Irish Sausage

Irish Sausage

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Sounds good, I have never had Irish sausage so I look forward to making this. On my to make and taste list. Regular ground pork works well for this, and if you are going to grind yourself, use pork butt and the regular plate (3/16"). Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Irish
Servings 2 Irish sausage

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo ground pork, or ground pork butt, (2 lbs)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup bread crumbs, (Shortcut)
  • ¾ cup cold water
  • teaspoons salt
  • teaspoons dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 4 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
  • sausage casings, natural hog or collagen, your choice

Instructions
 

  • Add all ingredients to a large mixing bowl, except the casings.
  • Use your hands and mix together well.
  • Stuff into casings of your choice.
  • Tie into links, place in the fridge overnight, then they are ready for the grill or frying or even place in the freezer for enjoyment later.

Notes

The pork will cost 114 to 142 Baht per kilo ($3.45 to $4.30 for 2 lbs) , depending ground pork or pork butt. When I make this I will determine the number of links and average weight of each. For now, certainly Low cost per serving.
Shortcut: Bread Crumbs.
Kielbasa Sausage

Kielbasa Sausage

This sounds easy and tasty, and as a bonus, this sausage has only 8 ingredients, and that includes the casings. Regular ground pork will work ok for this, but if you can get pork butt, grind the pork yourself with the regular plate (3/16").
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Polish
Servings 5 sausage links

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 kilos ground pork, or ground pork butt
  • 2 tablespoons salt, plus 1 teaspoon
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon dried marjoram
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed and finely minced
  • 1 cup water, very cold
  • casings, natural hog or collagen

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients except the casings.
  • Mix thoroughly by hand.
  • Stuff into casings of your choice.
  • Tie into links, now they are ready for the grill or frying or even place in the freezer for enjoyment later. Enjoy.

Notes

The pork will cost 109 to 142 Baht per kilo, depending ground pork or pork butt. For 2 1/2 kilos (5 lbs), this is 273 to 355 Baht. For the sausage, this will cost between $8.27 and $10.76 for 2 1/2 kilos (5 lbs). When I make this I will determine the number of links and average weight of each. For now, certainly Low cost per serving.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
English Bangers

English Bangers

Adapted from an internet recipe.
English Bangers are simply English pork sausages. The banger part comes from cooking them and they pop occasionally, hence the bang. The beauty of making your own sausage, you know exactly what is in it, not strange chemical names, no preservatives. These are the perfect addition to mashed potatoes and a side peas, aptly named, Bangers & Mash. Link to the Shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
5 from 1 vote
Course Main Dish
Cuisine English
Servings 2 sausage links

Equipment

  • Sausage Stuffer

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kilo ground pork, (2 lbs)
  • teaspoons salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼ teaspoon ground sage
  • teaspoon ground mace, or ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon white pepper powder
  • ¼ cup bread crumbs, Shortcut
  • cup cold water
  • sausage casings, your choice or natural hog or collagen

