This sausage is simple and phenomenal. It's a recipe which shows up on the internet in several places; the original, anonymous author used the distinctive words "ur-recipe" in the recipe header, which makes the text easy to track on Google.
the earliest copy I can find is from 2003, at
http://hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m031403.htm
Under the title How to make sausage / Salcissia Fresca
...although it appears that it originated elsewhere.
I've adapted it for a small, 2-Lb batch of sausage, and for a venison pork combo, which is also delicious:
Salsiccia Fresca - fresh Italian sausage (Sicilian style)
Coarsely chop either:
1 1/2 Lb venison - - - - OR - - 1 1/2 Lb boneless pork butt / shoulder
1/2 Lb pork fat - - - - - - - - - - 1/2 Lb fatback (or pork instead, if
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - the pork is already suitably fatty)
Mix with:
1 1/2 Tb fennel seed
1 Tb salt (1/2 Tb if using salted fatback)
1/2 Tb black pepper
3/8 cup freshly grated romano cheese (don't pack down)
1 tsp red pepper flake
1/4 cup dry red wine (Burgundy ok)
Stuff sausage casing and leave flavours to meld for 4 hrs or overnight.
Makes 2 Lb; lasts fresh 2-4 days.
Alternately, this sausage meat can be broken into small-ish chunks and sautéed til lightly cooked, making a great pizza topping.
The original recipe follows,
How To Make Sausage
Salsiccia Fresca
(Sicily)
Fresh Homemade Italian Sausage
This is the classic Sicilian recipe for sausage, the ur-recipe to
what is sold throughout the United States as "Italian sausage."
In Italy, families, especially in the south, still make their own
sausages frequently.
Because pigs today are grown quite lean, it is necessary to add
pork fat in order to make a truly wonderful tasting sausage. Sausages
are made in a 3-to-1 ratio of meat to fat. If you reduce the fat
below this ratio, your sausage will taste dry and crumbly.
Hog casings can be bought from supermarket butchers or any butcher
who makes sausages. They are already cleaned and all you need to do
is rinse away the preserving salts. Make sure all the ingredients,
especially the meat, are very cold, including the grinder or food
processor blade. Place the blade in the freezer until needed. This
prevents the meat and the fat from homogenizing together, looking
like a pâté.
The only specialized equipment you will need is a meat grinder/sausage
stuffing attachment, which is sold as an accessory to many electric
mixers.
6 pounds boneless pork butt, preferably, or shoulder, with its fat,
coarsely chopped or ground
2 pounds pork fatback, rind removed and fat coarsely chopped or ground
6 tablespoons fennel seed
2 tablespoons salt if the pork fatback is salted, 3 to 4 tablespoons
if using unsalted fatback
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups freshly grated pecorino cheese
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cup dry red wine
About 25 feet of hog casing
1. In a large bowl, toss together thoroughly the pork butt, fatback,
fennel, salt, black pepper, pecorino, red pepper flakes, and wine,
cover with plastic wrap, and leave refrigerated for 4 hours or
overnight for the flavors to blend.
2. Open one end of the hog casing, fit it over the faucet in your
kitchen sink, and place the remainder of the casing in a medium-size
bowl in the sink. Turn the water on gently to wash out the casings.
The casings are sold cleaned; you are merely washing away preserving
salts and residue. Now you are ready to start stuffing.
3. Affix one end of the casing over the funnel attached to the sausage
stuffing attachment of a stand mixer or meat grinder. Push the entirety
of the casing onto the length of the funnel (it will contract and fit
fine), leaving about 2 inches dangling from the end. Tie this end in a
double knot.
4. Turn the grinder or mixer on and as the sausage stuffing begins to
flow into the casing, it will push the casing off the funnel. Have a
large bowl or platter ready to catch the sausages. Twist or tie off
the sausage with kitchen twine to make links, or leave to make several
very long sausages. Do not overstuff the sausage otherwise it will
burst, either then and there, or during cooking. Also be careful that
the sausage stuffing enters the casing continuously and evenly and
that no air bubbles develop. If air bubbles do occur, it is better
either to cut the sausage at that point and start a new one, by tying
the end off, or to prick the air bubbles with a toothpick.
5. The sausages can be divided into portions of different or the same
weights and frozen for later use in freezer bags for 2 to 4 months or
you can cook them immediately. Refrigerate for not more than 2 days.
If cooking them, place the sausages in a large pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil and, just as the water begins to bubble, reduce the heat
to below a boil and poach the sausages for 10 minutes, if grilling or
frying, or 40 minutes if serving them boiled.
Note: For grilling sausages, prepare a charcoal fire or preheat a gas
grill on low for 20 minutes. Grill the sausages for 45 minutes, turning
frequently. (If using a charcoal fire, the sausages should be 6 to 8
inches away from the coals).
Makes 8 pounds sausage