This has all the characteristic flavors of my favorite Italian veal dish—saltimbocca. It contains aromatic sage and salty prosciutto mellowed with creamy mozzarella.
Medium hog sausage casings
11/2 pounds veal shoulder or boneless veal breast
1/2 pound veal fat or beef fat
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup finely chopped prosciutto
1/2 cup grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
1. Prepare sausage casings as directed.
2. Cut veal 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.
3. Grind veal 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, prosciutto, mozzarella, vermouth, Parmesan, sage, salt, pepper, and nutmeg 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 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.
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.