Instructions
 

  • In a large mixing bowl, all all ingredients except the casings.
  • Mix together with your hands.
  • If using natural hog casings, salted or dry, follow the instructions on the package to prep them. If using collagen casings, use them dry.
  • Stuff the casings with your preferred method, such as a sausage stuffer, a stuffer tube on a meat grinder, a hand held stuffer (my preference), or even a funnel.
  • I use 28 mm (1.10 inches) collagen casings. To prep them, I tie a knot on the end then pull it out to 7 1/2 inches and cut it off, use a pin or toothpick and poke a hole near the knotted end, this allows air to escape when you start filling, and repeat for 10 or so casings. The following are the procedure I use when I use my manual hand held stuffing device.
  • This is a common hand held manual sausage stuffer, disregard that handle, it is absolutely worthless as you need to hold the device by the tube end so you can release the casing as you stuff. First thing you do is is using the correct tube size for the casings you are using and add that to either end of the device with the retaining ring. Then spin the retaining ring on the plunger all the way to the front of the plunger (opposite end of the t-handle). Use a spoon and fill the hopper with the meat mixture, then screw on the plunger. Twist the t-handle until the tube is filled with meat. Remove the plunger, add a little more meat, about 1/2 inch from the top, then spin the retaining ring to the front again, then screw the plunger onto the device. This shows the stuffer is full and ready for use. If any meat comes out of the tube, just scrape that off with a spoon and return that the bowl with the meat.
  • Take a casing you prepared and open up the end and slide that onto the tube all the way.
  • Pick up the device and hold it with either hand by the end of the tube, you will release the casing as you screw the plunger in with your other hand. Now when you screw the plunger in, keep in mind, you are not blowing up a balloon, so don't over stuff the casing, you will get the feel for this after 1-2 tries, it is very easy.
  • Screw the plunger in and slowly let out some casing as the casing fills, important to keep the end of the tube in the meat mixture, this is to prevent you from making air bubbles. The tube here is about 1/4 inch into the meat.
  • Just keep turning the plunger in and letting casing out, when you get to about ¾ of an inch from the end of the casing, simply turn the plunger handle back 1 turn, the pinch off the meat at the end of the tube. Place the sausage on a plate. I can get two sausages from one filling of the stuffer. Repeat the steps of filling and stuffing until all the meat mixture is used.
  • Now this step requires two people. Pick up a sausage, pinch the open end down to the meat, get the air out, and twist two times, have another person tie with a string. Repeat for all of the links.
  • Trim off the excess string and casing, then use a toothpick or needle, and poke 3 holes in each sausage, one on each end, one in the middle, this reduces the possibility of it "banging" or popping during cooking. Sausages are now ready to be pan fried or frozen. Once cooked, simply snip off the strings before serving.
  • To serve, simply pan fry and pair with mashed potatoes and brown gravy.

Notes

For the pork, ground pork at Tesco is 109 Baht/kilo or $3.30 for 2 lbs. I made 10 links using 28 mm (1.10 inches) casings. I sampled 6 of 10 sausages, average is 103 grams (3.6 ounces) per sausage. Figuring 2 sausages per serving is 66 cents per serving. Excellent value compared to store bought.
Shortcut: Bread Crumbs.
Slow Cooker Brats in Beer

Slow Cooker Brats in Beer

Sounds like a good basic brat recipe, on my to cook list, and I will be using homemade bratwurst as well. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 750 grams Bratwurst, OR make from a shortcut, (1 1/2 lbs)
  • 1 can beer, or bottle, your choice
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Instructions
 

  • To the slow cooker, add the beer, brown sugar, vinegar. Stir together.
  • Heat a non stick skillet on medium heat, when hot, add the bratwurst. Brown the brats until lightly browned.
  • Place the brats in the slow cooker, and prick eat sausage 2-3 times with a toothpick to prevent them from bursting.
  • Top with the sliced onions.
  • Cover and cook on Low setting for 4 hours.
  • Serving options could be with sauerkraut on the side along with spicy mustard, another option could be in a bun. Enjoy.

Notes

Low cost per serving as I used my homemade bratwurst. Store bought is about is 270 grams at 129 Baht, gets pricey when you consider 750 grams needed for the recipe.
Shortcut: Bratwurst.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Jimmy Dean Sausage

Jimmy Dean Sausage

A copycat recipe in 4 flavors; Regular, Maple, Sage, and Hot. Sounds good and I look forward to making this. To clear up any misconceptions, pork butt is from the rear part of the shoulder, NOT the back legs.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Breakfast, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 0 see notes

Ingredients
  

Regular

  • 500 grams pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes, (1 lb)
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/2 teaspoon MSG, optional

Maple

  • 500 grams pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes, (1 lb)
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon MSG, optional

Sage

  • 500 grams pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes, (1 lb)
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/8 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon MSG, optional

Hot

  • 500 grams pork butt, cut into 1 inch cubes, (1 lb)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon MSG, optional

Instructions
 

  • For all flavors of the sausage, the steps are same. Start with cutting the pork but into 1 inch cubes.
  • Mix the ingredients for each flavor into the cubes.
  • Run the meat through your meat grinder.
  • Mix again by hand, cover and place in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight, this lets the flavors blend. Bowl won't fit in the fridge? No problem, place the meat mixture on foil and wrap it.
  • Form mixture into patties, or stuff into small diameter casings, use or freeze for later use.
  • Here it is in patty for getting ready to go into the freezer. Place parchment paper between each patty.

