Category Archives: Sausage

Greek Brats

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Ingredients:

6 lb Boston Butt
1 lb bacon
9 oz beer
8 oz sun-dried tomatoes
8 oz feta cheese crumbles
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon mace
1/2 teaspoon allspice
25′ of natural sausage casings

Method:

Mix all the dried spices and set aside.

Cut the shoulder into strips that will fit in the meat grinder. Feed the bacon through the grinder first, followed by the shoulder.

Combine everything but the casings, and mix thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Stuff the sausage into the casings.

Pinot Chorizo(t)

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Meat Selection:

I like to use the boston butt end of the pork shoulder without adding additional fat. I buy a bone-in shoulder because I worry about the butchers trimming fat off of the boneless model. The bone weighs about 1/2 lb, so purchase a 6 1/2 lb shoulder to come up with 6 lbs of meat.

Ingredients:

6 lbs pork shoulder (boston butt)
1 cup chili powder
1 cup smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons salt
1 cup pinot noir wine
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Method:

Carve the meat off the bone, getting as much as you can without cutting into the bone. Cut it into strips and feed it through your meat grinder.

Add everything else and mix it up well with your hands. Cover it and let it sit in the refrigerator for 25 hours.

That’s it. You’re done. Unless you want it in casings, which is a different story. I cook it into crumbles, so I don’t bother with the casing process.

I usually break it up into 1 lb portions, run it through the FoodSaver and freeze it. It tastes fantastic in a breakfast burrito.

Impromptu Italian Pasta Collage

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My apologies for failing (for the first time) to provide you with exact measurements, but I was in a hurry and measuring things out would completely fly in the face of the spirit of this dish. This is just an idea for what you can do with whatever you have laying around the house.

Ingredients:

1 lb Italian sausage
1 lb shrimp (peeled & deveined)
1 lb can San Marzano tomatoes
Spaghetti
1 onion (sliced)
3 cloves garlic
Extra virgin olive oil
Red wine
Random herbs (basil, oregano, thyme, etc.)
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Method:

Combine tomatoes, red wine and herbs in a saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce to about 1/3.

As your reduction is nearing the end, put the spaghetti in a pot with salted water to cook.

Heat up a cast iron skillet, and cook sliced sausage. Once it’s about done, add a little olive oil and cook onions for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Shove that stuff to one side of the pan, and add shrimp and salt (as well as more olive oil, if needed).

Once everything is done, mix it all together in a big pot and serve with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese.

Spanish Paella

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Ingredients:

½ pound Chicken thighs, diced
½ pound Shrimp, (uncooked, shelled)
½ pound Lobster tail, Diced
½ pound Bay scallops
½ pound Chorizo, sliced
1 Onion, large, diced
1 Yellow bell pepper, large, diced
1 cup Artichoke hearts
3 cloves Garlic, minced
14.5 ounces Tomatoes, crushed
2 cups Short-grain rice, (arborio)
1 cup Peas
4 ½ cups Chicken broth
Extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
¼ teaspoon Saffron
Sea salt
Black pepper
Lemons, (wedges for serving)

Method:

Heat a paella pan or LARGE cast iron skillet over medium heat.

Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil, and let it heat up. Season the chicken all over with salt, pepper and a little bit of the paprika. Sear in the olive oil until browned all over. Transfer to a plate with tongs.

Saute the onions, bell peppers and artichoke hearts until soft. Add garlic and cook another minute.

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, chicken broth, paprika, salt, pepper and chorizo. Bring the liquid to a boil and then stir in the rice and saffron. Add the browned chicken pieces. The rice should be completely covered with liquid. Cook the paella without stirring for 20 minutes.

While the dish is cooking, sear the shrimp, scallops and lobster.

When the liquid has all been absorbed, add the shrimp, scallops and lobster. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Pur some blanched peas over the top and serve with lemon wedges.