Michael Symon's Sweet Italian Sausage
Of all the sausages out there, this is the one that most reminds me of my childhood. My mom would often add it to her sauces, both for spaghetti and lasagna, which gave them such a wonderful richness and slight kiss of fennel. And every summer when we went to the Feast of the Assumption celebration in Cleveland's Little Italy neighborhood, the very first thing I'd eat was a sweet Italian sausage-and-pepper sandwich. So good!
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound fatback, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 tablespoons sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 tablespoons fennel seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup ice water
Grated zest of 2 lemons
Juice of 1 lemon
6 feet hog casing, soaked overnight and rinsed, optional
1. Combine the pork shoulder, fatback, salt, sugar, garlic, shallot, parsley, oregano, fennel, and pepper in a gallon-sized zip-top bag and refrigerate overnight or for up to 2 days.
3. Thoroughly chill all the sausage-grinding equipment, the mixing bowl, and the paddle attachment. Grind the pork mixture through the medium-sized die on a baking sheet. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to chill. When thoroughly chilled, put the ground pork in the mixing bowl and fit the mixer with the paddle attachment. Add the ice water, lemon zest, and lemon juice and blend on medium for about 1 minute. Return to the refrigerator until ready to use or for up to 3 days (or freeze for up to 1 month; defrost before proceeding.)
4. Stuff this sausage filling into a hog casing and poach in simmering water or grill until the sausages reach an internal temperature of 144 F; form it into patties and pan-roast until browned and cooked through; or leave it loose to crumble into your favorite long-simmered pasta sauces.
