Ever wondered how to make a perfect fresh sausage? We wanted to design a sausage that we could use on the menu at our events one with classic flavours, and one that we could consistently replicate. We also wanted to give our blog readers an overview of the process and a few tips and tricks.
Making fresh sausage involves very similar techniques to that of salami making, with a few subtle differences. Firstly, the salt percentage is lower, (this is largely because less is needed for food safety reasons), more liquid is added and bound into the mix (typically as wine or ice), and finally you can go heavier on the seasonings (as this won’t interfere with the fermentation process or texture when cured).
Sausage-making process:
We chose to use classic hog casings (3metre), the size is perfect for sharing, enough for a small plate without being over facing.
We used shoulder as this contains the magic 70-30 ratio, lean to fat. We generally order a whole shoulder and butcher it down from whole. The shoulder is then diced and minced to 3mm, we minced it twice for better particle definition.
The meat was partially frozen before we started processing, as this prevents fat smearing, which would cause the finished sausage to have an unwanted crumbly texture.
A good idea is to have the meat pre-seasoned, maybe a day in advance. This will help with the myosin extraction within the meat which is crucial to a good bind when making the sausage mixture.
We use a salt percentage of 1.75 per Kilo of meat.
After mincing the meat is added to the stand mixer with the paddle attachment for the primary bind, then mix on low speed for 1minute, the proteins will start to extract and bind with each other.
We then add the ice cold liquid, on a medium speed for 1 more minute, this will absorb into an emulsion with the meat.
Next step is crucial, test the mixture as a patty in a pan before stuffing, you can then adjust seasonings if necessary.
Soak casing for 30mins and fully rinse out the inside. These things can really stink on the inside and there is a lot of residual salt, so give em a good wash.
Stuff the casings and then twist in alternating directions to link. Prick the sausages and allow at least a day refrigerated before cooking. If you don’t leave them you're probably going to find they burst when cooked which is a big waste of all your effort.
Cook on medium-low – turning often, cook to 65c. Or in the oven at 150c, then grill to finish, giving a crisp bite to the exterior.
Finished sausages 
Sausage links
Fresh Sausage Recipe:
700g Shoulder diced
200g Shoulder fat diced
100g Lardo diced
17.5g Salt
20g Minced roasted garlic
10g Dried chilli - toasted
17.5g Brown sugar
10g Coriander – toasted ground
10g All spice - ground
8g Fennel toasted
5g Black peppercorn toasted – lightly broken
100ml Red wine
Fresh Sausage Method
- Combine all ingredients except the wine, partially freeze
- Grind the mixture through a small die into a frozen bowl
- Mix for 1 min on a slow speed to incorporate, then add in the chilled wine, combine till incorporated, and the mixture is tacky.
- Taste a patty for seasoning, and stuff into 6-inch links
- Allow 12 hours refrigerated before using
Fresh Sausage Percentages:
70% Lean shoulder
30% Fat
1.75% Salt
10% Ice cold liquid