HOMEMADE BREAKFAST SAUSAGE

I really get a kick out of new adventures. A couple friends invited themselves to breakfast the next day and offered to bring the food, including eggs and sausage patties. Well, I should have just accepted the offer, but I couldn't let them come and not do anything. So, since I had a day to plan, I checked the freezer and found a boneless pork butt that I had planned to use for barbecue. I immediately called and said to put a hold on the sausage because I was going to make homemade. I had bought a food grinder attachment for my standing mixer the year before, and had yet to use it. Here was my opportunity. You can't imagine how easy this recipe is, or how tasty compared to store-bought packaged sausage. No preservatives, less fat, and all of the seasonings you prefer. Even if you have the clamp style, manual food grinder, which I have used for other recipes in the past, give this a try. And, if you don't have a grinder, I am certain your butcher will be happy to grind the meat for you. Alternately, you can purchase ground pork, which I often do, and season it as indicated in the recipe.

INGREDIENTS

• 3-1/2 pounds boneless pork butt (fat trimmed, see notes below)
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste
• 2-1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 4 teaspoons rubbed sage
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground savory
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Cut the pork into thin slices or as directed by the manufacturer of the food grinder. Pass through a coarse blade twice. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently with your hands. Take about 1 tablespoon of the mixture and fry in a small skillet. Taste for seasoning. (You might have to do this several times before you get it right.) Add whatever you like. When you are happy, shape into thin 3-inch round patties. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. (Depending on the amount of fat in the sausage, you will not need to use oil to fry, especially in a nonstick pan. If the meat is very lean, add a little oil to the pan.) Fry the patties until well browned and thoroughly cooked, about 4 minutes per side depending on thickness. Serve immediately or keep in a warm oven.

Notes: On the subject of fat content, you will need to decide how much you want. I have seen different ratios, ranging from 25% to 30% fat. Some recipes add more fat than is naturally in the meat, such as extra pork fat or fatback. Personally, I prefer to keep it fairly lean, but the choice is yours. If you prefer turkey or chicken sausage, use that in place of the pork. The patties can be prepared ahead and frozen, uncooked, until use. If you don't have a food grinder and still want to try this, the old method is to use 2 large chef's knives and chop the meat, in a drum roll fashion, until desired texture. That might take a long time with this amount of meat, but is fairly simple in smaller amounts. Alternately, the meat can be ground in small batches in a food processor.

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