Notes

Pork butt will cost about 70 Baht/500 grams. 500 grams will make 1 lb of bulk sausage or 6 links, each link being just about 2 3/4 oz. This is about $2.12 for 1 lb of bulk sausage or 6 links. Estimating bulk to be used in a dish with minimum 4 servings, this is about 54 cents per serving. If estimating 1 link per serving, this is about 36 cents per serving.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
 
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Sausage, Peppers, and Onion (Slow Cooker)

Sausage, Peppers, and Onion (Slow Cooker)

This is my twist on the classic Sausage, Peppers, and Onions dish prepared in a skillet on the stove. Simply slow cook and it is delicious! I added a can of whole tomatoes, chopped, with the tomato juice for the liquid. You need a large slow cooker to make this as listed.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 900 grams sausage, see Step 1, (2 lbs)
  • 2 red bell peppers, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 can whole peeled tomatoes, chopped plus juice (this is about 2 1/2 cups)

Instructions
 

  • For the sausage, I use what is sold as 'sausage scraps' which are the cut offs from larger sausages to make a uniform weight, this is what they come like in the package, already cut. The large pieces are very much like kielbasa or a good summer sausage. As you can see the colors and sizes are different, based on the meat used, as well as the seasoning. Some have black pepper, chilis, garlic, basil, etc. These come in 100 gram (about 1/4 lb) packages. For this I used 9 packages. If you are using kielbasa or a sausage of your choice, just slice it up to bite size pieces.
  • Place the sausage in your slow cooker.
  • Dice the peppers and onion, and add those to the slow cooker. (I state 2 red bell peppers as ours here are much smaller than the green and yellow ones.)
  • Mix everything together.
  • Pour the juice from the can of tomatoes into the slow cooker, then chop up the tomatoes and add them to the slow cooker, and give another stir to mix everything again. Place the lid on the cooker and set to High setting and cook for 5 hours.
  • Finished. And you can see, the sausage will swell up a bit during cooking.
  • Serve with rice on the side for a nice meal.

Notes

I cannot really price this per serving yet. The sausage I used and in the photos here were free when you bought a package of bacon. I will say Fair cost per serving now until I can track down the regular kielbasa.
My creation, Lee Thayer.
Thailand.
Bratwurst

Bratwurst

Adapted from an internet recipe.
In my never ending quest of learning to make different types of sausage, this worked out very nice, with excellent sausages. This would be perfect paired with some homemade sauerkraut.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Passive Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine German
Servings 5 lbs bratwurst

Equipment

  • Meat Grinder
  • Hog Casings

Ingredients
  

  • kilo pork butt, (3 lb)
  • 1 kilo beef, lean, (2 lb)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup beer
  • teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 1 tablespoon coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground sage
  • 5 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons onion powder

Instructions
 

  • Cut the pork and beef into 2 inch cubes. Here I have the beef on the left, pork butt on the right.
  • Add the cubed meat to a large mixing bowl or pot, add all the dry ingredients from black pepper to onion powder. (I was out of onion powder so I added ½ cup diced onion.)
  • Using your hands, mix together the meats and seasonings until all the meat is coated.
  • Grind the meat through a grinder using the medium plate (¼ inch holes). Place ground meat in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the beer and eggs, and using your hands again, mix thoroughly. Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. 24 hours is preferred.
  • Prepare the casings of your choice, hog or collagen, stuff into the casings and form into links with your preferred method. Place links into bags to freeze. Use as needed on the grill, or in recipes of your choice. I made 27 links.

