Our chorizo and apple sage fresh homemade sausages recipes are exquisite with flavour and juice in every bite!
This post is all about HOW TO MAKE fresh HOMEMADE sausages recipes.
I see why most people who are familiar with homemade sausages are no longer buying from the grocery stores other than maybe for the connivance of it.
Fresh homemade sausage is an effortless task that's been long forgotten. Not to mention it is a fun project to do with the family. The best part is that it is customizable!
Try our easy chorizo and apple sage fresh sausage recipe, and be amazed at the power of fresh products!
If this is your first time here and you want to try making sausages, you can definitely not go wrong with these two flavours. Making fresh sausages is not rocket since and it is much easier than you may think.
These chorizo and apple sage homemade sausages recipe is bursting with flavour and juice. It’s so good on its own or to add extra flavour to a simple pasta dish.
These Homemade Sausages are Fresh
Gourmet homemade sausages is simply your choice of meat and sausage seasoning. It is mixed together and is intended to be used right away or frozen for later use. Typically it is cooked on a skillet/pan or grilled.
Classic Chorizo
When I cook these gourmet chorizo sausages, the whole house smells incredible. It’s strong, pungent in chilli flavour and it smells like a deli shop. The chilli used in my recipe is ancho and guajillo. These chillies are not spicy, therefore, these homemade chorizo sausages are not hot at all – just packed with flavours.
Because I used peppers and paprika, the sausages are exploding with radiant red colour. I did not artificially colour these sausages. I get that question a lot. It’s all-natural and from this lustrous red colour, you know these gourmet fresh sausages are just visually guaranteeing you these babies will be finger-licking.
Apple Sage and Maple Syrup
Yes, these homemade sausages sound different and I promise they are very good. I came up with these combinations because I was looking for a flavour to bring me back home. Home for me in Vancouver.
I remember I used to love buying breakfast sausage at the Super Store in Vancouver. They were sweet and completely drenched in fat. I miss the flavour, not so much the fat part. I wanted to make something similar in flavour with a unique twist.
Fridge Life
After drying, sausage links can be stored, and covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Wrap sausage patties individually or separate them between squares of parchment or wax paper.
Wrap well in plastic and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Both links and patties may be frozen for up to 3 months. Frozen sausages should be thawed overnight in the refrigerator prior to cooking.
Tools You Need
I’ve created this recipe to be super easy and with no extra purchases necessary to make homemade sausages. All you need is a good butcher who will help press your ground pork and pork fat twice in their meat grinder machine and a large funnel. That is it!
I think it’s a unique experience to make gourmet homemade sausages. Firstly the taste of fresh homemade sausages is unlike commercial sausages. It is so much better than the average sausages available in grocery stores, and you can taste the freshness. Secondly, it's a great moment of pride knowing how to do it at home and having that experience under your belt. At least you can say you’ve done it before. Thirdly, you know that your homemade sausages don’t have nitrate, which most commercial sausages do.
From here, there are many places to grow. You can start creating your own flavours and finding a unique blend you like. Also from here, you can start investigating grander and more sophisticated gourmet homemade sausages to cure sausages to pouch sausages.
Casing
For this recipe, I use natural animal casting to hold the sausages together. I have not tried the synthetic casings as they are not available in my part of the country. I use natural ones and I like them.
You may be able to find natural animal casings at your local butcher or a place that sells specialty sausages and meat. I’m sure they can spare a few feet for just a few bucks. If you’ve looked and can’t find them, here is a link to casings you can buy over the internet.
Natural Casings
To use the natural casing, submerge the casings in warm lukewarm water and give it a good rinse. Open the ends and give it a good rinse inside with the water running through the tubes in your kitchen sink.
How to Stuff Your Homemade Sausages with a Funnel
Choose a funnel with a wider mouth so it’s easier to slip the meat inside. You can still use a regular funnel but it will require more time and pressure to push it in. I like using the smaller funnel if I want to make smaller sausages like breakfast sausages. The choice is up to you.
Firstly tie one end of the casing tightly. Then on the other end, we are going to stuff the sausage meat through. Gently open the end, and feed a piece of casing onto the funnel till we reach the other end with the knot. Little by little, we are going to fill the funnel with meat and use the thumb to push the meat into the funnel and feed the casing.
It is natural for some air bubbles to be trapped inside. Don’t worry. Use a toothpick and poke holes at the air bubbles to release them. This will happen occasionally while you stuff the casting so have the toothpick nearby.
How Big Should Your Sausage Be?
This is dependent on your casing. Check with your butcher and the package on how big the allowance is. Your butcher (where you buy your natural casings) can give you professional tips regarding the maximum allowance on their specific casings.
