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SPEZIATA

Spicy, Flavorful, Tasty

By Sandra Scalise Juneau

 

One whiff of the aroma of anise and I am instantly transported on a wave of nostalgia into a cocoon of reminiscence. It is Christmas morning, and I am awakened by the sizzling smells of Salsiccia, homemade Italian sausage, a tradition in our family from as long as I can remember. In the weeks before Christmas, along with decorating the house, wrapping presents and specialty baking there was always the ritual of making over one hundred pounds of Salsiccia for distribution to family and friends. From among the treasured family recipes which she brought from her ancestral home of Poggioreale, my maternal grandmother, Angelina Caronna Accardo used the commercial grade Hobart food grinder that was a fixture in their Accardo Grocery Store in New Orleans. Now still in use for over a hundred years, this recipe easily converts from commercial grade equipment for home-sized food grinders, and can be expanded using these basic proportions for larger production.

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Sending Wishes to you and your family for Bon Natale and Felice Anno Nuovo!

 

 

SALSICCIA FRESCA

Homemade Italian Sausage

 

INGREDIENTS FOR 10 POUNDS

6 ½ # Pork Boston Butt - trimmed of excess fat (reserve 1 # inside fat)

3 ½ # Beef Sirloin Tip -   trimmed of excess fat

6 Tablespoons Plain Salt         (* DO NOT USE IODIZED SALT)

6 Teaspoons Black Pepper

1 ½ Cups Anise Seeds - rinsed and drained (* DO NOT USE FENNEL SEEDS)

1 Cup Fresh Pork Casings – soaked, thoroughly rinsed and drained

 

 

METHOD

Depending on the size of your meat grinder, cut pork into 1inch to 2inch chunks

(1” for homestyle grinder, 2” for commercial grade grinder)

 

Thoroughly rinse pork to remove any residue of cracked bone. Drain thoroughly and refrigerate with pork fat until needed. Repeat the process for beef, then drain thoroughly and refrigerate until needed.

 

(*NOTE: Pork casings may come salted or packaged with a chemical preservative.)

Soak pork casings in a bowl of iced water. Run clear faucet water into each piece of casing and return rinsed to a fresh bowl of iced water. Set aside and refrigerate until needed.

 

Rinse anise seeds by placing 1/3 cup of seeds in a fine strainer, running clear faucet water through seeds. Drain off excess liquid and add rinsed seeds to a measuring cup. Do not rinse more seeds than needed, as once rinsed the seeds cannot be saved, unless frozen for future use.

 

 In a large mixing bowl, add meat, mixing to evenly distribute pork, fat and beef. Season with salt, pepper and anise seeds. Mix again to thoroughly distribute seasonings.

 

Using the large hole plate of meat grinder, feed meat into grinder, alternating two pieces of pork and a bit of fat to one piece of beef. Loosely form ground meat into meatballs and set aside to refrigerate.

 

Remove grinder plates to soak for cleaning and set up feeder-tube for adding casings.

(*NOTE: It helps to brush feeder-tube with a light coating of olive oil to avoid having casings stick to tube.)

Using one string of casings at a time, feed onto tube, tying a firm knot onto the end of casing string. 

 

Feed meatballs into grinder, being careful to avoid overstuffing casing. Remove sausage from tube, tie end with a tight knot and twist into links, alternating twisting motion for every other link. Repeat process to continue feeding casings onto tube until all meat is filled into sausages.

 

Wrap sausages links in plastic wrap then foil, place into one-pound packages and refrigerate or freeze. May be kept refrigerated for no more than two days or frozen for several weeks.

 

SAUSAGE COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

If frozen, fully defrost sausage before cooking.

 

FOR STOVETOP COOKING:

Add sausage links to a shallow skillet and add enough water to cover. Cook, covered on a high fire, adding more water as needed to fully steam sausages for cooking through and through. As water evaporates, uncover the skillet and allow sausages to brown on each side. Remove from pan and slice into individual links, discarding any “tied” casing end knots. Serve immediately.

 

FOR GRILLING:

Add sausage links directly onto an oiled, heated grill, or in a grilling basket. Turn frequently to evenly cook and brown on all sides. Serve immediately.

 

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