CHAPTER 2 STUFF

Making sausage doesn’t have to be an exact science. Instead it should feel more like a science experiment. Let’s say you’re getting bored of using pork as a main protein. Use lamb or beef or even give chicken a try. Just remember about the fat-to-meat ratio and compensate for lean (a.k.a. less fatty) meat when you substitute. In each recipe, we’ve offered the actual number of diameter that we use for grinding meat here in our shop, but as a home sausage chef, don’t feel the need to follow every recipe so exactly. Any medium-sized die will do if the recipe calls for it (even if it’s not exactly 1/32), and any large hog casing will work just fine in a recipe that necessitates it.

THE CLASSICS

Simply put, these sausages are classics. They’re the ones that people count on at the grocery store, the ones that they eat week after week, and the ones that are recognizable, comfortable, and familiarly delicious. These sausages have likely made appearances on your dinner table at least one time before, they’ve been strong contenders for the grill at your family’s backyard barbecue, and they might appear as a mere ingredient in one of your most famous recipes. These sausages are tried, and they are true.

When we initially opened the doors to our first shop in East Nashville back in 2011, these were the sausages that we selected as the residents of our display case. Our goal was to lure customers in using items they knew and trusted. Then, and only then, could we begin to steer them off the straight and narrow toward more unfamiliar territory. Because of the foundation that these sausages laid for our business, they hold special spots in our hearts, and we will always think of them as classics.

◁ Breakfast Sausage

Our famous breakfast sausage is notoriously delicious due to its bold flavor, hint of sweetness, and tantalizing texture. (It’s got whole, toasted fennel seeds suspended throughout.) It’s amazing! Although we created our own version of this recipe, the idea came from the popular store-bought breakfast sausage that is readily available all over the United States. To uncover the secret recipe, James took a trip to the grocery store on a Sunday afternoon with a pad of paper and a marker in hand, and took notes on the information on back of the package. Then he walked right back out of the store. After a few rounds of trial and error, we landed on this perfect blend!

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/75 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) fennel seed

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

7/8 ounce (25 g) fresh ginger

3/4 ounce (21 g) fresh sage

1/4 ounce (7 g) red pepper flakes

1/3 ounce (9 g) brown sugar

1/3 ounce (9 g) ground black pepper

24–26 mm sheep casings (optional)

2. Dice the pork into small, 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes.

3. In a large bowl, mix all of the other ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

4. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

5. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined and the sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

6. Form the sausage into patties or keep it loose.

7. If you’re stuffing the sausage into links, add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all air pockets.

8. Stuff the sausage into sheep casings and twist links 15 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be around 2 inches [5 cm] long.)

9. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool about 2 times.

10. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and allow them to set overnight to dry out the casings.

11. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate into links.

◁ Kielbasa

A traditional, fresh, Polish sausage, Kielbasa is incredibly flavorful and is near and dear to the hearts of true Polish folks—particularly those who are no longer living in a country where it is readily available. As it just so happens, our East Nashville neighbors, the owners of a small, family-owned dry-cleaning business, are Polish in origin. Therefore, we knew they would be perfect taste buds on which to test our Kielbasa. When we thought we had it right, we gave the family a couple of links to take home and sample, and the response we received was overwhelmingly positive. So overjoyed with finding a taste of home here in Nashville, the grandmother came back to the shop the next day just to give each one of us a “grandma mouth kiss,” as we like to call it. After an experience like that, we knew we got it right.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/10 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

2 1/3 ounces (66 g) garlic

2/3 ounce (19 g) fresh oregano

1/3 ounce (9 g) black pepper

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined and the sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack down to remove all air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 2 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be around 8 to 9 inches [20 to 33 cm] long.)

7. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 to 5 times.

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

◁ Italian Sausage:

Sweet or Spicy

Italian sausage is one of our favorite sausages to make for two main reasons. First, it is incredibly beautiful, and second, it is extremely versatile. When the ingredients are all mixed together, beautiful and bright colors emerge. There’s vibrant green from the fresh herbs, a sharp contrasting red from the paprika and cayenne, and nice, bold flecks of dark black, deep red, and bright yellow from the various peppers. Plus, it’s such an adaptable sausage when it comes to cooking that it works extremely well in a variety of arenas. We often like to leave it unstuffed so it can be browned and mixed into a pasta sauce, added into savory breakfast pinwheels, or even crumbled into a soup. Mangia!

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

1 1/8 ounces (32 g) sugar

1/2 ounce (14 g) fennel seed

1/4 ounce (7 g) coriander

7/8 ounces (25 g) paprika

Pinch of cayenne

7/8 ounces (25 g) fresh oregano

7/8 ounces (25 g) fresh basil

1/2 ounce (14 g) red pepper flakes

1/4 ounce (7 g) black pepper

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound [455 g]. (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

7. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

◁ Chorizo

“Chorizo” is somewhat of a loaded term because the word means different things to different people. From Portugal, to Mexico, to Spain and beyond, this sausage has incredible variance from culture to culture. Traditional Mexican chorizo is sold fresh, meaning raw and uncooked, and it incorporates plenty of ancho chile and cumin into the ingredient list. Spanish chorizo, on the other hand, is dry cured and eaten more like a salumi, alongside cheese or even on its own, with a strong presence of paprika. What we’ve come up with for this recipe is like a mixture of the two. We took our favorite elements from both Mexican and Spanish chorizo and combined them into one to make a fresh chorizo that is truly unique to us.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

1/2 ounce (14 g) ancho chile powder

1/4 ounce (7 g) paprika

1/4 ounce (7 g) cayenne pepper

1/3 ounce (9 g) cumin

Pinch of fresh black pepper

5/8 ounce (18 g) garlic

1/4 ounce (7 g) fresh oregano

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined. The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

7. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

Sage Sausage

When we opened our doors for the first time in November of 2011, Thanksgiving was just around the corner. We knew exactly what to do to get new customers in the door and to keep them coming back again, and again, and even again, so we gave the people what they wanted: classic Thanksgiving dinner sausage. When word got out about the incredible deliciousness of our Sage Sausage, a very trendy, local coffee shop asked us to make it for them to sell at breakfast, and we graciously obliged. Through both the coffee shop’s support, and our customers’ excellent taste in meat, Sage Sausage gained instant fame in Nashville. To this day, it is still one of our top-sellers during the holiday season, and we particularly like adding it to cornbread dressing or in the middle of a freshly baked biscuit.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) fresh sage

1 3/4 ounces (50 g) fresh ginger

3/4 ounces (21 g) garlic

1 3/4 ounces (50 g) fennel bulb

1/4 ounce (7 g) black pepper

1/8 ounce (4 g) red pepper flakes

29–32 mm hog casings (optional)

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined, and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist the links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

7. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

British Bangers

Necessitating a little creativity in the kitchen, World War I brought on food and meat rations that were enforced across Great Britain, leaving every family with less than they were accustomed to. In an effort to keep some sense of normalcy at mealtime and to keep their families feeling full, home chefs elected to make sausages with their small portions of rationed meat and stretched out the portions by adding bread and cereals to the mix. When the sausages were cooked, they were simply put in a cast-iron pot and set on top of a big, hot fire. As they finished and were ready to be eaten, they would hiss and pop and bang around in the pot—hence the name, British Bangers.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 ounce (28 g) white pepper

3/8 ounce (12.25 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) ground ginger

1/8 ounce (4 g) chopped fresh sage

1/4 ounce (7 g) ground nutmeg

5 1/2 ounces (156 g) dried breadcrumbs

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined, and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist the links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

7. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

◁ Irish Bangers

“We like Irish Bangers because they are sausages that are similar to British Bangers except they are way better because they have lots of herbs in them, which make them taste good. British Bangers are good, too, but they are more bland and easy to mask with other ingredients in a dish. Irish Bangers, on the other hand, are really, really delicious on their own, or as a classic ‘Bangers and Mash’ dish, served with some mashed taters.”—Chris Carter

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1/3 ounce (9 g) fresh thyme

1/3 ounce (9 g) fresh rosemary

1/3 ounce (9 g) fresh basil

2 eggs

8 cloves garlic

1/3 ounce (9 g) fresh oregano

1/8 ounce (4 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) freshly ground black pepper

6 ounces (168 g) breadcrumbs

1 cup (235 ml) pork stock (See note at left.)

