Sauerkraut Soup

Sauerkraut soup, also known as Sauerkrautsuppe, is a traditional German dish. Here's a simple recipe to make a delicious sauerkraut soup:
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup sauerkraut, drained and rinsed
1 medium potato, peeled and diced
1/2 pound bacon or sausage, diced
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream or sour cream (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley or caraway seeds for garnish
Directions:
In a large pot, cook the diced bacon or sausage over medium heat until browned.

Add the chopped onion and cook until softened.

Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the sauerkraut, potato, broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until the potato is tender.

Use an immersion blender to puree some or all of the soup, depending on your desired consistency.

Stir in the heavy cream or sour cream, if using.

Serve hot, garnished with fresh parsley or caraway seeds.

Sausage, Green Bean Potato Casserole

                                                          

Sausage, Green Bean, Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
1 lb sausage, sliced
2 lbs green beans, trimmed and halved
4 large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley for garnish

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).

In a large skillet, brown the sliced sausage over medium heat. Remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, sauté onions and garlic until translucent.

In a greased baking dish, layer half of the sliced potatoes, followed by half of the green beans and half of the browned sausage.

Repeat the layers with the remaining potatoes, green beans, and sausage.

Pour chicken broth and heavy cream over the layers. Season with salt and pepper.

Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Garnish with fresh parsley before serving.

Prep Time: 20 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes Servings: 6 servings.

Homemade Sausages

Homemade Sausages

My friend Thierry posted photos of sausages that he artfully crafted. I asked if he shared his recipes and viola, the ingredient list was posted. Sausage recipes are most often listed with ingredients minus the measurements. Your palate indicates the amount or omission.

    

Breakfast Sausage and Spanish Pork Sausage

Spanish Pork Saussage pictured on the right that you don't need to grill or cook. Can just use it as a paste or spread on a piece of bread... Very tasty.  Have to wait for 1 week before eating. "The longer you wait, the more delicious it becomes" !

Ingredients, 

ground pork, 

salt, pepper, 

white wîne, 

garlic, 

pimentòn (spanish paprika), 

paprika, 

anise seeds, 

fenel seeds, 

ginger, 

cinnamon, 

cloves, 

cayenne, 

oregano

pink pepper.

The sausage on the left is a breakfast sausage.  

Recipe from  Thierry 

Fine Herbs Fondue

Fine Herbs Fondue

There’s no better way to bring people together than over a table of delicious communal dishes—with a touch of interactivity thrown into the mix. A burbling pot of decadent cheese fondue tweaked with the freshness of herbs makes for a fun, dippy dinner.  Serve with Warm Lentil Salad Recipe.

Ingredients:

For Dipping
1 large baguette, sliced or ripped into bite-sized pieces
1 ½ lbs (680 g) baby potatoes, boiled and cooled
1 cup (225 mL) classic cornichons (sour, not sweet), drained
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and halved
8 oz (225 g) cremini mushrooms, trimmed and halved
4 links favourite sausage, grilled or roasted and sliced

Fondue
3 cups (750 mL) good dry white wine
2 lbs (905 g) shredded Gruyère cheese
1 ½ lbs (680 g) shredded Emmenthal cheese
1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch
1 garlic clove, sliced in half
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped chives
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp (15 mL) finely chopped tarragon

Directions: 

Prepare your dipping ingredients on platters so that they’re ready to go when the fondue is. Place baguette pieces in a basket for easy access.

Set up your fondue pot in the middle of the table, making sure it’s fuelled up.

To make fondue, pour wine into a large heavy saucepan on medium-high heat. In a bowl, toss shredded cheeses with cornstarch. Just before wine comes to a boil, gradually add cheese to the wine, about ½ cup (125 mL) at a time, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until each addition of cheese has melted. Keep going until all the cheese has been added and fondue is smooth. Never let the fondue come to a boil. Reduce heat to low.

When ready to serve, rub fondue pot with half garlic clove. Discard clove. Stir herbs into fondue, and pour the fondue into fondue pot. Encourage your guests to skewer nibbles and bites of bread, and joyfully dip away.

Serves 8

Polish Sausage ~ A Tradition and Heritage.

