarse disk gives the right rustic texture, then it is mixed, stuffed into casings, and twisted into links.

These are fresh sausages, not cured, so keep them refrigerated and cook within three days, or freeze for later. Grill them, pan-fry them, or simmer them into a pasta sauce.

Pro Tips

• Keep the meat, fat, and grinder parts very cold; cold fat grinds cleanly instead of smearing, which is key to good texture.
• Don’t skimp on the fat, since that ratio is what keeps the sausage moist and juicy.
• Cook a small test patty before stuffing to check the seasoning and adjust.
• These are fresh and uncured, so refrigerate and use within three days or freeze.

Variations

• Add red pepper flakes for a hot Italian-style sausage.
• Stir in a splash of red wine or a little grated Parmesan.
• Skip the star anise for a more traditional fennel sausage.