RECIPE: Homemade Sausage - Maple & Apple

Frying up some Homemade Sausage Patties for Taste Testing

Sausage (Maple Syrup and Apples)

From the Recipes of: Rick Beach 

I suggest before producing a large batch for stuffing casings and making links, Patties, or logs for the frerzer, that you mix up a one pound batch.  Or even mix a half of a pound batch.  Then make some Patties and fry up a couple in your favorite cast iron skillet to taste test to your preference.  

This is an old recipe I've used to make a big batch of links, but good sausage is in the taste of the beholder.  I don't like things real spicy so the cayenne pepper in this recipe enhances the flavor but doesn't really give it any spicy kick.  Those that like spicy might want to kick that up a notch or two?  Some do not like Fennel.  But again I do and the amount in this recipe adds a distinct but very subtle flavor. The Fennel could be eliminated or increased depending on your own tastes.

I freeze my sausage and never attempted to smoke cure it.  If that is your preference I am not sure how the apples do with smoke curing.  You might want to eliminate the apples unless you are certain they cure well.  If you do eliminate the apples also decrease the bread crumbs by 3/4 accordingly.  3/4 of the crumbs compensate for the liquid in the apples.  The other 1/4 of the crumbs compensate for the Maple syrup.  So if you eliminate the Maple Syrup, decrease the bread crumbs by 1/4 accordingly. (Variation is to use equal amounts of packed brown sugar in place of the Maple Syrup, but if so, remember to eliminate the corresponding 1/4 bread crumbs)

This recipe can also be modified for use with wild meat, most commonly venison or elk.  In combinations with wild meat use a 50/50 mix of wild and pork.... for the meat portion called for in the recipe.  Using this 50/50 mix will produce the best tasting sausage, while retaining the moist consistency when cooked.  Venison and Elk do not contain enough fat to fry well if not mixed with pork.  But as with any recipe, experimentation may lead you to something you prefer more.

(For every pound of Lean Pork – Multiple as needed)

Enough Natural Casings to make links, form in patties, or logs like cookie Dough

Freeze to store

For a 1 lb Batch

1 lb         Lean Pork Loin or Roast cubed up

¾ tsp      Dried Sage or (1 tsp Crushed Fresh Sage)

1/8 tsp    Ground Red Pepper

¼ tsp      Ground Black Pepper

½ tsp      Sea Salt

½ tsp      Granulated Garlic (1 minced & crushed fresh clove of garlic)

1 tsp       Paprika

½ tsp      Fennel Seeds

1 pinch   Cayenne Pepper

¼ Cup    Real Maple Syrup

½          Apple (Fresh peeled, cored, diced) (McIntosh, Fuji, Gala, etc)

¼ Cup    Bread Crumbs  

For a 10 lb Batch

10 lbs          Lean Pork Loin or Roast cubed up

2 ½ Tbsps.   Dried Sage (or 3 ½ Tbsps. Crushed Fresh Sage)

1 ¼ tsp        Ground Red Pepper

2 ½  tsp       Ground Black Pepper

1 ½  Tbsps.  Sea Salt

1 ½  Tbsps.  Granulated Garlic (or 10 minced & crushed fresh clove garlic)

3 ½  Tbsps.  Paprika

1 ½  Tbsps.  Fennel seeds

1/8  tsp       Cayenne Pepper

2 ½  Cups    Real Maple Syrup

5                Apples (Fresh peeled, cored, diced) (McIntosh, Fuji, Gala, etc)

2 ½ Cup       Bread Crumbs

To prepare

Run the Cubed Meat through a meat grinder using a course setting or cutter into a large bowl or tub.

On the Ground Meat, uniformly sprinkle all the Spices and Bread Crumbs.  Thoroughly work the ingredients together by hand as if you were mixing meat loaf.  After the Spices are uniformly mixed in, add the Diced Apples and Maple Syrup and mix these in by hand.  Next, re-run this entire mix, back through the grinder once again, using the course setting.  (Some people prefer the second grind to be on a “fine” setting. 

Test fry a small Pattie to taste test.  Adjust Salt, Pepper, or Cayenne, etc, as needed.  If you add, mix well again then run through grinder again.

Form logs, Patties, or Push into prepared casings to form links.

If using something other than 100% pork, such as venison, keep a 50/50 mix of Pork so it is not dry when cooked.

Variation: Omit the Maple Syrup, Apples, and Bread Crumbs for a more Traditional Country Sausage