Polish Sausage

Heritage and Tradition

There is something magnetic between those who find pleasure in food,  be it a tasting, sharing a recipe, or maybe conversing.   For me it can be a new recipe, learning a new spice, setting a beautiful table with guests or enjoying another dietary platform or ethnic foods.  You can "bond" with a new friend you meet in text and may never meet physically.  My newest friend is MJ Essenmacher of Tuscon AZ.  MJ is owner of Creative Catering Corp,  (www.Creative Catering.com)  I have gone to MJ's blog, https://thekitchenimpossible.blogspot.com/2021/09/de-liber-september-and-october-marks.html to find two more photos showing her creative catering talents.  

  

I am so grateful to MJ for sharing her family recipe, the same recipe used by her late father. MJ stated she does not sell the meat or use it  with her catering but makes it to keep the tradition and heritage alive within her family. Thank you MJ and with your permission, I will share your family recipe with my followers. 

Polish Sausage.

Ingredients:

17 pounds pork butt, double ground

15 garlic cloves

1 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder

6 tablespoons salt

6 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper

2 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons marjoram

Directions:

Clean pork casings and keep in bowl of water to prevent drying.

Blend spices and seasonings in another bowl, set aside.  

 

Double grind pork and place in a large bowl.  Sprinkle the seasonngs over the pork with occasional mixing.  When all seasonings have been sprinkled in the meat, mix lightly making sure not to pack down the meat.   Add 6 cups ice cubes and mix well.  Mixture will be loose or maybe "sloppy".  Refrigerate in a covered bowl overnight.

After stuffing sausage, let dry on a rack overnight in the refrigerator.

To cook; Cover with 2" of water on top of stove for 20 minutes, then place in an 325*F oven for aboout an hour to make the skin crispy. 

Potato, Sausage, And Spinach Soup ~ Instant Pot

Potato, Sausage, And Spinach Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
4 medium yellow potatoes, diced
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced, about 4 cloves
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups fresh spinach
1/2 can coconut milk, or more, to taste
Salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In the preheated insert of you Instant Pot in sauté mode, add Italian sausage and sprinkle crushed red pepper flakes over. Use a spoon to break up the pieces.

2. When sausage slightly browned and almost cooked through, stir in the onions and garlic and cook another 2 or 3 minutes.

3. Pour the chicken broth into the Instant Pot. Add the potatoes, salt, and pepper and close the lid. Set to cook for 10 minutes.

4. When done, carefully remove the lid and keep in reheat mode. Stir in the spinach and coconut milk; heat through until spinach is bright green and softened. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Sausage and Cheese Muffins

Sausage And Cheese Muffins. 

Easiest recipe ever: 

Ingredients:
1 cup bisquick mix, 
4 beaten eggs, 
1/2 tsp salt, (less if you wish) 
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 
1/2 lb ground sausage. cooked

Directions:
Mix ingredients together,  Spray muffin pan and fill 2/3 full of batter. Bake 20 minutes at 350*F.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

Sweet Potato Breakfast Casserole

Sweet potatoes are the star in this breakfast casserole recipe. We start the recipe with a quick and easy hack for tenderizing the potatoes—pop them in the microwave! Put the spuds in a microwave-safe bowl with water, cover with plastic wrap, and cook on HIGH until they're tender, probably around 4 minutes. Next, brown the sausage in a skillet. A mixture of eggs, half-and-half, and Italian seasoning will serve as the base of your frittata. You’ll stir together all of your ingredients and 1 cup of mozzarella cheese before adding it all to your lightly greased 5-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cup of mozzarella cheese before setting your slow cooker to LOW and cooking until the frittata is just about set. You’ll need to allow around three and a half hours. Next, you’ll remove the lid and continue cooking. This will help the liquid on the top of the frittata to evaporate. Before serving, garnish with chopped fresh parsley.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 pound pork breakfast sausage
6 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups fine, dry breadcrumbs
1 cup refrigerated pre-chopped onion
8 ounces pre-shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups), divided
Chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Place sweet potatoes in a microwave-safe bowl with water. Cover with plastic wrap, and microwave at HIGH until tender, about 4 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, and set aside. 

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Brown sausage in melted butter, stirring often, until sausage is browned and crumbled, 5 to 6 minutes. 

Whisk together eggs, half-and-half, and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl. Stir together sausage, egg mixture, breadcrumbs, sweet potatoes, onion, and 1 cup of the cheese in a lightly greased 5-quart slow cooker. 