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the other ingredients, except for the stock, together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After the first run through the grinder, use your hands to emulsify the mixture and fully combine the ingredients.

5. After the second grind, add the stock to the mixture, and then using your hands, mix the ingredients again thoroughly, until the mixture becomes sticky and fully combined. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

6. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all air pockets.

7. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist the links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

8. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

9. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

10. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

◁ Garlic and Parsley

We’ve reiterated time and time again the importance of good quality meat and fresh ingredients when it comes to making sausages, and our Garlic and Parsley Sausage is a perfect example of why this rings true. It’s almost like a “poster sausage” for using quality components. The recipe for Garlic and Parsley uses a few simple ingredients, all of which are likely to be sitting around your house already, but the end result is something fantastic. This simple sausage link proves that by putting in the effort on the front end, not much work is needed to enhance the flavors. Simply letting the ingredients speak for themselves is the best way to show off the deliciousness.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 ounce (28 g) salt

1/4 ounce (8 g) freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 ounces (40.5 g) garlic

1 ounce (30 g) fresh parsley

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Pinch of lemon zest

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the other ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined, and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist the links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

7. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

THE OUTLAWS

Unlike the Classics, the sausages with which you are at least a little bit familiar, the Outlaws are sausages that you might never have heard of, or simply never thought to classify as sausages. This group of sausages makes up somewhat of a motley crew. Their origins vary, their frameworks differ vastly, and even their method of creation differs here and there.

The flavors and textures in the Outlaws are incredible. Some are new, and all are exciting, which is why we would never call them “the losers” or anything else that is similarly derogatory. Outlaws are law breakers, rule benders, and ones who fearlessly step outside the lines. They might be a little off the beaten path, but they’re definitely worth the adventure. Take a walk on the wild side, and give one of these sausages a shot!

◁ Kimchi Sausage

Kimchi is traditionally a Korean dish made of spicy-sour, fermented vegetables. It can be made by slicing or chopping cabbage, radish, or cucumber, layering the vegetables with plenty of bold spices, and then putting them into a clay pot and burying it in the ground for at least a month to ferment. Our customer and friend Alan Powel is a farmer who ferments kimchi in large batches for us to use. When he first brought it to us, we didn’t necessarily know what else to do with a giant batch of fermented and spiced cabbage, so we decided to make a sausage out of it! That’s what we call utilization, friends. It took us a handful of tries, a bunch of tweaking, and even a deconstruction of the kimchi to get the recipe just right, but now it is one of our favorites.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/75 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 cup (240 g) kimchi paste

1 tablespoon (15 ml) soy sauce

1/3 ounce (9 g) salt

1/3 ounce (9 g) black pepper

5 1/2 ounces (156 g) roughly chopped cabbage

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the other ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined, and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist the links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

7. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

Potato Sausage

When James told fellow St. Louis chef Kevin Nashan that he and his new business partner were planning to open a butcher shop in Nashville, the James Beard–celebrated chef Nashan was eager to offer help. He handed over a 2-inch (5 cm) thick stack of papers, each one stamped with a recipe that he’d collected throughout his successful career. Having spent plenty of time abroad immersed in various cultures, and having apprenticed with countless famous chefs, Nashan had learned a thing or two in his day, and he was eager to pass along some knowledge. Potato Sausage was the first recipe we tried out of his stack of hundreds, and nearly three years later, we still love it.

YIELD: 4 POUNDS (1.8 KG)/12 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

1 1/2 pounds (680 kg) potatoes

4 pounds (1.8 kg) pork

1 ounce (28 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) black pepper

1/8 ounce (4 g) red pepper flakes

1/2 ounce (14 g) sugar

2 cloves garlic

1/2 cup (120 ml) white wine

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients, except for the wine and potatoes, together with your hands.

3. Grind the mixed ingredients two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined, and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Add the wine and potatoes and use your hands to incorporate them. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until they are evenly blended.

6. Add the loose sausage mixture into the stuffing canister; pack it down to remove any air pockets.

7. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist the links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

8. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

9. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

10. Snip the sausage at the seams to separate it into links.

Beef Bologna

As whole animal butchers, we’ve learned that every part of the animal can be put to use somewhere and somehow, because throwing meat away is like throwing money into the trash—it hurts. When breaking down beef, for example, we extract all of the prime cuts first; then we dice down the rest of the meat and turn it into ground beef; and finally, we roast the bones and use them for stock and render down the fat to make into tallow. But what about those fatty pieces of trim that are pushed to the side during the breakdown of the beef, you ask? Well, we make it into bologna, of course! Fry up a piece of this in a pan and smear a little yellow mustard on some good, white bread, and it tastes like nostalgia.

YIELD: 10 POUNDS (4.5 KG)/1 LOG
DIE: 1/8 (SMALL)

10 pounds (4.5 kg) fatty beef

2 ounces (56 g) salt

1 ounce (28 g) pink salt

1/2 ounce (14 g) black pepper

1/2 ounce (14 g) white pepper

1/2 ounce (14 g) nutmeg

1/3 ounce (10 g) coriander

Pinch of dried bay leaves

1/2 ounce (16 g) garlic

Synthetic casings

2. In a bowl, mix the salts together to create a cure. In a large bowl, toss the beef in the salt mixture, covering each piece. Put the beef in the fridge and cure it for two days.

3. Remove beef from the fridge and using your hands, mix it together with in a bowl with the remaining ingredients.

4. Grind the mixed ingredients four times through a grinder on a small die. Keep the mixture very cold during the grinding process. If the meat begins to lose its chill, return it to the refrigerator before continuing to grind it.

5. Using the largest sausage horn available on your sausage stuffer, stuff the ground meat into a bologna casing and tie it off at the end.

6. Create a large water bath, big enough to submerge the entire bologna roll, and bring the water temperature up to 150°F (70°C). Note: A circulator is a tool that will help to maintain the temperature of the water and is vital for this style of cooking.

Cook the bologna for 6 hours or until the internal temperature reaches 150°F (70°C). Or fill a slow cooker full of water and set it to the highest setting. Submerge the bologna roll in the water, taking care to tie the ends tightly to prevent water from seeping inside. After 2 hours, insert a thermometer into the center of the bologna to read the temperature. Continue checking the bologna every hour until the internal temperature reaches 150°F (70°C). Remove it from the water and put it directly into an ice bath (a large bowl of ice water) to stop the cooking process.

