3885. MAPLE-BACON BREAKFAST SAUSAGE

Yield: 3 lb


Diced bacon: 0.50 lb
Finely chopped fresh parsley: 2 1/4 tsp
Ice water: 1/4 cup
Maple syrup: 1/3 cup
Fine sea salt: 1 1/2 tsp
Coarsely ground black pepper: 1/2 tsp
Red pepper flakes: 1 tsp
Finely chopped fresh sage: 2 1/4 tsp
Finely chopped fresh thyme leaves: 2 1/4 tsp
Finely grated ginger: 1/2 tsp
Ground fenugreek: 1/2 tsp
Ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp
Sheep casings (optional)

Place the pork and bacon on a rimmed baking sheet, transfer to the freezer, and chill until crunchy on the exterior but not frozen solid.

In a small bowl, add the parsley, ice water, maple syrup, salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, sage, thyme, ginger, fenugreek, and nutmeg and stir to combine.

Nest a large mixing bowl in a bowl filled with ice. Grind the pork and bacon through the small die of the grinder into the bowl set in ice.

Add the spice mixture to the meat and stir with your hands until well incorporated; the mixture will look homogenous and will begin sticking to the bowl.

Spoon 2 tbsp of the meat mixture into a nonstick frying pan and spread into a thin patty. Cook the test patty over low heat until cooked through but not browned. Taste the sausage for seasoning and adjust as necessary.

Press a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap directly on the surface of the meat to prevent oxidation, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Alternatively, you can vacuum-seal the farce.

This sausage can be left uncased, either loose or formed into patties, or stuffed into sheep casings and twisted into links.

Breakfast sausages (both patties and links) are best cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F/63°C, either in a sauté pan or on a griddle over medium heat until browned.



bacon recipe source: Sausage Making: The Definitive Guide with Recipes, by Ryan Farr (Chronicle Books, 2014); The Splendid Table with Lynne Rossetto Kasper

3723. BACON-MOLASSES BREAKFAST SAUSAGE

makes 1 1/2 cups; serves 4 to 6


8 ounces ground pork
4 ounces bacon, finely chopped
1 teaspoon molasses
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimentón)
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Stir together the pork, bacon, molasses, smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, sage, and black pepper until well combined.

Heat up a skillet over medium heat and cook a small spoonful of the sausage for a couple of minutes on each side. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.

Once you're satisfied with the flavor balance, refrigerate the mixture for an hour for the flavors to come together. To cook the sausage, form it into 2-inch-wide, 1/4-inch-thick patties and fry over medium-high heat until both sides are brown and crisp, 5 minutes per side.

The sausage will keep in the refrigerator for a week uncooked, and it can also be frozen uncooked for 3 months.


bacon recipe source: Lisa Fain, The Homesick Texan's Family Table (Ten Speed Press, 2014); epicurious.com