4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (the fattier the better) cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound pork fat cut into 1 inch cubes
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon white pepper
5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of white wine for the meat (I like to use white Bordeaux, but you can use anything - just no muscat or anything too sweet)
1 cup of white wine for you (or red, if you prefer)
9-10 feet of hog casings that have been rinsed of salt and soaked in warm water for 45 minutes
Mix the pork, pork fat, salt, pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or put the bowl into the freezer for an hour until the meat is very cold or stiff, but not completely frozen.
Grind the meat in your meat grinder, placing the ground meat in a bowl.
Place the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, add the meat to the mixing bowl, and mix on low for one full minute. If you don't have a stand mixer, mix by hand with a wooden spoon (but seriously think about purchasing a stand mixer while you do). Turn the mixer to medium speed, then start adding the wine in a steady stream. Keep mixing until the meat is very sticky.
Now would be a good time to start drinking. Where's that wine?
Fry a bite-sized portion of the sausage and taste it for seasoning. If it needs salt, add it now. Want more pepper? Add some now. Once you stuff it into casings, you can't do anything to it. If you do add anything to the sausage, mix it for an additional minute after you do.
Stuff the sausage into casings, twist, refrigerate, enjoy. Cook the sausages to an internal temperature of 150 degrees. These sausages are great on their own, served with white beans, and absolutely perfect in a nice hot bowl of classic French Cassoulet.
Bon Appetit!
- Recipe courtesy of Phil Nigash