Sprinkle top with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover and cook on LOW until almost set, about 3 1/2 hours. Remove lid, and cook on LOW until edges are browned and liquid on top has evaporated, about 20 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley.  Serves 8

Stovetop Fennel and Sausage Risotto

Stovetop Fennel And Sausage Risotto

Ingredients:

6 cups low sodium chicken or beef broth

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/4 cup thinly sliced fennel bulb

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casing removed, sausage crumbled

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups Aborio or Carnaroli rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

Boiling water as needed

3/4 cup finely grated Romano cheese

Aged Balsamic vinegar for garnish.

Directions:

Pour broth into a pan and bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and place a lid to keep it warm.

To a large saucepan or straight sided skillet, over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter.  When the butter melts and the foaming subsides, add fennel cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and about 6 to 8 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a mixing bowl using a slotted spoon or spider.  Set aside.

Return the saucepan to medium heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sausage.  Cook until sausage is no longer pink breaking into small pieces, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently.  Transfer to bowl with fennel with a spider or slotted spoon.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat and return saucepan to medium heat.  Add shallots and rice  and cook stirring constantly until rice is evenly coated with oil and shallots are soft, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add wine and cook until pan is almost dry, about 3 minutes.  Add more wine and cook until pan is almost dry about 3 more minutes.

TIP:  To determine when liquid should be added, using a spoon, drag it in the center of the cooking rice.  If the space allows the bottom of the pan to show, more liquid is needed.  If the space shows liquid, continue to cook the risotto until more liquid is absorbed.

Using a ladle, add about 1 cup of hot broth and return hot broth to the rice, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.  Add additional broth 1 cup at a time, stirring constantly and  adding more broth only after the previous addition has been absorbed.  The risotto is done after about twenty minutes, when it is creamy and the and the rice grains are plump and tender.

Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, fennel, sausage, and Romano cheese.  Adjust consistency with a little broth or water.

To serve, ladle risotto into 4 warmed shallow bowls.  Top each with a drizzle of aged balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

Smoky Mountain Breakfast Casserole

Smokey Mountain Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients

10 Eggland’s Best eggs (egg beaters are ok)

2 1/2 cups of TruMoo milk

1/2 cup of chopped onion

1/4-1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (green or red, both nice)

1/2 to 1 cup fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup Velveeta cheese

1/2 cup Kraft shredded sharp cheese

3 slices bread buttered and cubed

1 cup Jimmy Dean sausage

Directions: 

Brown sausage with onion and pepper. Cook fresh mushrooms a minute or so. Drain sausage mixture on paper towel.

Blend eggs and milk. Butter 9″x13″ baking pan. Put bread cubes in bottom of the baking pan.

Spread cheese over bread. Then sprinkle sausage mixture over all.

Refrigerate over night covered.

Preheat oven 350. Bake for 45 min-1 hour or until set. This will serve around 6 adults. Other ingredients can be used or meat can be omitted or other meats substituted.

Apple Sausage Stuffing

Apple Sausage Stuffing

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

To maximize the crunchy, buttery portion of our holiday stuffing, we bake it in a skillet, doubling the golden-brown crust by crisping it up on the top and the bottom. A baguette provides the best texture for our stuffing, since its crust-to-bread ratio is higher than that of most loaves.… read more

SERVES 8

Baguette sizes and weights vary. Be sure to use 1½ pounds of bread for this recipe.

Ingredients:
1 1/2pounds baguette, curt into 1/2-inch 

   cubes (18 cups)
2 1/4cups chicken broth
1 1/2cups apple cider
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
8 ounces bulk pork sausage
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped fine
2 apples, peeled, cored, halved, and 

   cut into 1/4-inch pieces
3 celery ribs, minced
1 1/2teaspoons salt
1 1/2tablespoons minced fresh thyme
1 1/2tablespoons minced fresh sage
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange bread evenly on rimmed baking sheet and bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Let bread cool completely.

Whisk broth, cider, and eggs together in large bowl. Stir bread into broth mixture until evenly coated. Set aside, stirring occasionally, to saturate bread.

Meanwhile, cook sausage in 12-inch ovensafe nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up pieces with spoon, until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Transfer sausage to bread mixture using slotted spoon; discard fat in skillet and wipe clean with paper towels. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add onions, apples, celery, and salt and cook until browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in thyme, sage, garlic, and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir onion mixture into bread mixture until combined.

