I’m always looking for ways to cook with harissa, a fiery condiment common in North African cooking. These sausages are so flavorful that no sauce is necessary. Just a tossed salad is enough.
Thin sheep sausage casings (optional)
11/2 pounds lamb shoulder
1/2 pound lamb fat or beef fat
1/4 cup dry red wine
1/2 small onion, grated
2 tablespoons harissa
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. If using sausage casings, prepare them as directed.
2. Cut lamb and fat into 1-inch cubes. Place cubes on a sheet of plastic wrap on a plate and freeze for 30 minutes, or until very firm. While meat chills, combine wine and harissa in a small bowl, and stir well. Set aside.
3. Grind lamb and fat through the fine disk of a meat grinder, or in small batches in a food processor fitted with the steel blade using the on-and-off pulse button. If using a food processor, do not process into a paste, but ingredients should be very finely chopped.
4. Combine ground meat, wine mixture, onion, cilantro, mint, salt, oregano, and pepper in a mixing bowl, and knead mixture until well blended. Fry 1 tablespoon of mixture in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
5. Stuff mixture into casings as described, if using, and twist off into 4-inch links; prick air bubbles with a straight pin or skewer. If time permits, arrange links on a wire rack over a baking sheet and air-dry uncovered in the refrigerator for 1 day before cooking. Alternately, if keeping sausage in bulk, refrigerate mixture for at least 30 minutes to blend flavors.
6. Cook sausages as directed to an internal temperature of 160°F when pierced with an instant-read thermometer or as directed in a specific recipe.
Note: Sausages can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 2 months. Once cooked, they can be refrigerated up to 3 days.