Usually with Italian Sausage, you get a choice of sweet or hot sausage, but when you make your own, you can have whatever you want and I want both mixed together!

The only trick with this recipe is getting the right mix of pork to fat. Ideally, you want about 30% fat in your sausage. I look for the fattiest pork shoulder I can find when I’m going to be making sausage, then I weigh the pieces of meat and fat on my kitchen scale, as I cut them from the bone, to make sure the mix is right. If you use packaged ground pork, proceed with caution that you don’t end up with dry sausage because those often only have about 10% fat content. Another option is to get to know your market butchers and have them grind the meat for you. I use my own little grinder at home and make a simple yet flavorful loose sausage that I use browned in my sauces, served as sausage balls, or packed into wonton wrappers and pan fried for a ridiculously delicious appetizer! (Warning: Trying to make sausage links alone can end up in a scene worthy of a classic I Love Lucy episode!)

Ingredients:

3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flake
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder

How I make it:

* Toss cubed pork with seasonings until well-coated, cover, and refrigerate 30 minutes or longer (the cold will firm up the meat and give you a better grind).
* Use the smaller of the 2 grinder plates in the grinder and slowly push the meat through until is all ground.
* Divide the sausage into 1 lb portions to be cooked and served or wrapped and frozen. Freezing the sausage will set you up for success for future meals when you have less time to spend in the kitchen.

Recommended with Simple & Versatile Tomato Sauce

Happy Eating!