How to Make Sausages in 10 Steps

Home sausage-making is enjoying a revival. It’s as easy as making meat loaf, and anyone can do it with minimal equipment. If you don’t want to stuff your sausage mixture into casings, you can make patties or rolls. Either way, once you learn the basics of making fresh sausage, you can personalize recipes and create your own.

Equipment for Sausage-Making

But before you can start stuffing casings or making patties or rolls, you’ll need the right equipment.

• A meat grinder or heavy-duty food processor with coarse and fine grinding disks is necessary.
• For making links, you’ll want a sausage stuffer or funnel attachment for pushing the mixture into the casings.
• Finally, if you want to use casings, you’ll want to get natural or other types at sausage-supply houses, meatpacking companies, ethnic groceries, or butchers.

10 Steps to Making Sausage

1. To make the sausage, first rinse, flush out, and soak the natural casings in water for 30 minutes.
2. Next, cut the meat and fat into 1-inch cubes and freeze for 30 minutes to make it easier to grind.
3. Grind the meat and fat together using the proper disk for your meat. 
4. Next, add seasonings and other ingredients, knead by hand, and grind the entire mixture a second time. Fry a small portion, taste, and adjust the seasonings if necessary. 
   Note: Cured sausages (such as pepperoni and salami) require the addition of sodium nitrite or nitrate, which must be handled with caution. If you attempt one of these, use a commercial premixed cure at the levels they recommend. 
    
5. To stuff the casings, gather one over the end of a funnel and tie a knot on the free end.
6. Feed the mixture through the funnel, gently pushing it into the casing to fill it evenly.
7. Inspect your sausage and prick any air bubbles with a pin.
8. For every 3 or so inches you push through, twist the casing to create links. 
9. Cover and refrigerate the sausage for at least 2 hours and use within 3 days or freeze.
10. When you cook, you can pan-fry, poach, roast, or grill until golden, making sure the internal temperature reaches 160°F on a meat thermometer.

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