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Homemade Garlicky Breakfast Sausage Recipe

Sunday Brunch

How to make the best meal of the week even better.

Sydney Oland
Homemade Garlicky Breakfast Sausage Recipe

[Photograph: Sydney Oland]

Even if you have a minimal amount of equipment in your kitchen, it's possible to make great breakfast sausage that will take a plain old egg sandwich to something really spectacular.

Note: You must use a scale for this sausage. There is no way to accurately estimate the amount of salt needed otherwise. This recipe can be made with pre-ground pork as well. Mix ingredients as directed in step one, allow to rest at least 8 hours, then skip the grinding step and proceed as directed in Step 4.

Read more: Sunday Brunch: Homemade Garlicky Breakfast Sausage

  • Yield:Makes 2 pounds of sausage
  • Active time: 30 minutes
  • Total time:12 hours

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
  • 2 pounds pork shoulder with at least 20% fat, cut into rough 1-inch chunks (or 2 pounds ground pork, see note)
  • .6 ounces kosher salt (see note)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 medium clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
  • 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme

Directions

  1. 1.

    Heat mustard seeds over high heat in a dry skillet until they begin to smell toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and process until fine.

  2. 2.

    Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.

  3. 3.

    If using pre-ground pork, skip to step 4. If using chunked pork, place feed shaft, screw, blade, and 1/4-inch plate of a meat grinder in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Grind sausage meat according to manufacturer's directions into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl. If finer texture is desired, chill meat in freezer for 15 minutes before grinding again.

  4. 4.

    In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sausage meat on medium high speed until it becomes tacky and sticky, about one minute. Alternatively, knead by hand for three to four minutes. Transfer to a zipper-lock bag and seal. Sausage will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Form into patties for breakfast sandwiches, or use your imagination to incorporate it into lots of delicious brunch dishes.

This Recipe Appears In
Sunday Brunch: Homemade Garlicky Breakfast Sausage

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