MAKING BREAKFAST SAUSAGE is an old family tradition for us. My grandpa's family used to raise their own hogs, and when it came time for butchering day, they made sure that nothing went to waste. All parts of the animal were used—for hams, bacon, lard, and sausage. My grandpa was in charge of making the breakfast sausage—a tradition he passed on to us.
Breakfast sausage is a loose sausage that hasn't been cured, which makes it appropriate for a home cook. My grandpa's recipe was typically Texan in that it was seasoned with sage. While there is nothing finer than a basic breakfast sausage, I find it's an excellent base for other flavors, such as the smoky notes of bacon and smoked paprika and bittersweet tones of molasses. This isn't exactly my grandpa's breakfast sausage, but I'm sure he would have enjoyed it just fine.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 1 1/2 cups; Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Stir together the pork, bacon, molasses, smoked paprika, brown sugar, salt, sage, and black pepper until well combined.
Step 2
Heat up a skillet over medium heat and cook a small spoonful of the sausage for a couple of minutes on each side. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary.
Step 3
Once you're satisfied with the flavor balance, refrigerate the mixture for an hour for the flavors to come together. To cook the sausage, form it into 2-inch-wide, 1/4-inch-thick patties and fry over medium-high heat until both sides are brown and crisp, 5 minutes per side.
Step 4
The sausage will keep in the refrigerator for a week uncooked, and it can also be frozen uncooked for 3 months.
