Hey Christopher!
I have had not a single disappointment when using Len's "formulations." The California Hot Links were a huge hit with my 40 something children and their freinds. I cut the cayenne back to 2 TBSP, used smokey paprika and Frank's liquid hot sauce in the same volume as the Crystal hot sauce recommended in the original recipe
I've also recently made Daves Michigan Potato sausage, delicious and very thrifty. I did alter it a bit with a few more spices and a cup of dried milk powder.
I have a nasty habit of neglecting to record the origin of my recipes. (Len's locked PDF thing ensures that I won't forget.)
The very most sucessful recipe I have made, ever, is a web sourced recipe called simply, Country Sausage.
This is excellent as a breakfast, snacking, main course or casserole sausage.
Add a little rubbed sage to the breakfast variety if you wish.
Addditional flavours can be added as per your palate, while preparing the meal.
We are partial to tarragon so a potato/sausage casserole would have a teaspoon added to the mix.
I'm sure you will all enjoy this:
Country Sausage
A good all-round sausage for many uses.
3-1/2 lbs ground pork
1-1/2 lbs bacon, medium ground
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp smoky paprika
1 tsp liquid smoke
2 tsp Frank’s or your favourite hot sauce
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1-cup cold water
Trim fat from the outside of meat to your desired fat preference.
Grind the meat with a fine grinding plate.
After grinding, add the sausage seasonings to the meat and blend by hand or use a meat mixer. Be sure to mix thoroughly to ensure the ingredients are spread evenly throughout the meat.
Stuff by hand or by using a sausage stuffer or sausage stuffing attachment for an electric meat-grinder. If you wish, You can also form patties without casings.
Hope that you and others try this.
I love experimenting with slight modifications. (Not so much with Len's!) What I do is grind up all of the meat, mix it well and add the basics. Then I take a meatball sized scoop, add very tiny amounts of what I think may taste good, fry it up and make a decision. I smoke my own salt and paprika so always use those as substitutes.
Am presently marinading a mixture of beef with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, ginger, 5 spice powder and garlic. I am hoping for a 28mm product that will resemble a pepperoni stick.
Time to shut up! I've had too much sausage and it's making me chatty.
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