Melt 3 tablespoons butter in now-empty skillet over low heat. Add stuffing to skillet, pressing down firmly into even layer with spatula (skillet will be very full). Cook until bottom of stuffing is browned around edges when lifted with spatula, 7 to 10 minutes.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in microwave and brush evenly over top of stuffing. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until center of stuffing is hot and top is golden brown, about 20 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through baking. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

Eggs In Hell - Mexican Style

Eggs In Hell - Mexican Style

Yield: Serves 4

Eggs In Hell - Mexican Style

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 fresh chorizo sausages, casings removed 
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp chipotle powder
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp salt (I use Himalayan salt)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 large (28oz) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley (plus more to garnish)
4 large eggs
Sour cream to serve (optional)

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan set over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the sausage meat in chunks. Cook, stirring delicately with a wooden spoon from time to time, until the chunks of meat become brown and crispy. Try not to break the chunks of meat as you stir.

When the meat is nice and brown all around, lower the heat to medium, add the onion, garlic, celery, jalapeno and bell pepper. Continue cooking until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 3-4 minutes. 

Add the spices, mix well and cook for another minute or two. 

Add the crushed tomatoes, water and parsley; stir and bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until it has thickened a bit and reduced by about one quarter.

Crack the eggs across the surface of the sauce and continue cooking for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.

 
Sprinkle with a handful of chopped parsley, a pinch of salt and pepper and serve immediately. 

Garnish with sour cream, if desired.

Sausage Rolls

Phillis Carey’s Recipe of the Week

June 14, 2016

Sausage Rolls

Makes 40 pieces.
1 T. grapeseed or vegetable oil 
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 T. soy sauce
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
Tabasco to taste
3 eggs, divided use
1-1/2 lbs. pork or turkey sausage
1 (19 ounce) package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed 1 T. water
Variety of mustard for dipping Chutney.

Sauté the onion in oil over medium high heat until just tender, 4 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, lemon juice and garlic and Tabasco to taste. Heat briefly. Set aside to cool.

Break two of the eggs into the uncooked sausage. Stir onion and sausage mixtures together. Combine well without over mixing. Chill until ready to use.

Unfold a puff pastry sheets onto a lightly floured work surface and roll out into a 10 x 12 inch rectangle. Repeat with second sheet of pastry. Cut rectangles in half lengthwise. You now have four pieces of pastry.

Spoon 1/4 of the sausage mixture down the center of each piece of pastry. Form sausage into a log shape. Beat the remaining egg with water and brush the edge of the pastry at the far side. Roll the pastry around the meat and seal. Place rolls on a cookie sheet and freeze 10 minutes (or freeze up to 3 months).

Preheat oven to 400°F. Brush each cold sausage roll with egg mixture and slice into 10 rounds. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes or until the sausage is cooked through and pastry is golden. Serve with a variety of Dijon mustards and/or chutney for dipping. 

Myers Brothers Breakfast Sausage

Myers Brothers Breakfast Sausage

Salt              4 parts

Pepper         1 part

Allspice       1/4 part

Nutmeg       1/2 part

This recipe will fit any amount of meat.   Use tablespoons for larger amounts or teaspoons for smaller amounts of pork ground with a 90:10 ratio of lean to fat.  Combine the spices and sprinkle over the ground meat and toss.  Best if you can allow flavors to mellow before using, maybe 1/2 hour or so.

Minestrone With Sausage, Cannelloni Beans, Zucchini And Tomatoes Topped With Pesto And Paarmesan

Minestrone With Sausage, Cannelloni Beans, 

Zucchini, And Tomatoes Topped With Pesto

Ingredients:
Serves 8.
1 cup tubetti pasta (also called salad macaroni)
2 T. olive oil, divided
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 lb. mild pork or turkey Italian sausage, casings removed 2 cups chopped onion
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup finely diced celery
1 cup finely diced peeled carrots
1 T. chopped fresh rosemary
1-14 oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed 1-14 oz. can diced tomatoes with juices 4 cups finely diced zucchini
2 cups finely diced russet potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup prepared pesto sauce
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

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Directions:

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and toss with 1 T. olive oil and set aside. Cooking the pasta separately allows you to add it to the soup later, after it is reheated so that the pasta doesn’t absorb all the liquid in the soup.

Heat chicken broth to a simmer and keep warm. Heat 1 T. olive in a large pot. Add sausage and crumble and cook until browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain off all but 2 T. fat from the pan. Add the onions, garlic, celery and carrots. Cook until vegetables are soft, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rosemary and then the beans, tomatoes, zucchini and potatoes.

Stir in the hot chicken broth; simmer until potatoes are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Season generously with pepper and add salt to taste. Just a few minutes before serving add the cooked pasta and warm through, about 2 minutes. Serve topped with a dollop of pesto and a sprinkling of Parmesan. 

