Homemade Italian Sausage

4.8
(24)
23 Reviews
7 Photos

One of my earliest and most vivid food memories was when my uncle Bill would make his famous dried Italian sausage every Christmas Eve. They'd be fried after Midnight Mass and served on bread with roasted red peppers. This fresh version was inspired by those. If you can manage not to eat them right away, letting them dry for a day or two really deepens the flavor, and firms up the texture as well, in true Uncle Billy fashion.

By
John Mitzewich
Chef John
John Mitzewich
John Mitzewich — aka Chef John — has produced more than 1,500 cooking videos for Allrecipes. He's the actor, director, and screenwriter whose hands and voice confidently walk you through techniques.
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Updated on November 21, 2024
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Prep Time:
1 hr 10 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Additional Time:
1 day 8 hrs
Total Time:
1 day 9 hrs 30 mins
Servings:
8
Yield:
8 sausages
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Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 8 servings

  • 3 pounds pork shoulder

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • 1 ounce kosher salt, divided

  • 2 tablespoons whole fennel seeds, toasted

  • 1 teaspoon anise seed

  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

  • 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano

  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram

  • ½ teaspoon ground coriander

  • ½ teaspoon ground mustard

  • ¼ teaspoon ground allspice berries

  • 1 tablespoon white sugar (Optional)

  • 2 tablespoons cold water

  • sausage casing, soaked in water until soft

Directions

  1. Cut pork shoulder into cubes. Place in a bowl and refrigerate while preparing the other ingredients.

  2. Grind garlic with a pinch of salt in a mortar to make a paste. Add fennel, anise, and black pepper. Bruise spices lightly with a pestle to release the flavors. Add red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, oregano, marjoram, coriander, mustard, allspice, sugar, and a splash of water. Stir to combine.

  3. Add the spice paste to the pork cubes. Mix thoroughly by hand. Add the remaining salt. Cover and refrigerate until flavors meld, 8 hours to overnight.

  4. Process the cold pork through a meat grinder on the slowest speed.

  5. Push a casing onto the stuffing tube of your meat grinder. Feed the sausage meat through the filling tray. Run the meat through the casing on the slowest speed until all the casing is used up. Tie casing at the end into a knot. Pinch and twist the meat to create links if desired.

  6. Place sausage onto a wire rack set over a sheet pan. Refrigerate uncovered for 24 hours.

  7. Preheat a charcoal grill for medium heat. Separate the links and grill them until browned, about 5 minutes per side.

    close up view of a Homemade Italian Sausage on a roll with red and green peppers, on a white plate
    Chef John

Chef's Notes

You can also grind meat in a food processor, and there are plenty of videos out there showing how, but then you'll have to get a sausage stuffer.

For a little nicer flavor, you can toast the fennel seeds in a dry pan just until you begin to smell them. This goes for any other whole spices you may want to grind and toss in.

25 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

194 Calories
10g Fat
4g Carbs
20g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 8
Calories 194
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 10g 13%
Saturated Fat 4g 19%
Cholesterol 74mg 25%
Sodium 1465mg 64%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 20g 41%
Vitamin C 2mg 2%
Calcium 50mg 4%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 302mg 6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.