Notes

I will price this next time I buy beef. I will say Low cost per serving right now.
Used in Recipes Listed on this Site:
Homemade Hot Dogs

Homemade Hot Dogs

Adapted from several internet recipes.
This was an experiment, and it turned out very well! I only used collagen casings and that was spot on, I am not a fan of hot dogs with a skin. These can be all beef, all pork, or a combination. For this first experiment, I made them as listed here, which is a combo of beef and pork. No food processor will be used, just ample use of my electric grinder and a mortar and pestle. Keeping the grinder and meats cold is essential. I used collagen casings which are removed after simmering in water. Feel free to use casings of your choice.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Course Lunch, Main Dish
Cuisine American, German
Servings 16 6 inch hot dogs

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams lean pork, cubed, (1 lb)
  • 350 grams lean beef, cubed, (¾ lb)
  • 120 grams pork fat, cubed, (¼ lb)
  • ¼ cup onion, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled, sliced
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ¼ teaspoon ground marjoram
  • ¼ teaspoon ground mace, or nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seed
  • 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper powder
  • 1 egg white
  • teaspoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup milk
  • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
  • sausage casings, your preference, as needed

Instructions
 

  • Place the onion, garlic, and mustard seed into a mortar. Feel free to use a food processor for this. The mortar we have is the granite type, weighs in at about 20 pounds. Need something mashed quick, use the granite mortars.
  • Pound to a sort of smooth paste.
  • Place the contents of the mortar into a mixing bowl then add the egg white, sugar, salt, coriander, marjoram, mace, paprika, white pepper, sugar, and salt. Mix well. Add the milk and mix that in well. Place seasoning mixture in the fridge while you continue.
  • Thoroughly wash, rinse, and dry the grinder parts that will have contact with the meat, the plate you are going to use is the fine plate, then place the parts (not the motor assembly) in the fridge to chill.
  • Cut the beef, pork, and fat, one at a time, into cubes that will fit into your grinder. As each item is cubed, place in the fridge to chill.
  • Assemble your grinder using the fine plate. Remove and grind the meats and fat separately, place all in a large mixing bowl. For this photo, I ground the beef first, visible a little on the left, then the fat, then the pork on top.
  • Using your clean hands or wearing gloves, mix the meats together, then mix in the seasoning mix, then mix in the liquid smoke.
  • Run the mixture through the grinder again. Place mixture in the fridge to chill. Now wash, rinse, and dry the grinder parts that had contact with the meat. When dried, place in the fridge as well.
  • When 30 minutes have passed, assemble the grinder again, and then, you guessed it, run the meat mixture through the grinder again, also using the fine plate. The mixture is pretty much a near paste now, which is desired.
  • Stuff the casings in your preferred way, using the grinder, a funnel, or sausage stuffer.
  • I measure out the collagen casings in 14 inch sections.
  • Lightly oil the stuffer tube for first use and thread the casing onto the tube, tie the end off with string, then puncture a hole right near the knot to let air escape when you start. Fill the casing to the end, after all casings are stuffed, tie a string at the 6 inch mark, no need to twist, just tie, then tie another at the 12 inch mark, cut off the tails of the strings and squeeze out the remaining sausage mix after where you tied it, put that back in the bowl with the sausage mixture. Repeat this using all the meat mixture. Leave the sausages in 12 inch lengths, do not cut them apart.
  • Heat a pot of water to simmering, when hot, place the links in the water for 20 minutes.
  • Remove the links and place in a large bowl or pot of ice water and allow the links to shock and chill, this stops the cooking.
  • Remove the links from the ice water
  • Cut off the opposite ends of the links, no need to cut the center, and squeeze out the hot dogs, place on a rack to cool further. There is only 15 here, I am the cook, I am allowed to try things. 🙂
  • Now the hot dogs are ready for use. You can store in the fridge (they are cooked) for up to 3-4 days, or freeze them for later use. To prepare them, just pan fry or grill, enjoy in a bun with your favorite sauces and toppings.
  • Fried.
  • Ready to be devoured, simple dish with spicy mustard and ketchup on one, regular mustard and ketchup on another one. Tasty!