Maple Pork Sausage Patties

Maple Pork Sausage Patties

My grandparents lived on farms and both grandmothers cooked on wood burning stoves.  How well I recall the sweet aroma of burning corn cobs used to accelerate the wood fire at meal time.  The smell of bacon or sausage from a breakfast meal would permeate the kitchen for hours.  

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I recently took a class on sausage making.  Now I am gathering recipes to test and this sounds wonderful.  I also received the bratwurst recipe which was sold at a market where we lived for many years.  That also will be on my table!

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Covered patties keep well in the refrigerator for up to a day.  Patties can be frozen on a wax-paper-lined baking sheet; then peeled off and transferred to a plastic bag or Seal-A-Meal.  Defrost when needed and sauté as in recipe.

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1 shallot
1 tbsp. butter
1 lb. lean ground pork, ground 90/10
2 tbsp. dry white wine
1 tbsp. maple syrup

¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. dried sage leaf, finely crumbled
½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
1 to 2 tbsp. canola or peanut oil

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1. Peel and finely chop shallot in food processor. Heat butter in a small frying pan over medium heat until bubbly; add shallot. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes or until softened. Remove from heat; cool.

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2. Stir pork with white wine, syrup, salt, sage, pepper, parsley and shallot mixture; mix well with a large wooden spoon. Line a flat baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Divide pork mixture into 8 portions; shape into patties about ½-inch thick. Cover and chill for several hours.

3. Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Without crowding pan, sauté patties in batches, turning occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes or until browned and crispy. Add more oil as needed. Keep warm in oven until ready to serve.

Serves 6 to 8  

Note:  Have your butcher grind your pork 90% lean with 10% fat, add your seasonings and you will enjoy fresh sausage with no preservatives.

Italian Sausage

Italian Sausage

This is a recipe from the former Sylvesters Meat Market in Bellevue Ohio.  It was given to me years ago with the promise it would never be shared to be competition with them.  When they were in business, we would order a large amount of sausage from this great meat market. I would make spaghetti sauce and freeze in meal size containers.  That was great "fast food" when our children were young.

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10 lbs. ground lean pork                       1 lbs. ground pork
3 ounces salt                                          1 1/4 tablespoon salt
1/2 ounce freshly ground black pepper  3/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 ounce fennel seed                            3/4 tsp fennel seed
1/2 ounce paprika                                   3/4 tsp paprika

 *

Mix ingredients well into the ground pork with a little water or

wine, about 3/4 cup.   

Bratwurst #2

Bratwurst #2
Recipe from the Bratwurst Capitol of the U.S.

For 10# Sausage

10# pork butt ground 90-10

Season with:

1 Tablespoon  caraway seed

1 Tablespoon ground caraway

1 Tablespoon mustard seed

1 Tablespoon ground mustard

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon pepper

3 1/2 Tablespoons Kosher salt

1 bunch fresh green onions

Adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Bratwurst

Bratwurst Recipe #1

Recently I took a sausage making class.  My interest is peaked to begin experimenting with recipes.  This recipe is from the book "Home Sausage Making" by Charles Reavis and published in 1981 by Garden Way.  It was sent to me by Francis Patz Craig.

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Ingredients:

Grind twice with coarse blade,

2 pound pork butt with

1 pound veal

1/4 tsp. ground allspice 

1/2 tsp. caraway seed

1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

3/4 tsp. fresh ground white pepper

1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt.

Bratwurst Sausage

Bratwurst Sausages

Oktober Fests will be celebrated with Brats, Beer and Oom pah pah bands.  Classes in sausage making are becoming popular as homemakers attempt to control the quality of foods they feed their families.  I found this recipe on the internet and plan to try my hand at making a batch.

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Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins | Active Time: 2 hrs | Makes: 20 sausages

There are countless versions of this sausage throughout Germany. Here we opted to combine pork and veal, and used a delicate mixture of caraway, pepper, and marjoram. Try these sausages pan-fried or roasted and you’ll see why making them fresh is worth the effort.

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What to buy: There are several types of veal on the market, so be sure to ask your butcher for milk-fed veal from calves 12 weeks or younger. This creamy, white, fine-grained meat will lend the best flavor and texture to the sausages.

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Special equipment: You’ll need a grinder and a stuffer in order to make sausage. We’ve used various types in the past, but this recipe was tested using the special attachments for a KitchenAid stand mixer.

