How to Make Breakfast Sausage: Recipe and Technique

If you're anything like me, breakfast isn't breakfast unless there's some breakfast sausage involved. Unfortunately, I have a hard time finding a breakfast sausage that I really like in the grocery store - they are often full of fillers, sugar, preservatives and can be way too greasy. Lucky for me, breakfast sausage is easy to make at home, and the breakfast sausage maker has ultimate control over seasoning, fat content, texture and flavor. Here's how it's done!

To make breakfast sausage (or any type of sausage, really), you will need a meat grinder. You can use pre-ground meat, but the texture and flavor will not be right. Grinding your own also allows you to carefully control the amount of fat in the mixture, which is a key to good sausage. If you do not have a meat grinder, a food processor does a decent job - you just have to make sure not to process the meat too finely.

I like to use pork shoulder or boneless country-style pork ribs for making sausage - the meat is very flavorful and has a nice amount of fat. I always add a bit of pure pork fat or pork belly (which is almost entirely fat) to the mix as well, to ensure a juicy and flavorful sausage that will render a little grease when cooking. A 4:1 ratio of shoulder to fat is perfect for my tastes.

The following breakfast sausage recipe is just a guideline - all of the herbs, spices and even the salt and sugar content can be changed to suit your individual tastes. When grinding breakfast sausage meat, the meat should be very cold, even partially frozen - this will keep the fat from melting and ensure a nice even grind. Depending on the texture you prefer, you can grind your meat coarsely or finely, although I find that a fine grind results in the best texture in the finished breakfast sausage.

4 lbs pork shoulder (with fat), ground finely and kept cold

1 lb pork fat or pork belly (skin removed), ground finely and kept cold

4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. white pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dry basil

1 tsp. dry parsley

1/2 tsp. dry rosemary

1/2 tsp. dry thyme

2 tsp. sugar or equivalent artificial sweetener

2 Tbsp. cold water

Mix all ingredients except water together by hand in a large mixing bowl. Cook a small amount of breakfast sausage mixture and taste for seasoning. Correct seasoning as desired, then add water and place breakfast sausage mixture in an electric stand mixer (if you do not have a stand mixer, you can use a hand mixer, but you will have to mix in several batches). Mix breakfast sausage on medium speed for a few minutes or until the meat and fat come together and the sausage takes on a pasty consistency. Use within a few days, or freeze indefinitely. Bon appétit!