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Homemade Italian Sausage

How to make homemade Italian sausage from pork shoulder: the right fat ratio, the spice blend, grinding, casing and linking — with gear Larry actually uses.

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Homemade Italian Sausage

From pork shoulder to linked sausage

Fresh homemade Italian sausage being stuffed with a stuffer, ground pork and spices nearby

How to make homemade Italian sausage from pork shoulder: the right fat ratio, the spice blend, grinding, casing and linking — with gear Larry actually uses.

Prep
45 minutes
Cook
0 minutes
Total
2 hours plus chilling
Serves
About 5 lbs of links

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs boneless pork shoulder (about 80% lean, 20% fat)
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons fennel seeds, lightly toasted and crushed
  • 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced to a paste
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ cup ice water
  • Natural hog casings, rinsed and soaked

Instructions

  1. 01

    Keep everything cold. Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes, spread them on a sheet pan and freeze for 30 minutes until firm but not frozen. Cold meat grinds cleanly and doesn't smear.

  2. 02

    Toast and crush the fennel. Toast the fennel seeds in a dry skillet for 30 seconds until fragrant, then crush them in a mortar or under a heavy pan. Big pieces of fennel are the signature flavor.

  3. 03

    Season the meat. Toss the cold pork cubes with salt, pepper, fennel, red pepper flakes, garlic and coriander in a large bowl. Add the ice water and mix with your hands until the seasonings are evenly distributed.

  4. 04

    Grind. Set up your grinder with a ⅜-inch die. Push the meat through in one steady stream into a bowl set over ice. Don't force it — let the auger do the work.

  5. 05

    Mix to bind. Use your hands or a sturdy paddle to mix the ground meat until it feels sticky and begins to cling together, about 1 minute. This is what gives the sausage a firm texture.

  6. 06

    Load the stuffer. Slide the soaked casing onto the stuffing tube, leaving a 6-inch tail. Load the ground meat into the stuffer and crank until the meat just reaches the tube end.

  7. 07

    Stuff and twist. Hold the casing with one hand and crank with the other, letting the casing fill firmly but not tight. When a link is the length you want, pinch and twist three or four times to seal.

  8. 08

    Rest or cook. Hang the links or lay them on a rack in the fridge uncovered for at least 2 hours or overnight. This dries the casings and lets the flavors meld before you cook or freeze them.

Larry’s rule: If the meat gets warm while you're working, stop and put everything back in the freezer for 15 minutes. Warm sausage fat smears and ruins the texture.

Sausage questions

Frequently asked questions

How long do you cook homemade Italian sausage?
On the stovetop, brown the links in a cast iron skillet over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, turning every few minutes. In a 400°F oven they take 20 to 25 minutes; in an air fryer at 380°F, 10 to 12 minutes. Fresh sausage is thicker than store-bought, so always go by temperature rather than the clock.
What internal temperature means Italian sausage is done?
160°F in the center of the thickest link, measured with an instant-read thermometer. The juices should run clear and the interior should be uniformly pale with no pink graininess. Pull them at 158°F if you plan to finish them in sauce, since they'll carry over.
Should you prick sausage casings before cooking?
No. Pricking lets the rendered fat and juices escape, which leaves the sausage dry. Cook over medium heat instead of high so the casing doesn't burst. The one exception is a sausage pricker used right after stuffing to release trapped air pockets in the raw links — that's a stuffing step, not a cooking step.
Why did my sausage come out dry or crumbly?
Almost always fat ratio or temperature. You want about 20 to 25 percent fat, and the meat, grinder parts and bowl all need to stay below 40°F. Warm fat smears instead of grinding cleanly, which breaks the emulsion and gives you a grainy, dry link.
Do you have to use casings?
No. The same seasoned mixture works as bulk sausage for sauce, meatballs or pizza, or shaped into patties. Casings only matter when you want snap and links.
How long does homemade Italian sausage keep?
Two to three days uncovered on a rack in the fridge, or up to three months vacuum-sealed in the freezer. Freeze it the day you make it for the best texture, and thaw overnight in the fridge rather than on the counter.
Can you freeze the sausage raw?
Yes, and raw is the better way to freeze it. Let the stuffed links dry uncovered in the fridge for a few hours first, then wrap tightly or vacuum-seal in meal-size portions so you're not thawing five pounds for one dinner.