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Game plan: If you choose to wear latex gloves, replace them with a fresh pair after grinding the meat and before stuffing the casing. Be sure to keep the meat and equipment ice cold during every stage of the process—it reduces the risk of food-borne illness and makes the stuffing process less cumbersome.

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Important:  You may be tempted to cook up your sausages right away, but aging is important to developing the flavor, so don’t skip this final step.

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INGREDIENTS

For the casings:

10 feet medium hog casings

For the filling:

3 pounds pork shoulder
1 1/2 pounds veal shoulder
3/4 pound pork fat
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon marjoram leaves
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons ground white pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions:

For the casing:
Find the end of the casing, measure about 10 feet, and cut. If the casings were packed in salt, rinse thoroughly. Place in a bowl of tepid water and soak for 30 minutes. Discard soaking water, rinse the insides of the casing with running water, and soak in fresh tepid water at least another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, start making the filling.

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For the filling:
Place a baking sheet, a large mixing bowl, the grinder attachment, and the fine grinding plate (1/8 inch) in the freezer until very cold, at least 30 minutes.

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Meanwhile, trim the pork and veal shoulders of any excess fat, gristle, tendons, glands, silver skin, or blood vessels. Cut the pork, veal, and pork fat into 1-inch pieces and mix to evenly combine. Arrange in a single layer on the frozen baking sheet and place in the freezer until stiff but not frozen solid, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Place the spices in a small bowl and mix to evenly combine; set aside.

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When the meat is ready, attach the frozen grinder attachment to the mixer. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over the meat. With the mixer on medium speed, grind the meat by the handful into the frozen mixing bowl. (The meat should easily pass through the auger and grinding plate. If it appears to stick to the front of the grinding plate, disassemble the grinder and clean out any tendons or fat that may be entangled in the blade.) Place the ground meat back in the freezer until stiff but not frozen solid, at least 30 minutes. Clean the grinder attachment and place it back in the freezer. (You will no longer need the grinding plate.)

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Meanwhile, check the meat mixture for proper seasoning by forming a small, thin patty. Pan-fry until the center is no longer raw. Taste it, keeping in mind that the flavor will develop as the sausage sits, or ages; add additional seasoning to the ground meat as desired.

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To stuff the sausages:
Attach the cleaned, chilled grinder attachment fitted with the large stuffer tube to the mixer. Place a baking sheet in front of the stuffer tube and moisten it with water (this will help the sausage coil more easily). Remove the filling from the freezer and, with the mixer on low, push enough filling into the feeding tube using the stuffer tool until the filling is just visible at end of the tube (this keeps air from being pushed into the end of the casing before the first sausage). Place the filling back in the freezer.

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 Moisten the stuffer tube with water. Dip the end of the casing in water to create a small water bubble and begin feeding the casing onto the stuffer tube with one hand while holding the casing with the other hand to keep the water bubble level with the stuffer tube. Leaving a few inches of casing slack in between your hands, feed all but a few inches onto the stuffer tube. Let any water drain out of the casing, then tie the end in a knot.

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 With the mixer on medium speed, begin to stuff the casing by feeding golf-ball-sized handfuls of filling down the tube using the stuffer tool, adding more filling as it packs the casing. (You may feel some suction in the stuffer tube—using small handfuls of filling and allowing the attachment to become coated with filling keeps this to a minimum.) Make sure the filling is firmly and evenly packed but not stretching the casing. Leave enough vacant room for sectioning off the sausages. Continue to stuff the casing until all the filling is gone.

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 Push any remaining casing off the stuffer tube, leaving at least 1 to 2 inches of empty casing from where the sausage ends, and tie it off with a knot. Cut off any remaining casing with kitchen scissors and discard. (You should now have one long, coiled sausage.) Gently run your hand down the length of the casing to evenly distribute the meat.

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 Pinch the sausage about every 5 inches to demarcate the links. Beginning at one end, twist the first and third links in the same direction about 3 times. Continue to twist in this manner until all the links have been sectioned off. Cut the sausage links with kitchen scissors at the twisted joints. If any air bubbles appear, prick them with a clean, sharp pin or knife tip.

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 Refrigerate the sausages in a single layer covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Let them age at least 2 to 3 hours before cooking and eating. Use fresh refrigerated sausages within 3 days, or freeze sausages individually wrapped in plastic for 2 to 3 months. The sausages can either be roasted at 450°F for 15 to 20 minutes or pan-fried over medium heat for 20 to 25 minutes.

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