The Best Maple Breakfast Sausage

June 7, 2020 Tracy Lauth Breakfast, Thanksgiving 0

By Chef Tracy Lauth
Breakfast-Maple-SausageDownload

This simple and easy, make-ahead breakfast sausage will soon be your favorite go-to breakfast item.

I suggest using twenty percent fat by weight as a good ratio.  Sausage requires fat for flavor and tenderness.  Without it, your sausage will be dry.  I use untrimmed boneless pork shoulder roast.  It’s an inexpensive cut of meat that often is on sale.  I look for the buy one, get one free then freeze the extra for later use. 

If the pork is too lean, add 8 ounces of pork belly or bacon. You will want to adjust the salt if using bacon.  Chef Trick: Using well-chilled or partially frozen meat is easier to cut into cubes.

TIME:     90 minutes

Yields:   40 x 2 ½ “ patties

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 pounds     Pork (20 to 25 percent fat by weight) cut into 1” cubes
  • 1 T               Dried sage
  • 2 T               Kosher salt or 1 T fine sea salt (reduce if adding bacon)
  • 1½ t             Freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ t               Ground nutmeg
  • ½ t               Ground coriander
  • ½ t               Cayenne pepper
  • 2/3 c            Maple Flakes or maple syrup
  • 2 T               Champagne Vinegar
  • Extra-virgin olive oil

PREPARATION

  1. Cut pork into 1” cubes and place in large bowl.  Set aside.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  3. Mix sage, maple flakes, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, coriander and cayenne.  Stir to combine.
  4. If using maple syrup, pour over meat and stir until covered evenly
  5. Pour champagne vinegar over meat (You can substitute apple cider vinegar if you do not have champagne vinegar)
  6. Pour spice mixture over meat and stir until covered evenly
  7. Spread mixture onto parchment lined baking sheet and place in freezer for twenty minutes.  Meat should be firm but not frozen.
  8. Using a fine blade, grind the mixture. I have a Kitchen Aid meat grinder as well as my great-grandmothers hand grinder.  The Kitchen Aid is much faster and easier.
  9. Heat a cast-iron pan with olive oil over medium heat. Use a heaping tablespoon of pork mixture form a small ball, flatten to ½” thick sausage patty. Cook and taste. Add salt or any other seasonings to the uncooked sausage mixture.  Repeat until your preferred taste.
  10. Using a stand mixer, mix to combine (I use my dough hook). Don’t skip this step.  It will make your sausage smoother texture.
  11. Divide and form the remaining sausage into 2 1/2-inch patties, placing them on a prepared baking sheet as you go. Chef Trick to making a consistent size: Use a 2” ice cream scooper. Roll by hand to form ball.  Flatten and place on prepared sheet pan. Cover, and chill for 30 minutes.
  12. Patties can be made ahead, covered and refrigerated or frozen until ready to use. Chef Trick: I pre-cook mine then freeze and pull as I need them.