How to Make Italian Sausage

Easy Italian Sausage

You’re going to love learning How to Make Italian Sausage. This is, of course, a sweet and spicy recipe that can be easily adjusted to your specific tastes and, most importantly, reveals the secret to actually making it taste like sausage instead of just seasoned ground pork.

The secret lies in 3 places. First, the sausage has got to have a 2 to 1 ratio; 2 parts meat and 1 part Fat and in this particular case it’s 2 parts Pork Picnic Shoulder Muscle(which is very tender) and 1 part Bacon or Fat Back. If you’re wondering what Fat Back is, it’s just exactly what it sounds like; the Fat in the back of the pig; which is where bacon is derived from anyway so why not just use bacon. Plus, for me personally, I can’t get Fat Back where I live without ordering a minimum of 60 lbs and I’ll never make that much sausage.

The Second secret is the ingredients. This means any kind of sausage you want to make, whether it be Breakfast, Italian, or Chorizo etc., will all depend on the ingredients, or seasonings, going into the 2 to 1 ratio.

The Third thing is all about the binder. The binder is what fuses the meat and ingredients together and keeps them from falling apart. I’ve also found that it’s a big part of the the seasoning which also effects the performance in the sausage when it cooks.

For example: Most Italian Sausage recipes add a red wine and vinegar combination as a binder, which is fine, but this creates a bitter taste so you have to compensate with a sweetener, like sugar. But I have found that Corn Syrup works even better and I add Vegetable Shortening. Why the Shortening? Cooking the sausage without it leaves the meat very dry. It leaves an added quality to the sausage that improves the flavor and adds a moist tenderness to the meat when it’s done.

If you’re interested in more of my recipes with sausage in them, check out my Egg Noodle Lasagna and my Spaghetti with Meatballs.

Italian Sausage Ingredients:

2 lbs Pork shoulder Cusion Meat
1 lbs Bacon
6 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Parsly, chopped
1 tbsp Fennel Seed
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Red Chili Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste, approximately 1/2 tbsp of each

Binders

1/3 cup Corn Syrup
1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening

Be sure to watch the short video tutorial and I will show you exactly how to make this Italian Sausage.

Roasted Stuffed Peppers

The Best Stuffed Peppers

I’ve been wanting to film these Roasted Stuffed Peppers for quite some time now, because they are so easy and very delicious. One of the things that makes them easy is that you’re able to cheat and pull some ingredients from a box. This is a Cajun Rice and Black Beans mix I borrowed from Zattarain’s but you can use anything you want. My Dirty Rice, Spanish Rice or my Jambalaya recipe would be perfect in this as well. In this recipe, I decided to throw in some Italian Sausage to spruce it up a bit. If I were stuffing this with Jambalaya, for example, I’d be adding Shrimp and Andouille Sausage. So just realize that there are several different ways you can stuff peppers. I have a Tex-Mex style Stuffed Pablano recipe and Jalapeno Poppers that are out of this world!

Bell Stuffed Peppers

For this Stuffed Peppers recipe, I just to use Bell Peppers and I chose a rainbow assortment, just to show how pretty this dish can be. Buying all of these different colors, however, can ten to be a bit pricey. Sometimes the Red and Yellow Bell Peppers are 3 to 4 times the price of a regular green Bell Pepper. So don’t think for one moment that this dish has to be an expensive one. Save the money, and buy the Green peppers. The flavor will be the exact same and everyone will love it.

Roasted Stuffed Peppers Ingredients:

4 Bell Peppers, cut in Half
1/2 lbs Italian Sausage
1 box Cajun Rice and Black Beans, cooked
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
1 Celery Stick, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 tbs Fresh Cilantro, chopped
2 tbs Cooking Wine
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper to taste

Broil Peppers for 5 to 8 Minutes and Bake Stuffed Peppers at 425 degrees f for 10 minutes. Be sure to watch the short video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how to make these Roasted Stuffed Peppers.

Spaghetti with Meatballs and Angel Hair Pasta

Introducing My Spaghetti with Meatballs!

Making Spaghetti with Meatballs from scratch is about the best thing you can do for your pallet. I mean the flavor is so much more luxurious than a simple can of sauce. Though my children do love those spaghetti O’s, even my year old son couldn’t get enough of this recipe when I filmed it last night. I have posted about this recipe in the past but there are a several differences.

First off, I’ve never included my Meat Ball Recipe, and I even mentioned in the original post that I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to, but here it is. Second, the recipe before used canned ingredients, tomatoes and tomato paste, but today I’m re-introducing this recipe with all fresh ingredients, which I personally like better. Also the option to add a red wine wasn’t exercised in this recipe, but it wouldn’t hurt one bit if you decide to add it. Honestly, I would have but I was out. And just so you know, and as far as I know, Spaghetti has never been made the way I make this Spaghetti with Meatballs recipe, because I use and reduce beef stalk(Bouillon). That’s right! This isn’t a recipe for vegetarians.

Spaghetti with Meatballs Ingredients:

MEATBALLS
2 lbs Ground Beef
1 lbs Ground Sausage
2 eggs
1 chopped Onion
1/2 Chopped Julian Bell Pepper
1 handful of fresh chopped Parsley
1 pkg Ritz Crackers
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup Hoisin Sauce
1/4 cup Ketchup
2 tbsp Tempura Dipping Sauce (light soy sauce, water, vinegar, sugar and Lemon Juice mixed)
2 tbsp Sriracha Rooster Sauce
3 chopped Cloves of Garlic
1 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Thyme
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper

SPAGHETTI SAUCE
6 Roma Tomatoes
Handful of Fresh Parsley
5 Fresh Basil Leaves
2 Chopped Garlic Cloves
1 tbsp Brown Sugar
1 tsp dried Rosemary
1 tbsp dried Thyme
1 tsp dried sage
1 cup Beef Stock or Bouillon
1/3 cup Red Wine Optional (Cabernet preferred)

1/2 pkg of Angel Hair pasta – Add Olive Oil and Salt to boiling water and cook noodles Al dente.

Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Mold 2 inch Meatballs on a pan and bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Then Combine all the ingredients for the Spaghetti Sauce in a blender and Puree. In a Hot pan add 2 tbsp of butter, 2 chopped green onions, then add the Sauce and bring to a boil. Once the noodles are cooked al dente and strained, add some Olive Oil and place the Noodles in the Spaghetti Sauce. Reduce the Sauce until the noodles have almost completely absorbed all the liquid, then kill the heat. Add a shake of Thyme, Garlic Powder and some chopped black Olives, then plate your Spaghetti with Meatballs.