No better reward than doing it yourself. You know what goes into it, how it’s made, what it’s made of– exactly. And you get to season it, the interior– It then becomes authentic, and made by– You.
Change it up once in a while or the next time you desire to deconstruct a pork shoulder into sausage rolls for the freezer– Try different combinations of spices/seasonings into sausage after you’ve processed it or put it through a meat grinder. It’s all rewarding for you and for your family. Would actually make a nice hospitality gift, several rolls… think about it. Just saying. Holidays are approaching already…
(adapted from Lucinda Scala Quinn)
Trim the outer fat of a boneless pork shoulder.
(For 5 sausage rolls weighing 1 pound each.) Chop fresh thyme and measure for a spice blend– 4 tablespoons; same with fresh sage– 4 tablespoons.
Add to that spice blend into a bowl to combine: 2 tablespoons freshly grated nutmeg, 2 tablespoons ground cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons plus 3 teaspoons coarse salt, 2 tablespoons plus 3 teaspoons minced garlic (from 14 or 15 cloves).
Mix together well, break up the minced garlic to evenly distribute within the seasonings.
Work in 1 pound increments. If grinding meat with a metal blade–using a food processor, cut meat into 1-inch cubes before processing. If processing through a meat grinder, keep meat portions in large chunks– They fitter better in the meat grinder. Weigh batches to equal 1 pound for each batch. Freeze the meat after cutting for batches 20 minutes before grinding. Only take out of the freezer the batch momentarily ready to grind into sausage.
Mix 2 tablespoons of the seasoning blend into a 1-pound batch of ground pork for sausage. Place seasoning into the bowl of a food processor; otherwise, just work in with your hands very well, into the ground meat, squishing and massaging evenly.
Roll into parchment papers that are 8-by-12-inches for each roll of sausage to wrap up for the freezer. Twist the ends to secure. These will keep good for up to 6 weeks in the freezer.
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