These spicy Greek sausages, made with a combination of pork and lamb, are scented with aromatic orange zest as well as spices. Grill them or use in traditional dishes like moussaka.
Thin lamb sausage casings (optional)
1 pound boneless lamb shoulder
1/2 pound pork butt or boneless country ribs
1/2 pound pork fat
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1. If using sausage casings, prepare them as directed.
2. Cut lamb, pork, and pork fat into 1-inch cubes. Place cubes in a mixing bowl, and toss with coriander, cumin, salt, oregano, thyme, and pepper. Transfer cubes to a sheet of plastic wrap on a plate and freeze for 30 minutes, or until very firm.
3. While meats chill, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until onion softens. Set aside.
4. Grind meats and fat through the coarse 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.
5. Combine ground meat, onion mixture, wine, and orange zest 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.
6. Stuff mixture into casings as described, if using, and twist off into 5-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.
7. 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.