I only recommend you don’t over stuff. The high heat can over-expand the sausages thus tearing open the sausages. I’ve done it before, it's not a problem. Just leave extra room in the casing for that expansion.
Personally, I sometimes like the tear in the sausage because it reveals all the ingredients and texture of the sausage. Doesn’t affect the taste, just pure aesthetic when it comes to a sausage tear.
Drying Time
After you finish stuffing the homemade sausages there’s a time the sausages need to be dried in the fridge for at least 12 hours. This helps the meat continue to marinate and the flavour to advance. Be sure you let this process happens so the excess liquid can dry out / drip out.
Salt
I know there’s a lot of sausage tutorials out there that suggest to buy curing salt. I personally think it’s an over kill in this situation. Curing salt is basically salt and nitrate mixed together. Nitrate helps kill and prevent bad bacteria growing in your meat. Though it sounds safe, nitrate is terrible for our health. Given the fact that the level of nitrate is low compared to commercial sausages, I still prefer to do it the natural way. Nitrate also aids meat to get that pinky flush look as well, but its unnecessary in this case.
I’ve once cured a piece of a pork’s leg before using only salt and herbs. It was a successful project and everyone raved how it tasted like prochutto. I think if we are careful enough with temperature, and humidity control, we can make some outstanding meat and sausages purely using only salt. Our ancestors kept their cured meat without nitrate and I believe there’s a lot of power using less harmful ingredients, even if in small dosage.
I’ve also cured salmon to make sashimi with only sea salt and sugar. The taste is exceptional and to die for. I choose high quality sea salt and it makes a big difference. If you’re still here and reading this, I know you’re very interested in making some good quality genuine homemade sausages, my recommendation is to invest in some good salt.
The salt I use is from Colima, Mexico. A western state of Mexico famous for their natural sea salt. Besides taste, sea salt also provides some essential minerals for our health.
Seasoning Herbs
In this department of seasoning, you can be as creative as you want here. I’ve outlined the recipe for my gourmet fresh sausages but you can add and subtract whatever ingredients and spices you want. I feel there are no guidelines here. In addition to the recipe, I’ve also taken the courtesy to give you some other examples of ingredients that are great together. Modify to your taste and I dare you to create something of your own. This is where the fun is.
Rosemary spice: sea salt, fresh rosemary, cayenne peppers, and black peppers.
Habanero: habanero peppers, sea salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and black peppers.
Blueberry: sea salt, blueberry, ginger, nutmeg, and maple syrup.
Cheddar Cheese: sea salt, cheddar cheese(cubed), paprika, and black peppers.
Cajun Jerk: cajan spice blend, cumin, cayenne, paprika, sea salt, and black peppers.
Chipotle Honey: chipotle powder, garlic powder, onion powder, honey, jalapeños, sea salt, and black peppers.
Asian Flavour: soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, five-spice blend, white pepper, ginger, and sea salt.
Remember to Test it Before Casing
Like everything, the best practice is to test your experiments. Before you do your casing, take a small nib of your meat and test it. Fry it on a pan and examine the taste. Here is the final stage to modify your meat seasoning before they are turned into sausages.
And That is It! Enjoy!
Remember this is supposed to be fun, and an area in the kitchen to explore your creativity. Enjoy the process and learn as you go. It’s okay to not get it right the first time because I didn’t! Whether your sausages exploded while cooking or the casing broke as you stuff your sausages, it’s going to be okay. We always learn as we go.
Gourmet Fresh Sausages: Classic Chorizo & Apple Sage
Equipment
- funnel
Ingredients
Classic Chorizo
- 1 kg ground pork grounded twice in the machine of your butcher
- 200 g pork back fat, grounded
- 5 tbsp white vinegar
- 1 ancho chili
- 2 guajillo chili
- 1.5 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp mexican oregano
- a pinch of clove
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 garlic, grated
- 6 feet small hog casings
Apple Sage Maple Syrup Breakfast Sausages
- 1 kg ground pork grounded twice in the machine of your butcher
- 200 g ground pork back fat
- 2 tbsp sea salt
- 2 tsp ground fresh black peppers
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 small apple, peeled and grated
- 2 garlic clove, grated
- 10 fresh sage leaf, chopped
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup sweet red wine
- 6 feet small hog casings
Instructions
Classic Chorizo
- Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Wear gloves in this process and mix, push, knead and squeeze the mixture until well blended.
- Wrap well and chill overnight or around 8 hours before using.
- To taste for seasoning, make a small patty of the sausage mixture and cook it in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. If not shaping the sausages immediately, refrigerate until you’re ready to proceed.
