Housemade Sausage - Jalapeno Recipe

Chill and cube

Trim any silver skin from the pork shoulder and fatback. Cut into roughly 1-inch cubes. Place meat and fat on a tray and refrigerate or briefly freeze until very cold but not frozen solid (about 20–30 minutes). Cold meat grinds cleaner and gives better texture.

While meat chills, prepare casings: place natural hog casings in a bowl of cool water for at least 30 minutes, then flush both ends with running water to remove salt. Keep casings in cool water until ready to stuff.

Deseed and roughly chop the jalapeños. If you prefer more heat, reserve some seeds and membranes and add them later. Finely chop shallot and cilantro. Mince garlic and zest the lime.

In a small bowl combine kosher salt, black pepper, ground coriander, ground cumin, smoked paprika and brown sugar. Stir to mix evenly.

Assemble a meat grinder fitted with a medium (3/8-inch) plate and keep the grinder and bowl chilled. Feed chilled pork shoulder and fatback through the grinder into a chilled bowl. For a coarser texture, you may grind twice.

To the freshly ground meat add the chopped jalapeños, shallot, garlic, cilantro, lime zest and the reserved dry spice mix. Add apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup of the ice water initially.

Mix thoroughly by hand or with a stand mixer on low speed using the paddle attachment — mix until the proteins start to tack and the mixture becomes sticky and uniform, about 2–4 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup ice water gradually if the mixture feels dry. Taste a small patty cooked in a skillet and adjust seasoning if necessary (add more salt, sugar, or lime zest to balance).

Fit your sausage stuffer with a medium tube and slide a length of rinsed casing onto the tube leaving a 6-inch tail. Tie off the far end of the casing with kitchen twine or make a loose knot.

Fill the hopper with the sausage mixture and apply even pressure to fill the casing. Avoid overfilling — the casing should be firm but not stretched. Leave short air gaps and squeeze them out as you go. Fill to desired link length (about 4–6 inches). Twist links in alternating directions to separate.

If any tears occur, patch with a small piece of casing or pinch closed and re-knot. Prick any large air bubbles with a sterile needle to release trapped air.

Once stuffed, refrigerate the sausages uncovered on a tray for at least 2 hours or up to overnight to let flavors meld and casings dry slightly.

To cook immediately: heat a skillet over medium heat and add 1 tsp neutral oil. Add sausages and cook 10–12 minutes, turning frequently, until evenly browned and internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C). Alternatively you can gently poach sausages in simmering water (not boiling) for 10–12 minutes then finish on a hot grill or skillet for color (2–3 minutes per side).

Let sausages rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with extra jalapeño slices or chopped cilantro if desired.

Uncooked sausages can be refrigerated up to 48 hours or frozen up to 3 months (flash-freeze on a tray, then vacuum pack or wrap tightly). Thaw in refrigerator before cooking.