We try to avoid using cured meats and sausages that contain sodium nitrate/sodium nitrite, MSG, and excessive amounts of salt.  When we lived a low-carb lifestyle, I would take the fatty layers from a Boston Butt pork roast and cut it into strips, lightly salt it and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight before freezing it in portions to use in place of bacon.  One day it occurred to me that I could make my own breakfast sausage too.  I just needed to find out what the seasonings were in good, country sausage patties.  I found that my Cuisinart food processor does a fine job of grinding meats and have been using it as a meat grinder for years now.

We have a local meat company that makes the best sausage, and mine has never tasted like theirs, but I like it that I can control what goes into it including the amount of fat and salt.  Sometimes I use pork loin, which makes an almost grease-free patty, other times I go whole hog (tee hee) and use the fattier portions of a Boston Butt when I find it on sale.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs. pork, pork loin for lean sausage, any other with the fat if you want a juicy, moist sausage

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1/4 tsp. black pepper, or more for spicier sausage

1/8 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. mustard powder

1/4 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1/4 tsp. celery seed

1/2 tsp. granulated garlic

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 tsp. marjoram (I found that this is what gives it that “breakfast sausage” taste)

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 a medium onion

Method:

Grind the pork and onion.

Add remaining ingredients and process until combined.

Shape into patties and cook or wrap in plastic and freeze until ready to use.

Note: You can add caraway seeds or cardamom or fennel seeds if you like.  I’m not fond of maple sausage, but I suppose you could just blend pure maple syrup into the mix to make maple-flavored.  Sometimes I cook the patties ahead of time then IQF and bag them.  Then I can pull out the individual patties I need a little at a time.  I also freeze them in raw patties.  Ground turkey can be substituted for the pork to make Turkey Sausage.

Makes about 15 patties.