- To make sausage links, put the casings in a medium bowl and set it in the sink. Rinse the casings under cool running water: Hold one end of each piece of casing open under the tap and flush it out by gently running cool water through it. (Once you fill part of the casing, use your hands to push the water through to other end.) Fill the bowl with fresh, cool water and let the casings soak for 10 minutes.
- Take out your large funnel. Splash cool water onto the end to moisten it. Open an end of one piece of casing and pull it over the end of the tube. Push the rest of the casing onto the tube accordion-style, leaving 3 or 4 inches hanging off the end.
- Fill the funnel with the sausage mixture and feed it through with your thumb or fingers just until it reaches the end of the tub. Tie the end of the attached casing into a knot, and slide it up over the tube until the knot hits the tip of the tube.
- Continue to feed the meat mixture through the tube to fill the casing, pressing your thumb and forefinger against the tip of the tube to control the rate and tightness of the filling. Go slowly, don’t overstuff (but do stuff firmly), and watch for air holes. When there are only 3 to 4 inches of empty casing left, stop the feed, slip the casing off the tube and tie it in a knot about 1/2 inch from the end of the sausage filling—this extra space will fill in as you make links
- Use a skewer or toothpick to prick any air holes that have formed during stuffing. Repeat with the remaining casings and sausage mixture.
- To make links, lay one sausage at a time on a clean work surface, with the front end of the sausage (the end where you began filling) in front of you and the rest of the sausage lying to the right. Measure 5 inches from left to right and pinch the casing at that spot between your thumb and forefinger. Twist the unlinked portion away from you at least 4 or 5 turns to bind off the link on the left. Measure another 5 inches and pinch and twist away from you to form another link. Repeat until you reach the end of the casing, always twisting in the same direction. Prick any remaining air holes.
- Lay the links, uncovered, on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet 12 . Dry in the refrigerator for 12 hours to allow the flavors to meld and to give the casings a good bite when cooked. Drying will also reduce the amount of moisture in the meat, too much of which can steam and lead to bursting.
- To cook the sausage links, heat the oil in a large, preferably cast-iron, skillet over medium heat. Cook, turning as needed, until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes.
Apple Sage Maple Syrup Sausages
- In a small bowl, mix the salt, pepper, garlic, and sage. Add the seasonings and the wine to the ground meat and mix briefly but thoroughly with your hands. Don’t overmix, or the fat could begin to melt.
- To taste for seasoning, make a small patty of the sausage mixture and cook it in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. If not shaping the sausages immediately, refrigerate until you’re ready to proceed.
- To make sausage links, put the casings in a medium bowl and set it in the sink. Rinse the casings under cool running water: Hold one end of each piece of casing open under the tap and flush it out by gently running cool water through it. (Once you fill part of the casing, use your hands to push the water through to other end.) Fill the bowl with fresh, cool water and let the casings soak for 10 minutes.
- Take out your large funnel. Splash cool water onto the end to moisten it. Open an end of one piece of casing and pull it over the end of the tube. Push the rest of the casing onto the tube accordion-style, leaving 3 or 4 inches hanging off the end.
- Fill the funnel with the sausage mixture and feed it through with your thumb or fingers just until it reaches the end of the tub. Tie the end of the attached casing into a knot, and slide it up over the tube until the knot hits the tip of the tube.
- Continue to feed the meat mixture through the tube to fill the casing, pressing your thumb and forefinger against the tip of the tube to control the rate and tightness of the filling. Go slowly, don’t overstuff (but do stuff firmly), and watch for air holes. When there are only 3 to 4 inches of empty casing left, stop the feed, slip the casing off the tube and tie it in a knot about 1/2 inch from the end of the sausage filling—this extra space will fill in as you make links
- Use a skewer or toothpick to prick any air holes that have formed during stuffing. Repeat with the remaining casings and sausage mixture.
- To make links, lay one sausage at a time on a clean work surface, with the front end of the sausage (the end where you began filling) in front of you and the rest of the sausage lying to the right. Measure 5 inches from left to right and pinch the casing at that spot between your thumb and forefinger. Twist the unlinked portion away from you at least 4 or 5 turns to bind off the link on the left. Measure another 5 inches and pinch and twist away from you to form another link. Repeat until you reach the end of the casing, always twisting in the same direction. Prick any remaining air holes.
- Lay the links, uncovered, on a rack set over a rimmed baking sheet 12 . Dry in the refrigerator for 12 hours to allow the flavors to meld and to give the casings a good bite when cooked. Drying will also reduce the amount of moisture in the meat, too much of which can steam and lead to bursting.
- To cook the sausage links, heat the oil in a large, preferably cast-iron, skillet over medium heat. Cook, turning as needed, until browned and cooked through, about 12 minutes.