Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage (Mild or Hot)

Description

This is a very versatile Italian sausage which can be used in many different ways. You can take it from mild to hot and it’s very easy to use. There are also different options for type of meat to use, like ground chuck or ground turkey (do not use ground beef). If using ground turkey, you’ll have to coat your skillet with a little olive or veggie oil before cooking as it has very little fat and will stick to skillet.

Ingredients

  • 3 pounds ground pork
  • 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 1 ¼ tablespoons dried parsley
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon dried basil
  • 2 teaspoons paprika
  • 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon ground fennel seed
  • ¼ teaspoon brown sugar
  • ⅛ teaspoon dried oregano
  • ⅛ teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

  1. Place pork and red wine vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with parsley
  2. garlic powder
  3. onion powder
  4. basil
  5. salt
  6. black pepper
  7. paprika
  8. red pepper flakes
  9. fennel seed
  10. brown sugar
  11. oregano
  12. and thyme. Knead until flecks of spice are evenly distributed throughout meat.
  13. Divide sausage into thirds. Form each into a 3-inch diameter log
  14. wrap securely in plastic wrap
  15. and place in a zip-top bag. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before cooking.
  16. When ready to cook
  17. remove logs from the zip-top bags and place on a cutting board. Use a finely serrated knife to cut logs right through the plastic wrapping into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick patties. Carefully remove and discard any plastic.
  18. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches
  19. cook sausage patties in the hot skillet until no longer pink in the center
  20. 2 to 6 minutes per side
  21. depending on thickness. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

Prep Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 12 hrs 20 mins

Servings: 12

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