Content

• Ingredients
• To step
• Method 1 of 4: Cooking on the stove
• Method 2 of 4: Cooking in the oven
• Method 3 of 4: Prepare the meat
• Method 4 of 4: Making the sauce
• Tips
• Necessities

Making an Italian sausage yourself requires a little patience and skill, but anyone with a real passion for cooking can accomplish this task. In this article, we will use the first two methods to explain how to prepare ready-to-eat Italian sausages that you can buy right in the supermarket. The last two methods show you how to make your own Italian sausages from scratch. Even if you go for the homemade variety, you can still follow the first two methods of preparing your sausages. Read on for helpful tips on how to cook delicious Italian sausages.

Ingredients

• 2 kilos of well-veined pork
• 4 tablespoons of dry red wine, omit if desired
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of fennel seeds
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 1 teaspoon of ground red pepper
• 2 tablespoons of chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil

To step

Method 1 of 4: Cooking on the stove

1. Heat a large nonstick frying pan over a medium heat. Fill the pan with about half an inch of water and a tablespoon of olive oil. Leave the pan on the stove for about two minutes.
2. Cook the meat until it has turned golden brown. If you have a meat thermometer, the meat should have an internal temperature of 70 degrees Celsius.
   • If you prefer, you can also bake the sausages using the method below.

Method 2 of 4: Cooking in the oven

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius). Cover a shallow baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Place the row of sausages on the baking tray. Place them side by side, leaving some space between each row. Try to make the spacing as even as possible.
3. Bake the sausages in the preheated oven. Place the baking tray on a rack in the center of the oven to make sure they are heated equally on all sides. Bake them for 20 to 25 minutes.
   • Note that thicker sausages take longer to cook. Especially large or thick sausages can take 40 to 60 minutes to cook. However, if it takes them that long, you'll hear the sausages turn at least once.
4. Remove the sausages from the oven when they start to brown. The top of the Italian sausage row should be slightly browned, but not charred.

Method 3 of 4: Prepare the meat

1. Season the meat. Add salt, cayenne, fennel seeds, paprika, red pepper, chopped parsley, and ground black pepper and set the bowl (s) aside.
2. Place the seasoned meat in the meat grinder. When grinding the meat for the first time, do not use the filling attachment. Grinding the meat one more time gives it an even more even texture.

Method 4 of 4: Making the sauce

1. Slide the casing of (artificial) intestine over the filling attachment of your meat grinder. Make sure there is about 6-8 inches of sheath hanging from the end of the filler neck. Remember that each sausage needs about 6 inches of casing.
   • Do not tie the end of the intestine until all the meat is in it.
2. Push the pork into the filling tunnel with your hand. Hold the casing loosely with your other hand as it fills with meat.
   • You can hire someone to help. That way, the other person can push the meat into the grinder, while you shape the sausage into its casing.
3. Push out air bubbles. As the meat is being pushed into the intestine, air bubbles may form. Just push them back and out to remove them.
   • The meat grinder itself takes care of the shedding of the intestine from the filling tube, so you don't have to worry about that.
4. Turn your sausage into separate parts. It helps a lot to turn the sausage in opposite directions to keep them intact while you are twisting the next part.
   • You can make the first turn in the center of the huge sausage. Then turn in the middle of the two smaller parts, etc.
5. Tie the end of the intestine. Once you have divided the giant sausage into smaller sausages, tie a knot at both ends of the sausage chain. Twist and tie the last part of the chain.
6. Put the sausage chain in the refrigerator. Let it dry overnight, uncovered. The next day you cut them into loose sausages where they are twisted together.
7. Ready!

Tips

• If desired, you can just use ready-made Italian sauce instead of making your own. The same cooking instructions should still apply, but check the packaging to make sure before continuing.

Necessities

• Meat grinder with filling option
• Saucepan
• Mixing bowl
• Sharp knife
• Heavy skillet
• Roasting pan