How to Make Sausage at Home – A Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

Making your own sausage at home is easier than you think! With just a few simple ingredients and tools, you can create delicious homemade sausages that are way better than anything you can buy at the store.

As a beginner, it can seem intimidating to make sausage from scratch. But I’m here to walk you through the entire process and take the guesswork out of it. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn

• The basic equipment you need
• Tips for choosing the right meat
• Flavoring and seasoning recommendations
• Step-by-step instructions for grinding, mixing, stuffing, and cooking homemade sausage

I’ll also share my favorite homemade sausage recipe that only uses 6 ingredients, yet tastes incredible. Let’s get started!

Equipment Needed for Making Homemade Sausage

While specialty sausage-making tools do exist, you can make great homemade sausage with just a few basics:

• Meat grinder – This allows you to freshly grind meat and fat for sausage. A grinder attachment for a standing mixer works very well.

• Sausage stuffer (optional) – Makes stuffing casings much easier, but you can also stuff using just a meat grinder.

• Kitchen scale – Measuring meat by weight, not volume, is key for sausage.

• Sausage casings – Usually made of collagen or natural casings. Soak in water before use.

• Spices and seasonings – Get creative with flavors!

• Large mixing bowl – For mixing meat, spices, and other ingredients.

• Butcher’s twine – For tying sausage links.

That’s really all you need to start making sausage at home right away. Now let’s talk about meat…

Choosing the Right Meat for Homemade Sausage

The meat you select plays a big role in the finished texture and flavor of your sausage. Here are a few tips:

• Use pork – It’s the traditional choice for sausage because of its rich flavor. 75% lean to 25% fat ratio is ideal.

• Consider blends – Mixing pork with beef or lamb creates more complex flavor.

• Don’t skimp on fat – 20% fat content minimum for juicy, tender sausage.

• Partially freeze meat – Makes grinding much easier.

• Dice some meat – Adding diced chunks creates nice texture.

For beginners, I recommend a simple 50/50 pork and beef blend with about 30% fat content. Play around with different meats once you get the basic technique down.

Seasoning Your Homemade Sausages

The seasoning possibilities are endless when making homemade sausage! Start with the basics:

• Salt – Enhances flavor. Use 2 tsp per pound of meat.

• Pepper – Provides subtle heat.

• Herbs & spices – Classics like sage, rosemary, fennel.

• Sweetness – A bit of sugar balances flavor.

• Smokiness – Smoked Spanish paprika adds wonderful smoky aroma.

• Grated garlic & onion – Fantastic flavor boosters.

• Mustard seeds – Adds little bursts of flavor when bitten into.

Mix and match herbs, spices, garlic, citrus, etc. to create your own signature flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Making Homemade Sausage

Follow these simple steps for perfect homemade sausage every time:

1. Prepare the Meat

• Partially freeze meat for 30-60 minutes until very cold but not completely frozen. This makes it easier to grind.

• While meat chills, also place grinder parts and blades in the freezer to chill.

2. Grind the Meat

• Set up meat grinder and grind chilled meat using a coarse die first.

• Change grinder die to a finer size and grind meat a second time.

• Reserve some diced chunks of meat and fat to mix in later.

3. Mix and Chill Meat Mixture

• In a large bowl, mix ground meat with diced chunks and seasoning ingredients.

• Use your hands to thoroughly incorporate everything.

• Cover bowl and refrigerate 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

4. Stuff Sausage into Casings

• Soak sausage casings in warm water to soften, then slide onto stuffer tube.

• Load meat mixture into stuffer. Twist links every 4-6 inches as you go.

• Fill casings firmly but not too tight. Avoid air pockets.

5. Cook the Sausage

• Let sausages rest at room temperature for 30 minutes after stuffing.

• Gently poach or simmer sausages for 10 minutes before searing.

• Finally, sear sausages in a skillet to brown and caramelize the outside.

That covers the basic process! Now let’s try an easy italian sausage recipe.

Easy Homemade Italian Sausage Recipe

This simple homemade sausage requires just 6 ingredients and comes together quickly. The flavor is far better than store-bought!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground pork
• 1 lb ground beef
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1⁄4 cup cold water

Instructions:

1. Partially freeze meat and grinder parts.
2. Grind meats together using coarse die first, then finer die.
3. In a bowl, mix meat with garlic, fennel, Italian seasoning, and cold water.
4. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
5. Stuff mixture into hog casings and twist into 4-6 inch links.
6. Rest at room temperature 30 minutes.
7. Gently poach sausages 10 minutes.
8. Sear in skillet until browned.

Enjoy your homemade Italian sausage on subs, in soups, with peppers and onions, or however you like!

The same basic process works for any sausage recipe. Feel free to get creative with different herb and spice blends. Homemade sausage also freezes very well for meal prepping.