Notes

I will price this when I prepare these. I will say Fair cost for now.
Potato & Breakfast Sausage Skillet

Potato & Breakfast Sausage Skillet

With cheese! Everything is better with cheese 🙂 This recipe/guide is wide open to variants you make. I based this using my homemade sausage, not store bought. Link to the shortcut is listed in the Recipe Notes section.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Breakfast, Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 250 grams bulk breakfast sausage, OR make from a shortcut, (1/2 lb)
  • 2 cups potatoes, diced 1/2 inch, skin on
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder, if using Thai chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon
  • 1/2 cup cheese, shredded, Cheddar or Monterey Jack
  • fresh spring onion, sliced for garnish, optional

Instructions
 

  • Heat a large non stick pan on medium heat then crumble in the sausage and brown, brown and cook through. Remove the sausage to a bowl with paper towels to drain. Set aside.
  • Add the potatoes and onion to the same pan on medium heat, stir to coat with the sausage fat, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder as desired. Stir again, reduce heat to low, cover the pan. Stir the potatoes every 5-10 minutes and brown them evenly.
  • When the potatoes are browned and tender, return the sausage back to the pan and stir into the potatoes.
  • Cover with the cheese, cover and let the cheese melt, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Sprinkle with sliced spring onion if desired.
  • Serve with buttered toast or sliced and fried tomatoes (I know, that part is very British but sounds like a good pairing with this.)

Notes

One kilo of pork is 100 Baht, 250 grams would be about 74 Baht, for 3 servings, certainly low cost.
Shortcut: Breakfast Sausage.
Variants: 1. After the cheese is just melted, mix that in, then make some indention's on the top and crack in an egg in each indention and place the cover on, cooking to set the whites and yolks still set. 2. Use diced ham or bacon in place of the sausage. 3. Use Italian sausage in place of breakfast sausage. 4. Add a diced red bell pepper.
Adapted from an internet recipe.
Stir Fried Pork Heart

Stir Fried Pork Heart

Adapted from an internet recipe.
An excellent method to cook pork hearts, great flavor contrast with Chinese sausage. I made this as written and it is a keeper.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 21 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine Asian
Servings 4 servings

Equipment

  • Steamer

Ingredients
  

  • 2 pork hearts
  • 2 Chinese sausage, steamed, then sliced at an angle
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • dash Worcestershire sauce

Instructions
 

  • Rinse the hearts, cut in half lengthwise, remove the stringy parts, the tubes, and any fat from the tops. Cube the hearts and set aside. Dice the vegetables. Here, everything is ready, but the sausage still needs to be steamed.
  • A trick to perfectly cooked Chinese sausage is to steam it first. Chinese sausage is air dried and is generally quite hard, and uncooked. Prepare a steamer and steam the Chinese sausage for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the steamer and cut into thin slices at an angle, then it is ready to be stir fried as it is softened and already partially cooked from the steamer.
  • Now heat a large non stick pan with the olive oil on low heat, when hot, add the onion, carrot, and sausage. Stir fry until the carrot is tender.
  • Add the tomatoes and garlic and stir fry for another minute or two. Remove everything from the pan to a bowl.
  • Add the butter to the same pan and bring the heat to medium. When the butter is melted, add the pork heart, season with salt and pepper as desired, and add the Worcestershire sauce. Stir fry for 3 minutes until no longer pink.
  • Return the veggies back to the pan and stir fry with the heart for 1 minute.
  • Serve with rice and enjoy.

Notes

Pork hearts cost about 98 Baht/kilo. I have no idea if this is 1 heart or 2 or 3, so when I see these in Tesco again I will pick up a few to see what the weight is. I will say low cost for now.
Shortcut: Pork Hearts 101.