Are you trying to make fresh sausage or cured sausage? My Italian cookbook (by Giuliano Bugialli) has a recipe for cured sausage that uses pork, pancetta, and veal, but no fennel. I like sausage with fennel, and would probably make something similar to Alton Brown's recipe. Craig Claiborne's recipe uses pork, fat pork, and a lot of seasonings, and would be spicier than Alton Brown's. I like it spicy. If you want, I'll type Craig's recipe for you, if you don't have it.

Lars

Linda, are you trying to make your own? If so, why? You are in Chicago enough that you could make the semi-short drive down Milwaukee Ave. into Niles and go to Minnelli's for the best, or turn right onto Harlem Ave. and hit Nottolli's. My money goes to Minelli's. They have sweet, hot, medium hot and extra hot. Trust me the hot is a killer and the extra hot will kill any bugs in your intestins.

BTW, how did your son do in the storms? I hope he had power.

...So how do I splain...?
A neighbor gave me a bunch of tomatoes....being funeral lunched out...I just skinned, cored and cooked what was nearing over ripe with an onion a couple of stalks of celery, garlic, bay leaf parsley, basil and some mild New Mexico Hatch....Seemed like a good idea to put some Italian sausage with it and some farfalla. Did it was wonderful...sent the leftovers home with the neighbor who gave me the bucket of tomatoes....and yesterday I cooked the rest along with some of mine that had ripened....and stuck it in the fridg.
Toiday I decided that the sausage and farfalla was so good, I would run to the near grocery store and get some Italian sausage....but they were out.
So I bought a pound of ground pork and decided I would make my own.
I added some garlic, some of that Hatch chili, cumin, fennel, oregano, salt and black pepper.....and I had too much fennel and not enough of something else...maybe sugar...
It was OK...but Graziano's is better!
Peppi...Stew lost Internet...but that was all...lucky him!
Linda C

My immediate reaction was that 85% lean was too lean -- that good sausage needs more fat than that... But honestly that's just a hunch, not actually a truly informed opinion!

Emily

Probably so....and it might have even been leaner than that...Sunday night...little store....2 packages of ground pork...I bought one...

I made Mild Italian Sausage for the Sausagethon a few weeks ago and it is delicious.

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Emeril's Sausage Night

3 pounds well-marbled pork butt, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced garlic (I add more garlic)
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted fennel seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon ground anise
2 tablespoons freshly chopped Italian parsley leaves
3 tablespoons dry red wine
Pork casings, optional

Combine the pork butt, garlic, paprika, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, cayenne, anise, parsley, and red wine in a large bowl and toss well to coat. Refrigerate covered overnight or up to 24 hours.

Pass the mixture through a meat grinder fitted with a medium die. (Alternately, transfer to a food processor in 2 batches and process until finely ground.) To test the seasoning, heat 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet, and cook about 2 teaspoons of the mixture. Adjust seasonings, to taste.

Using the sausage attachment on a mixer, stuff the meat into the casings, if being used. Twist and tie off to make 4-inch sausages. Alternately, shape into patties. Cook sausage in usual manner, making sure the internal temperature of the sausage links reaches at least 150 degrees F. Uncooked sausage can be stored in the refrigerator up to 3 days or freeze and use within 3 months.

NOTES: I used my FP and just pulsed until the pork was the consistency I needed. I think I pulsed 3-4 times and did 3 lbs of cubed pork at a time. I did 6lbs of pork all together.

Make sure you fry up a bit to test for spices and you can add it bit more if needed.

Michelle

I was short on garlic, long on fennel, absent on paprika, absent on anise but I did have cumin in there...
Thanks Michelle, I'll try again when I am not so immediatly hungry.
Linda C

Cumin is a pretty strong taste and one I don't care for. So you're on your own...LOL!

Make sure you toast the fennel...so much better if toasted in just a bit of EVOO. Watch it carefully as it will toast very quickly.

I just pattie'd the sausage up and froze it on cookie sheets and then bagged it in ziplock bags.

I have a good Chicken/Apple/Sage recipe that Joe just loves and that is almost gone now. If you'd like I can post it.

Michelle

Here is Craig's recipe, which is what I plan to try next:

4-1/2 pounds lean pork
1-1/2 pounds fat pork (fresh pork siding)
1 medium onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 tbsp salt
2 tbsp hot red pepper flakes
1-1/2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp fennel seed
1-1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp crushed bay leaf
1/4 tsp thyme
pinch of coriander
2/3 cup dry red wine or water
2-1/2 yards sausage casing

I think I would increase the amount of garlic and decrease the amount of red pepper flakes and salt, but otherwise, I think the proportions look good.

Lars

And I had fresh thyme in the garden...
Michelle...please post the apple sage thing... could I use pork with that?...I know chicken is lower bad stuff....but....
Linda C

Lars, the coriander would be great in sausage. I finally found my grinder attachment for my KA mixer so next time I will be stuffing my sausage.

Ooops it is Chicken Apple Fennel Sausage but it has sage in it too and it has pork and chicken. I don't see why you could not use all pork in place of the chicken. Sausage is very versatile and you can be about as creative as you like. Just make sure to fry up a bit to test the seasonings.

Chicken-Apple-Fennel Breakfast Sausage

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005
Show: Emeril Live
Episode: Emeril's Sausage Night

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup grated Granny Smith apple
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds ground chicken
1/2 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage leaves
1 3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Heat a saute pan over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.

Toast the fennel seeds until golden brown in color, about 1 minute.

Add the onions and grated apple to the pan and saute until the onions are translucent and most of the moisture has evaporated, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the garlic and sweat for 30 seconds.

Remove from the heat and place the onion mixture on a plate to cool.

While the onion mixture is cooling, combine the chicken, pork, sage, salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne pepper and nutmeg in a medium-size mixing bowl.

Once the onion mixture has cooled, fold it into the meat mixture until blended.

Form your meat mixture into 8 (3 1/2-ounce) patties.

To cook the patties, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 4 patties and cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Remove from pan and serve warm. Repeat with the remaining tablespoons of oil and sausage patties, if desired.

Alternately, uncooked sausage patties will keep, refrigerated, for 3 days or frozen and used within 3 months.

Michelle

Oooh -- thanks for posting that Michelle -- sounds great. I will have to try it soon!

Emily

I can get good Italian sausage around here, but every so often I like to make my own too. And I often use lean pork. If it is really lean I just add a little olive oil to the mix. I love fennel seed in my Italian sausage but I don't like the fennel to over power the rest of the flavours.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Homemade Italian Sausage
========================
2 lbs Lean Ground Pork
2 to 3 minced garlic cloves
1/4 cup chopped parlsey
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
crushed fennel seed
hot red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1/2 cup red wine
. Mix all the seasonings with the ground pork, except the wine.

When well mixed add the wine. Saute a small piece of meat and taste
for seasoning. Add more to suit your taste.

Shape into patties and either grill or pan fry.

NOTE: I like to mix it up early in the day and leave in the fridge for
the flavours to all meld.

Here is the one I like, not a fan of fennel.

Homemade Italian Sausage

2 Lb well-marbled pork butt med ground
2/3 Cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 Cup fresh Italian parsley well packed
1/4 Cup dry white wine
1 Clove garlic (I use 3-4 cloves minced)
1 Tbl dried basil crumbled
1 Tsp hot red chili peppers minced
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 Tsp dried organo crumbled
1/4 Tsp freshly ground pepper
1/2 Tsp Thyme

Grind the pork butt med to fine. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl. .Using sausage stuffer, fill casings twisting off 8 inch links or just make up as patties.