7. Let the bologna cool completely before removing the casing and/or slicing it.

◁ Cotechino

Pronounced koh-te-KEEN-oh, this Italian-in-origin sausage is a common mealtime staple at New Year’s and served alongside lentils, which promise money and prosperity in the New Year. Dating as far back as the 1500s, incorporating the skin of the hog into this sausage was thought of as a great way to use scraps and reduce waste. Fortunately, because the skin is so gelatinous, and because we grind it on a larger diameter than the actual pork meat, the larger hunks of gelatinous skin add a great chewy texture and a good supply of fat to the sausage. That’s why this sausage is so succulent and tasty. Who wouldn’t want to ring in the New Year with something as good as this?

YIELD: 4 POUNDS (1.8 KG)/8 LINKS
DIE FOR PORK MEAT: 3/16 (MEDIUM)
DIE FOR PORK SKIN: 3/8 (LARGE)

4 pounds (1.8 kg) pork

1 pound (453 g) pork skin

2 ounces (56 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) black pepper

Pinch of coriander

Pinch of cloves

Pinch of cayenne

Pinch of allspice

3/8 ounce (11 g) sugar

Pinch of nutmeg

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Separately, dice the pork skin into small, 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.

3. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients, except for the pork skin, together with your hands.

4. Run the pork skin through a grinder once, using a large die. Set aside.

5. Grind the mixed ingredients two times through a grinder on a medium die.

6. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined, and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

7. Add the ground pork skin and use your hands to incorporate it. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until they are evenly blended.

8. Add the loose sausage mixture into the stuffing canister; pack it down to remove any air pockets.

9. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist the links 3 to 1 pound (453 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

10. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

11. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

12. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

Chicken and Herb Sausage

Because chicken is naturally a very lean animal in comparison to say, pork, it doesn’t leave a whole lot of fat for us to incorporate into sausage. As a way to integrate fat back into the meat and aid in emulsification, moisture, and deliciousness, we add butter. After all, butter makes everything better. One of our favorite things about Chicken and Herb Sausage is its deceptive nature. Because people think of chicken as a lean and healthy choice for meat, Chicken and Herb Sausage automatically falls into that category as well. Little do they know that part of the reason this link is so good is because of the buttery deliciousness that is mixed throughout. Oopsie!

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

4 1/2 pounds (2 kg) chicken, preferably boneless, skinless thighs

1/2 pound (227 g) butter

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) black pepper

3/8 ounce (11 g) parsley

3/8 ounce (11 g) fresh chives

1/4 ounce (7 g) fresh tarragon

1/4 ounce (7 g) fresh oregano

3/4 ounce (21 g) garlic

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Cube the butter into small, 1/2-inch (1.25 cm) cubes.

3. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

4. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

5. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined, and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

6. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all the air pockets.

7. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist the links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

8. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

9. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

10. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

Asian Sausage

After being hired at the shop and working as a counter clerk for a couple weeks, Chad Curtis quickly became the number one fan of our PRB Beef Jerky. Since the job of marinating and dehydrating meat fell to him, the list of ingredients that made up said delicious jerky was soon memorized and when he was promoted to sausage maker, an idea was born. Chad knew that the Asian-style flavors that made up the jerky would translate to a dynamite sausage, so he ran his idea past the rest of the team, and together they came up with a trial batch. After changing some of the ingredients from the powdered variety to fresh and adjusting salt levels, the Asian Sausage was officially born and further became a staff favorite. This sausage goes wonderfully with rice, mixed with vegetables in a stir-fry, or crumbled and stuffed into a lettuce wrap.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

3/4 ounce (21 g) salt

7/8 ounce (25 g) fresh ginger

3/4 ounce (21 g) garlic

1/3 ounce (9 g) wasabi powder

1 1/8 ounces (32 g) sugar

1 1/8 ounces (32 g) sesame seeds

1/4 ounce (7 g) red pepper flakes

2 1/4 ounces (64 g) scallions

4 1/2 ounces (118 ml) soy sauce

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients, except for the scallions and soy sauce, together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture through a grinder one time on medium die. Add the soy sauce and mix into the meat with your hands until it is emulsified.

4. Grind the mixture again through a grinder on a medium die. Add the scallions, mix the ingredients together with your hands until the scallions are evenly distributed and the mixture is emulsified. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined, and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

7. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

THE WURST

Contrary to how it may sound, “The Wurst” are most certainly not the worst of the sausages in our repertoire. Who would actually qualify a group like that in a book for other people to read? Conversely, these sausages are some of the best-selling and best tasting links that we’ve got up our sleeves.

While the presence of “wurst” in each name hints at a group of similar products with only slight variation, the variance among this group is quite pleasantly distinct. The South African Boerewors are beef-based, un-twisted sausages that are presented in a long, curving coil, the Currywurst are slightly sweet and cinnamon-scented and would make for an excellent Christmastime addition, and even though neither of us comes from the northern Midwest, we’ve been told that our Bratwursts blow anything from Milwaukee out of the water. Just sayin’… We hope you agree that ours are the best wursts ever.

◁ Bratwurst

When master chef and charcuterie genius Brian Polcyn traveled to Nashville to teach a class about charcuterie and sausages, we jumped at the opportunity to attend. Already hugging his James Beard–nominated book Charcuterie near and dear to our hearts, we were thrilled with the opportunity to learn firsthand about technique and spend the day with a culinary stud. We have since adopted his bratwurst recipe as our own, and our customers have absolutely fallen in love with it, calling it the best bratwurst they’ve ever had. What’s more, we’ve even improved the recipe by using our farm fresh pork, free-range local eggs, and incredibly rich, locally made cream. We’re certain that it’s those simple tweaks that make our bratwurst stand out among the rest.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 3/4 ounces (50 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) white pepper

1/4 ounce (7 g) ground ginger

1/4 ounce (7 g) nutmeg

2 eggs

1 cup (236 ml) cream

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except for the eggs and cream together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined, and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Using your hands, add the cream and eggs. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, until the mixture becomes sticky and emulsified. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

6. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

7. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

8. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

9. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

10. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

Hot Brat[wurst]

It was summertime of 2012, when we realized that people had become familiar with our sausages and our products. “Maybe y’all ought to try doing something kind of fun,” they implored, “like something spicy!” Talk about fun: a hot bratwurst. Because Chris is a weenie when it comes to spicy food, we waited until he was sunbathing by the pool to play around with spicing things up in the sausage department. Fortunately, the addition of cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes added just enough heat to jazz up our sausage selection, but not so much as to take Chris out. “I mean I can eat it,” he says, “I’m just sweating the whole time I do.” We’d call that a success.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 3/4 ounces (50 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) white pepper

1/4 ounce (7 g) ground ginger

1/4 ounce (7 g) nutmeg

Pinch of cayenne

1/2 ounce (14 g) red pepper flakes

2 eggs

1 cup (235 ml) cream

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except for the eggs and cream together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage.

5. After the second grind, add the cream and eggs. Mix the ingredients very thoroughly, until the mixture becomes sticky and emulsified. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

6. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

7. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

8. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

9. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

10. Snip the sausage at the seams to separate them into links.

Winterwurst

When the holidays roll around, everyone at the shop gets in the spirit. Chris’s grandmother spends almost a whole day decking our halls with boughs of holly, Nashville gets transported back in time with our yearly revival of the traditional holiday Spiced Round, and we subsequently find ourselves longing for those spicy-sweet flavors in all of our December food. Cue the Winterwurst. In an effort to create a sausage that sings of the season, this Porter Road Butcher original variation is spiced with clove and allspice, giving it those familiar flavors that evoke Christmas so clearly.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 1/2 ounces (42 g) salt

1/2 ounce (15 g) black pepper

1/3 ounce (9 g) coriander

1/4 ounce (7 g) clove

3/4 ounce (21 g) fresh oregano

3/4 ounce (21 g) fresh parsley

1/4 ounce (7 g) allspice

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined, and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

7. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

Currywurst

Created more than 100 years ago, Currywurst is an iconic food of German pop culture, and it is still served to this day as a favorite German street food. The dish is unapologetically uncomplicated, and it consists of just three main ingredients: a steamed and/or fried pork sausage and some variation of ketchup, which is mixed with curry powder. Our Currywurst is quite a bit different from the German street food sweetheart, because we mix garam masala into the pork and leave any sort of saucy tomatoes out of the equation. This Currywurst sausage has a beautiful balance of sweet and savory, and it tastes great straight off of the grill or out of the oven.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

7 ounces (198 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) white pepper

1/4 ounce (7 g) ground ginger

1/4 ounce (7 g) ground nutmeg

1/3 ounce (9 g) garam masala

2 eggs

1 cup (235 ml) cream

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except for the eggs and cream with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The mixture should be sticky and well combined, and should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

5. Using your hands, add the cream and eggs. Mix the ingredients very thoroughly, until the mixture becomes sticky and emulsified; the sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.

6. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

7. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

8. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

9. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

10. Snip the sausage at the seams to separate them into links.

Knackwursts

Admittedly, Knackwursts are not familiar sausages to customers who frequent our shop because veal is something that we (almost) never ever carry. But when Hatcher Family Dairy Farm—the folks who provide us with our delicious local milk—had a dairy cow that calved a male, they knew what to do with him. They decided to finish the male calf on both pasture and on his mother’s milk, the most humane way possible, and then sell him to us. So when we got this very special kind of meat into our shop, we knew we had to seize the opportunity to do something great and traditional: Knackwursts.

YIELD: 4 POUNDS (1.8 KG)/12 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

4 pounds (1.8 kg) veal

5/8 ounce (18 g) salt

1/8 ounce (4 g) pink salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) black pepper

Pinch of nutmeg

1/8 ounce (4 g) paprika

Pinch of coriander

Pinch of allspice

1 ounce (28 g) milk powder

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it is turned upside down.)

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

7. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

◁ Bacon Jalapeño Bratwurst

When our friends from Old School Farm (OSF) showed up at our shop in the summer of 2014 with mountains of jalapeños, we came up with a fantastic idea that would use both our unsightly bacon ends and their excess spicy pepper crop. Always up for some good old-fashioned bartering, we explained our plan to OSF. We got to take every last jalapeño off of their hands at little to no cost, and in exchange they received Bacon Jalapeño Bratwursts and Porter Road Butcher hamburgers for their Friday Night Farm Dances. So they were able to enjoy the fruits of their bounty after all! We all shook hands, and the deal was done. Bacon Jalapeño Bratwursts have been a fan favorite ever since.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG) 15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

3.75 pounds (1.7 kg) pork

1.25 pounds (567 g) bacon

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) white pepper

1/4 ounce (7 g) powdered ginger

1/4 ounce (7 g) ground nutmeg

1 3/4 ounces (50 g) jalapeños

1 cup (235 ml) cream

2 eggs

2 ounces (55 g) scallions, sliced

29–32 mm hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together, except for the eggs, cream, and scallions, until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

4. After each run through the grinder, use your hands to mix the ingredients together and fully emulsify the loose sausage.

5. Following the second grind, use your hands to add the cream, eggs, and scallions. Mix the ingredients thoroughly, until the mixture becomes sticky and emulsified. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound. (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

7. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

South African Boerewors

Sausage is one of those foods that for many people is extremely nostalgic. Because it is often born as the love child of leftover yet traditional scraps of food, sausage holds memories and stories. With so many fond flavors in one bite, this makes sausage into a crown jewel of flavor. This recipe for Boerewors came to us from a customer who had recently relocated to Nashville from South Africa and was desperate for a taste of home—for a taste of tradition. Her butcher in South Africa actually sent her the recipe, and she brought it to us, hopeful that we would be able to grant her wish. We did, and we loved it. And so did she.

YIELD: 4 POUNDS (1.8 KG)/1 SPIRAL LINK
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

3 pounds (1.4 kg) beef

1 pound (455 g) pork fat

1 3/4 ounces (50 g) salt

1/8 ounce (4 g) black pepper

1 1/8 ounces (32 g) coriander

Pinch of ground cloves

Pinch of nutmeg

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

3. Using your hands, mix the ingredients again thoroughly until they become sticky and emulsified. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

4. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

5. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and do not twist. Instead, spiral it into one tight coil.

6. Lightly poke the entire spiral roughly every 3 inches (7.5 cm), starting from the center of the spiral and working all the way to the end.

7. Put the sausage spiral into the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

THE LITTLE LAMBS

Because lambs are significantly smaller animals than hogs, and because pork is usually the main protein that we use for making sausages, when it comes to lamb sausage, our repertoire of original lamb sausage recipes is also significantly smaller. The four recipes that we have listed here are all very different, but each one is incredibly flavorful and robust. Because people can be fearful of the gamier, sweeter, and overall stronger flavor of lamb in comparison to the well-known and familiar pork flavor, that fear can then prevent them from trying lamb sausages, but we’re here to tell you that it shouldn’t.

The sweet flavor of lamb, mixed with the compilation of incredibly robust ingredients used here, make these sausages true standouts—in the best meaning of the word.

◁ Lamb Merguez

Lamb Merguez is a traditional North African sausage that is heavily seasoned, oftentimes spicy, and always rich in flavor. These sausages are particularly popular in Morocco, and they are commonly served with traditional fare such as couscous, white beans, or vegetables. With such a rich and hearty flavor profile, however, Merguez is equally delicious served all by itself; it can win over the audience without much support from the chorus line. Absent in our Merguez is the traditional North African spice, harissa, which makes our version milder in heat, but still full in flavor. If you’re a heat lover, however, feel free to bring on the harissa in your recipe!

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) lamb

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) black pepper

1/3 ounce (9 g) red pepper flakes

1/2 ounce (14 g) sweet paprika

1/4 ounce (7 g) cumin

5/8 ounce (18 g) garlic

1/2 ounce (14 g) fresh oregano

Pinch of fresh thyme

5/8 ounce (18 g) scallions

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

3. Using your hands, mix the ingredients again thoroughly until the mixture becomes sticky and emulsified. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

4. Add the loose sausage mixture to a stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

5. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

6. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

7. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

8. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

Lamb Diablo

It was a Wednesday afternoon in October, when we had broken down two lambs and were left with plenty of meat that was ready to be ground, stuffed, and twisted into Lamb Merguez sausage links … until we realized we were short on ingredients. With the absence of oregano, Merguez sausage was taken off the table, but time was working against us as we brainstormed ideas for a new lamb sausage. James proposed a spicy lamb sausage—to excite the taste buds of those who love the heat—and his idea paid off. After we sold out of the first batch, people began inquiring for more, and soon Lamb Diablo became a steadfast staple sausage.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) lamb, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes

1 3/4 ounces (50 g) salt

1/3 ounce (10 g) black pepper

1 ounce (28 g) garlic

13 ounces (364 g) chopped onion

1/2 cup (120 g) sambal (chili paste)

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

3. Using your hands, mix the ingredients again thoroughly until the mixture becomes sticky and emulsified. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

4. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

5. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

6. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

7. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

8. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

◁ Lamb Chumichurri

Chimichurri is one of our favorite things. You could say we have an obsession with it. It’s flavorful, fresh-tasting, and best of all, versatile. With fresh herbs as the foundation of this sauce, chimichurri works well on steak, would easily jazz up a side of sad-looking vegetables, and could even be used to make a quick and easy, light pasta sauce. The only thing we don’t like about chimichurri is all the chopping. That’s why putting it into a sausage makes so much sense. The grinder does all the chopping for you. This sausage is great on the grill, and with a side of chimichurri.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) lamb

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) black pepper

1/8 ounce (4 g) red pepper flakes

7/8 ounce (25 g) garlic

7/8 ounce (25 g) fresh oregano

1 3/4 ounces (50 g) fresh parsley

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

3. Using your hands, mix the ingredients again thoroughly until the mixture becomes sticky and emulsified. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

4. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

5. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

6. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

7. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

8. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

Lambdouille

Lamb is harder to sell than other types of meat because it has a stronger, sweeter, and somewhat earthier flavor. We’ve come to find that people either love it or seriously do not. Once the main cuts like loin chops, rack of lamb, and leg of lamb have sold out, we either have to work hard to sell what’s left or figure out what to do with the meat before it goes bad. Itching for something new to play around with and tired of the same ole Merguez that we often employ for lamb, the guys at the East Nashville shop came up with this smoky, lamb-centric version of the Louisiana classic Andouille, and we’ve got to say: it’s delicious. The play-on-words certainly doesn’t hurt, either.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/8 (LARGE)

5 pounds (2.27 g) lamb

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

Pinch of pink salt

Pinch of ground white pepper

1/3 ounce (9 g) cumin

1 ounce (28 g) ancho chile powder

Pinch of cayenne

1/4 ounce (7 g) paprika

2 ounces (56 g) milk powder

1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water

Pinch of sliced scallions

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Grind the mixture once a through grinder on a large die.

3. Using your hands, add the scallions and mix into the once-ground mixture. Once it is completely combined, run the mixture through the grinder one more time on the same medium die.

4. Add the ice water to the mixture and then use your hands to incorporate the water into ground sausage mix. Combine it thoroughly, until the mixture becomes sticky and emulsified.

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.) Do not poke.

7. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

8. Smoke the sausages at 225°F (107°C) for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature is 150°F (65°C).

9. Cool the sausages completely and then snip them at the seams to separate them into links.

THE SMOKERS

Ah, the smokers. In today’s modern and health-conscious age, smoking—and consequently people who smoke—are often frowned upon because of the damage done to their lungs and speedy deterioration of their health.

In the sausage world, however, smokers are coveted, glorified, and overall desirable and delicious. In the sausage world, “smokers” aren’t classified as people who smoke; they are classified as sausages that are smoked by people.

In reality, any sausage in the whole entire world could be thrown on the smoker and given that extra layer of rich, woody, delicious flavor. For that matter, almost any consumable product could be afforded said opportunity, but the following three links are our go-tos when it comes to the smoker—meaning, they are always smoked, and they are never served fresh. These sausages emerge from the clouds with slightly taught skin and beautiful char marks that get our mouths watering and our nostrils flaring.

◁ Andouille

Sure, we like to stick to tradition when it comes to food, but on the other hand, it can also be fun to step out, take the road less traveled, and try something new every now and again. Any Louisiana native will immediately notice one major difference in our Andouille: i’ts noticeably smaller size, as opposed to the horseshoe-shaped full pound (455 g) link they’re used to back home. The flavors however, do come closer to the classic Cajun link. Our Andouille can be used in a variety of ways to add some incredible smoke and richness to any dish.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/8 (LARGE)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) pink salt

Pinch of ground white pepper

1/4 ounce (7 g) cumin

7/8 ounce (25 g) ancho chile powder

Pinch of cayenne

1/4 ounce (7 g) paprika

2 ounces (57 g) milk powder

1/4 cup (60 ml) ice water

Pinch of sliced scallions

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Grind the mixture once through a grinder on a large die.

3. Using your hands, add the scallions and mix them into the once-ground mixture. Once completely combined, grind the mixture through the grinder one more time on the same large die.

4. Add the ice water to the mixture and then use your hands to incorporate the water into the ground sausage mix. Combine it thoroughly, until the mixture becomes sticky and emulsified.

5. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

6. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long. Do not poke.

7. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

8. Smoke the sausages at 225°F (107°C) for 1 hour, or until the internal temperature is 150°F (65°C).

9. Cool the sausages completely and then snip them at the seams to separate them into links.

Summer Sausage

The first time that we decided to make Summer Sausage just so happened to fall on a pretty big day of the year: Super Bowl Sunday, which, oddly enough, is not in the summer. Because we had to order special casings for this particular type of sausage, we chose to go all out in light of the event and ordered football-shaped casings, laces and all. When we stuffed and then smoked the sausages and they came out looking like footballs, we were sure they would sell out quickly, and we were right—despite the fact that one of our employees accidentally labeled them “Surper Bowl Sausages” in our case. This smoky sausage pairs well with cheese and crackers, plenty of good beer, and of course, football.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/5 LINKS
DIE: 1/8 (SMALL)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) beef

1 ounce (28 g) mustard

2 ounces (57 g) garlic

1/3 ounce (9 g) coriander

1/8 ounce (4 g) red pepper flakes

1/8 ounce (4 g) black pepper

2 42–45 mm large hog casings

2. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

3. Grind the mixed ingredients four times through a grinder on a small die. Keep the mixture very cold during the grinding process; if the meat begins to lose its chill, return it to the refrigerator before continuing to grind.

4. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

5. Stuff the ground meat into a large hog casing and tie it off at the end. Twist into five 1-pound (455 g) links. Do not poke the links. The links should be around 12 inches (30.5 cm) in length.

6. Put the sausage in the fridge, uncovered, overnight to allow the sausage to set and the casings to dry out.

7. Smoke the sausages at 225°F (107°C) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

8. Cool the sausages completely. Slice thinly and use as a topping for pizza or sandwich meat.

◁ Porteroni

Porteroni is our version of a classic pepperoni, and it’s pretty much as simple as that. Although pepperoni is traditionally cured meat, our Porteroni is semi-cured and then smoked, giving it a similar consistency to that of pepperoni, and just as long of a shelf life. Pepperoni is usually made from a mixture of beef and pork—serving as a way to use up scraps of animals and turning it into one of our favorite pizza toppings—but for Porteroni we stick to purely beef. Try it on top of a pizza, as a filling for calzone, or even in an omelet! It brings a bold flavor to everything it touches.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/5 LINKS
DIE: 1/8 (SMALL)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) fatty beef

1 ounce (28 g) salt

1/2 ounce (14 g) pink salt

3/4 ounce (21 g) sugar

1/2 ounce (14 g) red pepper flakes

1/2 ounce (14 g) hot paprika

1/2 ounce (14 g) sweet paprika

1/4 ounce (7 g) cayenne

3/4 ounce (21 g) fennel seed, toasted and ground

3/4 ounce (21 g) garlic

2 42–45 mm large hog casings

2. In a bowl, mix the salt and pink salt together to create a cure.

3. In a large bowl, toss the fatty beef in the salt mixture, covering each piece. Put the beef in the fridge and cure it for two days.

4. Remove the beef from the fridge and using your hands, mix it together with the remaining ingredients.

5. Grind the mixed ingredients four times through a grinder on a small die. Keep the mixture very cold during the grinding process; if the meat begins to lose its chill, return it to the refrigerator before continuing to grind.

6. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

7. Stuff the ground meat into a large hog casing and tie it off at the end. Twist it into five 1-pound (455 g) links. Do not poke the links. The links should be around 12 inches (30 cm) in length.

8. Put the sausage in the fridge, uncovered, overnight to allow the sausage to set and the casings to dry out.

9. Smoke the sausages at 225°F (107°C) for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

10. Allow the sausages to cool completely. Slice thinly and use as a topping for pizza or sandwich meat.

THE SOUTHERNERS

If you took a survey of the southern half of the United States, you would likely find a wide variation in culture across the board. You would notice a difference in the local accents, a difference in the traditional food, a difference in the favored music, and even a difference in the common entertainment, which would vary from city to city, and state to state. But if there’s one thing that southerners all have in common, it’s their pride for being just that: Southern.

As a butcher shop that was born in Tennessee, our Southern pride is no different than any other Southern soul’s and we display our pride through our food—sausage included. These sausages show that they are Southern through the ingredients they require and the memories they evoke.

Whether it’s “Rocky Top” that’s your anthem, “Georgia on my Mind” that brings you right back home, or “Sweet Home Alabama” that gets your toe a-tappin’, any Southerner from any of our hot and humid states will feel a little more at home with the following recipes.

◁ Louisiana Hot Links

Back in Porter Road Butcher’s early days, we noticed an influx of customers hailing from New Orleans who continually patronized our shop. Coming from a land where fresh sausages and local butchers weren’t the same kind of novelty that ours was (and still is) in Nashville, they expected to find products in our case similar to those they would find in the meat markets from their homeland. And though we did have a mean Andouille to offer them, we received quite a few inquiries for spicy Louisiana links. So we obliged. Hey, it’s always fun to have an excuse to experiment! We found the list of ingredients on a grocery store reconnaissance, and soon our New Orleans native customers left the shop with a giant smile on their faces and fire in their eyes and bellies.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) black pepper

1/8 ounce (4 g) cayenne pepper

1/2 ounce (14 g) red pepper flakes

7/8 ounce (25 g) hot paprika

1/4 ounce (7 g) garlic powder

Pinch of allspice

Pinch of dried bay leaves

1/2 ounce (14 g) mustard seed

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

3. Using your hands, mix the ingredients again thoroughly until they become sticky and emulsified. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

4. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

5. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

6. Lightly poke each sausage link with a poking tool 3 or 4 times.

7. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

8. Snip the sausage at the seams to separate them into links.

◁ Memphis Sausage

Back in his college days, Chris Carter was known among his group of friends for being a whiz on the barbecue. He was skilled with cooking and grilling meat, and he and his friend’s original barbecue rub was loved by all who were fortunate to have a taste. Many years later when said friend, Chris Hudgens, was hired on as one of Porter Road Butcher’s first employees, Hudge immediately felt nostalgic to be working in the kitchen with his old barbecuing friend Carter, and even more so to be using that same BBQ rub in the shop. With the title of “sausage maker” handed to him after a few short months, Hudge couldn’t hold in his longing for Memphis BBQ much longer, and thus decided to pay tribute to his hometown with a Memphis-style BBQ Sausage. This link is one of our bestsellers during the summer months. It’s perfect for grilling and easily brings that big, bold, savory-sweet BBQ flavor to the party without all of the fuss.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/5 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1/3 ounce (9 g) fresh black pepper

1/3 ounce (9 g) white pepper

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

2 1/2 ounces (71 g) brown sugar

3/4 ounce (21 g) smoked paprika

1/4 ounce (7 g) red pepper flakes

3 1/3 ounces (94 g) scallions

1/4 ounce (7 g) garlic

1/4 ounce (7 g) ancho chile powder

1 ounce (30 ml) bourbon

1 ounce (28 g) mustard

1/2 ounce (14 g) honey

1/2 ounce (14 g) tomato paste

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

3. Add the wet ingredients (bourbon, mustard, honey, and tomato paste) to the ground mixture and mix thoroughly, until the mixture becomes sticky and emulsified. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

4. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

5. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

6. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

7. Snip the sausage at the seams to separate them into links.

◁ Boudin

Similar to chorizo, Boudin is a sausage that can’t firmly connect its name to one specific product or list of ingredients. The components that make up this sausage differ based upon the prefix or suffix that accompanies it, as well as the place of origin. Boudin noir, dark and red in appearance, is a “blood sausage” that actually necessitates pork blood in an effort to make the sausage rich, moist, and velvety in texture. Boudin blanc, on the other hand, eliminates blood from the equation and only uses white meat like chicken or other poultry. Our Boudin, unlike either of the formerly mentioned French-style Boudin sausages, has more Cajun tendencies, incorporating rice, pork liver, and hot sauce to bring out those beloved Louisiana flavors.

YIELD: 4 POUNDS (1.8 KG)/12 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

4 pounds (1.8 kg) pork

1 pound (455 g) pork liver

2 onions, roughly chopped

1/2 head celery, roughly chopped

1/2 red bell pepper, roughly chopped

10 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1/4 cup (60 ml) Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup (175 ml) hot sauce

3 bay leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons gumbo file powder

1 tablespoon (5.3 g) cayenne pepper

1/2 cup (120 g) Creole mustard

8 cups (1/2 gallon, [1.9 L]) pork stock

4 cups (780 g) medium-grain rice

3 1/3 ounces (100 g) scallions

1 1/4 ounces (35 g) fresh parsley

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Over medium-high heat, brown the pork in a large stockpot. Once browned, add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and cook until translucent.

3. Add the cubed pork livers and sauté until browned.

4. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the rice, scallions, and parsley, and simmer over low heat for 4 hours.

5. Using a colander or large strainer, strain the meat mixture from the cooking liquid. Be sure to reserve the cooking liquid—do not throw it out!

6. Set the mixture aside and cool it completely in the refrigerator overnight.

7. Meanwhile, bring the cooking liquid to a boil in a large pot with a lid. Add the rice to the liquid and reduce the heat to low. Replace the lid on the pot and cook the rice for 15 to 20 minutes, or according to the package instructions. Strain the excess cooking liquid (if any) and discard. Set aside the rice and let it cool completely overnight.

8. In the morning, add the rice to a large bowl and set it below the mouth of the grinder. Grind the cooled meat mixture once on a medium die, allowing it to fall into the bowl with the rice.

9. Using your hands, mix the rice and ground meat together until they are integrated. Finally, mix in the parsley and scallions with your hands until evenly distributed.

10. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

11. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

12. Lightly poke each sausage link 3 or 4 times with a poking tool.

13. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

14. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

Tennessee Mortadella

One reason we love Tennessee Mortadella is because of the juxtaposition of cultures that makes our brains spin as we try to make sense of it. Mortadella is the Italian grandfather of what we know in America as that uniform, circular, and bubblegum pink lunchmeat called “baloney.” Originating in Bologna, Italy, mortadella shares a skeleton with bologna, but it has undergone far less cosmetic-corrective surgery. mortadella is known for ingredients like chunks of fat, bright green pistachios, or even whole, un-ground spices that are suspended throughout the cylindrical meat, giving it beautiful texture and color. The lunchmeat now associated with the American south, on the other hand, is so overly processed, it looks perfectly smooth and lacks any inconsistencies. For this Tennessee-skewed version of Italian Mortadella, we crossed back over the pond to add some Southern flair: Tennessee whiskey and chunks of jowl bacon. Yeehaw!

YIELD: 10 POUNDS (4.5 KG)/1 LOG
DIE: 1/8 (SMALL)

10 pounds (4.5 kg) fatty beef

2 ounces (57 g) salt

1 ounce (28 g) pink salt

1 1/8 ounces (32 g) black pepper

1/2 ounce (14 g) white pepper

1/2 ounce (14 g) mustard powder

1/2 ounce (14 g) garlic

12.8 ounces (363 ml) Tennessee whiskey

1 1/2 pounds (680 ml) jowl bacon, unsliced

4.84 × 27-inch (12.3 × 68.5 cm) synthetic, fibrous casing

2. Mix the salts together to create a cure.

3. In a large bowl, toss the fatty beef in the salt mixture, covering each piece. Put the beef in the fridge and let it cure for two days.

4. Remove the beef from the fridge and using your hands, mix it together with the remaining ingredients, except for the whiskey and jowl bacon.

5. Grind the mixed ingredients four times through a grinder on a small die. Keep the mixture very cold during the grinding process; if the meat begins to lose its chill, return it to the refrigerator before continuing to grind.

6. Before grinding the meat for the fourth time, add the whiskey to it, and incorporate it with your hands. Grind it through a small die for the fourth time, allowing the whiskey to aid in emulsifying the meat.

7. Dice the jowl bacon into roughly 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Using your hands, incorporate it into the ground meat until it is evenly distributed. (This will allow large hunks of bacon to appear when the meat is later sliced, adding texture and visual interest.)

8. Using the largest sausage horn available, stuff the ground meat into a synthetic mortadella (or bologna) casing and tie it off at the end.

9. Create a water bath big enough to submerge the entire mortadella roll, and bring the water temperature up to 150°F (65°C). Note: A circulator is a tool that helps maintain the temperature of the water and is vital for this style of cooking.

Cook the mortadella for 6 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 150°F (65°C). Or fill a slow cooker full of water and set it to the highest setting. Submerge the mortadella in the water, taking care to tie the ends tightly to prevent water from seeping inside. After 2 hours, insert a thermometer into the center of the mortadella. Continue checking the mortadella every hour, until the internal temperature reaches 150°F (65°C). Remove it from the water and put it directly into an ice bath (a large bowl of ice water) to stop the cooking process.

10. Allow the mortadella to cool completely before removing the casing and/or slicing.

Nashville Hot Chicken Sausage

Nashville has become somewhat of a food festival mecca over the past decade or so, but no food festival holds a candle to the East Nashville Hot Chicken Festival, which takes place every year on the Fourth of July. In preparation for our first ever Hot Chicken Festival back in 2012, we created this sausage to rival our “real” hot chicken competitors, such as Prince’s, Hattie B’s, and Bolton’s. Even though we had beer on hand for the duration of the festival, nothing could quite tame our taste buds after feasting on a few of these fiery sausages. Word to the wise: beer is horrible for neutralizing a spicy mouth. Drinking milk or eating a piece of white bread is the most effective way to go.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/15 LINKS
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

4 1/2 pounds (2 kg) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered

1/2 pound (227 g) butter, 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) dice, frozen

1 1/2 ounces (43 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) freshly ground black pepper

1/8 ounce (4 g) cayenne pepper

1/2 ounce (14 g) red pepper flakes

7/8 ounce (25 g) hot paprika

1/4 ounce (7 g) garlic powder

Pinch of allspice

Pinch of dried bay leaves

1/2 ounce (14 g) mustard seed

29–32 mm hog casings

2. Separately, cut the butter into roughly 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes. Keep both the chicken and the butter very cold.

3. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together with your hands until they are equally distributed.

4. Grind the mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

5. Using your hands, mix the ingredients again, very thoroughly, until it becomes sticky and emulsified. (The sausage should stick to your hand when it’s turned upside down.)

6. Add the loose sausage mixture to the stuffer; pack it down to remove all of the air pockets.

7. Stuff the sausage into the hog casings and twist links 3 to 1 pound (455 g). (Generally, each sausage should be 5 to 6 inches [13 to 15 cm] long.)

8. Put the twisted links in the refrigerator, uncovered, and chill overnight to dry out the casings.

9. Snip the sausages at the seams to separate them into links.

10. Do not poke the sausages. Smoke the sausages at 225°F (107°C) for 1 hour, or until an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).

THE NOT-QUITE-SAUSAGE

Most definitions qualify sausage as ground meat mixed with spices, and then stuffed into some sort of cylindrical casing, but the qualifications for being both stuffed and cylindrical need not always apply. Pâté, chilled and spreadable meats often made from animal offal and fat, might not be the first thing that comes to mind at the mention of sausage, but at their foundation fit all of the truly necessary requirements. Pâté was born as a way of using what would otherwise be discarded meat; it necessitates fat as an ingredient; and vegetables, spices, and herbs are usually mixed in to add flavor and flair.

The difference? Pâté does not come in a casing. Pâté is cooked in a terrine, in a water bath, at a lower heat, and is then pressed and chilled before being eaten. Pâté is not usually grilled, sautéed, or broiled; but simply spread on crackers or toast and enjoyed with cheese. So while pâté still lives in the brotherhood of sausage, in reality the two are closer to cousins than first-of-kin.

◁ Tennessee Pâté

The not-quite-sausages we’ve selected for this book go in descending order of boldness to ease in any of you pâté rookies slowly. We like to call our Tennessee Pâté, “pâté for beginners,” because it contains no liver at all, but it still introduces the flavor, look, and consistency of a traditional pâté. Lacking that iron-y, and what some people consider to be undesirable flavor, we think this Southern version of the French favorite is pretty awesome.

PÂTÉ SPICE

Before you start, all three of our pâté recipes call for “Pâté Spice,” which is a mixture of spices that we always keep on hand.

1/4 ounce (7 g) ground cloves

1/4 ounce (7 g) ground nutmeg

1/4 ounce (7 g) ground ginger

1/4 ounce (7 g) ground coriander

3/8 ounce (11 g) ground cinnamon

Pinch of white pepper

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Store in a container with a lid in a cool, dry place at room temperature. Bon appétit!

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG) 2 PÂTÉ LOAVES
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

5 pounds (2.27 kg) pork

1/4 cup (75 g) salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) black pepper

3/8 ounce (11 g) pink salt

1/4 ounce (7 g) Pâté Spice (see recipe at left)

2 ounces (57 g) fresh parsley

Pinch of fresh thyme

1 3/4 ounces (50 g) garlic

5 1/4 ounces (149 g) chopped onion

1/4 cup (31 g) flour

4 eggs

1 cup (235 ml) cream

1/2 cup (118 ml) Tennessee whiskey, such as Jack Daniels

2. Mix all of the ingredients together, except for the eggs, cream, and whiskey.

3. Put the pork and spice mixture into the freezer until they are very cold, about 30 minutes.

4. Once the pork and spice mixture is thoroughly chilled, grind the pork mixture two times through a grinder on a medium die.

5. Add the eggs, cream, and whiskey, and mix everything together thoroughly with your hands.

6. Line a pâté terrine with oven-safe plastic wrap (available at most restaurant supply stores: try Darnell Wrap), leaving at least 6 inches (15 cm) of excess plastic wrap on all four sides. To receive a finished product that looks beautiful and clean, first fill your plastic-wrapped terrine with water and use the weight of the water to press the plastic wrap to the edges of the terrine. The bottom and the edges should be smooth, with as few wrinkles as possible. Pour out the water.

7. Now press the meat mixture into the terrine. Note: It can be helpful to hit the bottom of the terrine on the counter or floor, being mindful to not hit it too hard that it breaks or cracks, which will help pack the meat into the terrine.

