Try these flavorful sausages, dotted with bits of sweet red pepper and lots of herbs, on hero sandwiches topped with Herbed Marinara Sauce and some provolone cheese.
Medium hog sausage casings (optional)
11/2 pounds boned chicken thigh meat with skin attached
1/4 pound pork butt or boneless country ribs
1/4 pound pork fat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. If using sausage casings, prepare them as directed.
2. Cut chicken, pork, and pork 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. While meats chill, heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until vegetables soften. 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, vegetable mixture, Parmesan, wine, parsley, oregano, salt, 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.
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 165°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.