How to make your own Sausage in the Smoker

pork

🥗Healthier: chicken

💰Cheaper: turkey

Chicken is leaner and lower in fat.

red wine

🥗Healthier: grape juice

💰Cheaper: white wine

Grape juice provides sweetness without alcohol.

paprika

🥗Healthier: smoked paprika

💰Cheaper: chili powder

Chili powder adds heat and flavor.

bay leaves

🥗Healthier: thyme

💰Cheaper: oregano

Thyme provides a similar earthy flavor.

Start by preparing the pork belly and pork shoulder, cutting them into similar pieces, a few inches long.

Grind the pork belly and pork shoulder using a KitchenAid with a metal food grinder attachment on speed four, alternating the cuts as you go.

Measure and add 34 grams of kosher salt to the ground meat.

Add 6 grams of curing salt (Prague Powder #1) for color.

Incorporate 1 tablespoon of white sugar, 1 tablespoon of paprika, 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, and 1 tablespoon of coarse black pepper into the mixture.

Crush and add 10 garlic cloves to the mixture.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly until well combined.

Add 1/2 cup of dry milk powder to help bind the sausage together and mix again.

Place the sausage mixture in the freezer for about 30 minutes to meld the flavors.

After chilling, add 1/2 cup of red wine to the mixture and mix by hand until incorporated.

Prepare the collagen casings by rinsing them briefly and loading them onto the sausage stuffer.

Stuff the casings with the sausage mixture, pinching off sections as you fill them, and twist into links as desired.

Preheat the smoker to 175°F and smoke the sausages for 2-3 hours.

Increase the smoker temperature to 300°F to finish cooking the sausages.

Once cooked, allow the sausages to rest before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: