Sausage (original, Jalapeno & Cheese) Recipe

Chill everything

Put the cubed pork shoulder and fatback in the freezer for 20–30 minutes until very cold but not frozen solid. Chill the bowl and grinder plates if possible. Cold meat ensures a clean grind and helps the mixture bind.

While meat chills, rinse and soak hog casings in warm water for at least 30 minutes, then run water through them to remove salt. Keep them in cool water until ready to use.

First grind

Assemble a meat grinder with a medium (6–8 mm) plate. Working quickly, grind the chilled pork shoulder and fatback together into a bowl set in ice. Return ground meat to the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes if it warmed up.

Season

In a small bowl, combine kosher salt, curing salt (if using), black pepper, smoked paprika, minced garlic, and sugar. Sprinkle the seasoning over the cold ground meat.

Final grind (optional for finer texture)

For a finer texture, pass the seasoned meat through the grinder again using the same or finer plate. Keep mixture cold between passes.

Emulsify/bind

Transfer the seasoned ground meat to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. With the mixer on low, add ice water in a slow steady stream (about 1/4 cup) while mixing for 1–2 minutes until the mixture becomes sticky and tacky (the proteins are developing a binder). Do not overheat—the mixture should stay cold. If mixing by hand, fold and press repeatedly to develop tackiness.

Divide base

Weigh or eyeball the total base and divide into three portions: about half for Original plain links, and the remaining half split between Jalapeño & Cheese and a second flavored portion (if making both jalapeño-cheese and original only, allocate ~5 links worth plain and ~3 links jalapeño-cheese). For this recipe: divide into ~5 parts original (about 62.5%) and ~3 parts jalapeño-cheese (about 37.5%).

Prepare jalapeño & cheese mix

To the portion reserved for jalapeño & cheese, fold in the finely diced jalapeños, cold cubed cheddar, and chopped cilantro (if using). Mix gently but thoroughly so the cheese pieces are distributed evenly. Minimize pressure so cheese cubes keep their shape and do not melt into the meat.

Mount casing and test

Fit your sausage stuffer with a medium funnel. Lubricate the funnel with a little vegetable oil. Slide a length of casing onto the funnel, leaving a tail of casing. Tie the end of the casing in a loose knot or secure with kitchen twine. With a small amount of meat, make a test sausage about 3–4" long and poach it in simmering water (160°F / 71°C) for 10 minutes to check seasoning. Adjust salt/pepper if needed and correct the rest of the mix.

Fill the stuffer with the plain sausage mixture first for the number of plain links desired. Hold the casing loosely and feed meat through steadily, being careful to avoid large air pockets. Fill until you have a continuous tube of desired thickness (about 1"–1.25" diameter).

Repeat the stuffing process with the jalapeño & cheese mixture and any remaining portions. Keep the casings under slight tension to fill evenly but avoid overstuffing.

Link and rest

Twist sausages into links of about 4–5 inches. Twist adjacent links in opposite directions to lock. Prick any large air pockets with a sterilized pin to release trapped air. Place finished links on a tray, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let proteins relax and bind.

Cooking options

There are several ways to finish the sausages: - Grilling: Preheat grill to medium. Grill sausages over indirect heat first to bring internal temp to 150°F (66°C), then sear briefly over direct heat to color. Total time ~12–18 minutes depending on thickness. - Pan-sear then oven: Brown sausages in a skillet over medium heat 3–4 minutes per side, then finish in a 350°F (175°C) oven until internal temperature reaches 160–165°F (71–74°C), about 10–15 minutes. - Poach then sear (gentlest): Simmer sausages in water or beer at 160–170°F (71–77°C) until internal temp 150°F (66°C), then sear in a hot pan for color.

Internal temperature

Cook sausages to an internal temperature of 160–165°F (71–74°C) for pork. For safety and best texture use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part.

Serving

Serve Original links plain or with mustard and rolls. Serve Jalapeño & Cheese links in buns or sliced, topped with extra diced jalapeño, cilantro, or pickled onions as desired.