8. Once the terrine is filled and the meat packed down, use your hands to smooth out the top, again creating an even layer. Then cover the top of the meat with the excess plastic wrap and fold the edges of the wrap in, around the other sides of the loaf.

9. Put the terrine into a larger, ovenproof vessel (such as a Dutch oven or deep casserole dish—something that is deep enough so that the terrine does not peek out over the top), and fill the vessel with water to create a water bath. The water level should almost reach the top edge of the terrine, but the top should still be dry and open to the heat of the oven.

10. Cook at 325°F (170°C) degrees for 1 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 150°F (65°C).

11. Carefully remove the water bath and terrine from the oven together. Then carefully remove the terrine from the water bath and discard the water.

12. Using bricks or other heavy objects, press the terrine at room temperature for 1 hour.

13. Finally, move the terrine to the refrigerator and continue to press it overnight.

Country Pâté

You’re getting there, you fearless pâté pioneer, you. You’re getting close to “the real thing.” Our Country Pâté has a liver-to-meat ratio of only 1:4, meaning the presence of liver is far inferior to that of the meat, thus this pâté has inserted itself as the middleman between a pâté pupil and a pâté purist. If you liked the Tennessee Pâté and you’re ready to take your taste buds to the next level, this recipe will slowly introduce the flavor of pork liver to your palate. Said to be the strongest in flavor out of commonly consumed animal liver, pork liver isn’t something that many people are comfortable diving right into. So, good for you for taking the first step! We know you’re going to love it.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/2 PÂTÉ LOAVES
DIE: 3/16 (MEDIUM)

1 pound (455 g) pork liver

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup (120 ml) whiskey

4 pounds (1.8 kg) pork

1/4 cup (75 g) salt

2 teaspoons pink salt

2 tablespoons (13 g) black pepper

2 tablespoons (14 g) Pâté Spice (see page 104)

2 tablespoons (5 g) fresh thyme

6 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh parsley

2 tablespoons (15 g) flour

1/2 cup (120 ml) cream

4 eggs

2. Add the onion and cook it until it’s translucent.

3. Being mindful of the flame, deglaze the pan with the whiskey.

4. Put the mixture in the freezer to cool, about 30 minutes.

5. Remove it from the freezer and add all of the remaining ingredients, except for the flour, cream, and eggs. Using your hands, combine the mixture thoroughly.

6. Add the flour, cream, and eggs and thoroughly combine with your hands.

7. Using a medium die, run the mixture through a grinder twice, using your hands to further emulsify and combine the mixture after each grinder run.

8. Line a pâté terrine with oven-safe plastic wrap (available at most restaurant supply stores: try Darnell Wrap), leaving at least 6 inches (15 cm) of excess plastic wrap on all four sides. To receive a finished product that looks beautiful and clean, fill a plastic-wrapped terrine with water and use the weight of the water to press the plastic wrap to the edges of the terrine. The bottom and the edges should be smooth, with as few wrinkles as possible. Pour out the water.

9. Press the meat mixture into the terrine. Note: It can be helpful to hit the bottom of the terrine on the counter or floor, being mindful to not hit it too hard that you break or crack it, which will help pack the meat into the terrine.

10. Once the terrine is filled and the meat is packed down, use your hands to smooth out the top, again creating an even layer. Then cover the top of the meat with the excess plastic wrap and fold the edges of the wrap in, around the other sides of the loaf.

11. Once the meat is sealed in the plastic wrap, put the terrine into a larger, ovenproof vessel (like a Dutch oven or a deep casserole dish—something that is deep enough so that the terrine does not peek out over the top), and fill the vessel with water to create a water bath. The water level should almost reach the top edge of the terrine, but the top should still be dry and open to the heat of the oven.

12. Cook at 325°F (163°C) for 1 1/2 hours, or until an internal temperature of 150°F (65°C).

13. Carefully remove the water bath and terrine from the oven together. Then carefully remove the terrine from the water bath and discard the water.

14. Using bricks or other heavy objects, press the terrine at room temperature for 1 hour.

15. Finally, refrigerate the terrine and continue to press it overnight.

Pork Liver and Bacon Pâté

Liver has a rich, iron-y taste that should be appreciated and celebrated rather than feared and avoided. The depth of flavor from this pork liver and bacon pâté is something to behold and love—plus, there’s bacon in it! Nobody can be afraid of bacon. The creamy, smooth texture of the pâté makes it feel like butter as it melts onto your tongue, leaving a sweet pork and smoky bacon taste in its wake. Pork Liver and Bacon Pâté pairs perfectly with something simple like a cracker or good piece of toast. A dollop of fig jam or a smear of mustard is also sure to make your taste buds happy.

YIELD: 5 POUNDS (2.27 KG)/2 PÂTÉ LOAVES
DIE: 1/8 (SMALL)

4 pounds (1.8 kg) pork liver

1 pound (455 g) bacon ends

1/2 pound (228 g) pork back fat

1/4 cup (75 g) salt

2 teaspoons pink salt

2 tablespoons (13 g) black pepper

2 tablespoons (14 g) Pâté Spice (see page 104)

2 tablespoons (8 g) fresh parsley

2 tablespoons (5 g) fresh thyme

1 medium onion, roughly chopped

6 cloves garlic

1 cup (235 ml) whiskey

2 tablespoons (15 g) flour

1/2 cup (118 ml) cream

4 eggs

2. Using your hands, mix the liver, back fat, spices, and herbs thoroughly and then place in the freezer to cool.

3. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until golden brown.

4. Add the onion and garlic to the pan with the bacon, and cook until it is translucent.

5. Being mindful of the flames, carefully deglaze the pan with the whiskey.

6. Add the bacon-and-onion mixture to the liver mixture from freezer. Mix well.

7. Return the mixture to the freezer and allow it to cool completely, about 30 minutes.

8. Once the mixture has cooled, grind it four times on a small die.

9. Using your hands, mix in the flour, cream, and eggs until thoroughly combined and incorporated.

10. Line a pâté terrine with oven-safe plastic wrap (available at most restaurant supply stores: try Darnell Wrap), leaving at least 6 inches (15 cm) of excess plastic wrap on all four sides. To receive a finished product that looks beautiful and clean, fill a plastic-wrapped terrine with water and use the weight of the water to press the plastic wrap to the edges of the terrine. The bottom and the edges should be smooth, with as few wrinkles as possible. Pour out the water.

11. Press the meat mixture into the terrine. Note: It can be helpful to hit the bottom of the terrine on the counter or floor, being mindful to not hit it too hard that it breaks or cracks. This will help pack the meat into the terrine.

12. Once the terrine is filled and the meat packed down, use your hands to smooth out the top, again creating an even layer. Then cover the top of the meat with the excess plastic wrap and fold the edges of the wrap in, around the other sides of the loaf.

13. Once the meat is sealed in the plastic wrap, put the terrine into a larger, ovenproof vessel (like a Dutch oven or a deep casserole dish—something that is deep enough so that the terrine does not peek out over the top), and fill the vessel with water to create a water bath. The water level should almost reach the top edge of the terrine, but the top should still be dry and open to the heat of the oven.

14. Cook at 325°F (170°C) degrees for 1 1/2 hours, or until an internal temperature of 150°F (66°C).

15. Carefully remove the water bath and terrine from the oven together. Then carefully remove the terrine from the water bath and discard the water.

16. Using bricks or other heavy objects, press the terrine at room temperature for 1 hour.

17. Finally, move it to the refrigerator and continue to press it overnight.