Italian Sausage

While looking for a hockey game on TV, I came across a channel in our guide that I did not know we got. If you're looking for evidence our civilization is doomed to failure, look no further than your DirecTV guide. Dogs now have their own channel. DogTV is exactly what the name suggests it is. I remember hearing about this on the radio a few years back, and I can't believe it's survived this long. DogTV, the channel for your pooch, runs constant footage of stuff dogs might like. For example, right now, I'm watching a dog wander around a field sniffing the ground. The dog eventually sits and lays down. Sometimes, random animals will be on screen, like a goat or a horse or a cow. Other times, it is just nice scenery. At all times, relaxing spa music is playing in the background. I'm not sure what this is like for dogs, but for me it's like watching a hypnotic screensaver. It's a challenge to have this on and to stay awake. Most of the time, Ellie doesn't notice it's on. But right now, she's actually watching it! While Ellie seems to like it somewhat, Connor loves it! He loves the animals!

Hard to tell, but Ellie is watching her stories.

Yesterday, I made a batch of Italian sausage. We've made this before, and lately I've been using it for breakfast burritos. It's pretty easy to make, as long as you have a meat grinder. We have a grinding attachment for our KitchenAid that has come in handy. If you don't have a meat grinder, then in the words of one of my Indian stats professors explaining that if we do not yet understand the material, I do not know what to say for you. Get one! Totally worth it.

Now, I don't make links, just the sausage. So if you want to make links using the hog casings, you're on your own. The recipe calls for 3 lbs pork and 0.5 lbs pork fat. I've never been able to get pork fat in the store, so usually, I just get a 3.5-4 lb (a little more if there's a bone) piece that seems to have a good amount of fat in it.

Like I said, I've been using this for burritos. I've made the burritos using regular old jimmy dean sausage and it is just not very good by comparison. I highly recommend you try this out.

Makes 3.5 lbs

3 lbs boneless pork shoulder blade
8 oz pork fat
1.5 tbsp fennel seeds
4 tsp salt
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp hot pepper flakes
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Cut pork and pork fat into 1-inch cubes and place in a shallow container. In a small bowl, combine fennel, salt, garlic, hot pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, and black pepper; sprinkle over pork. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes to facilitate grinding. With coarse grinding plate, run pork and fat through grinder (speed 4 if you have a kitchen aid). Return to freezer for 15 minutes. Run through the grinder again into a bowl.