Green Garlic and Herb Sausage

By jkenb

Ingredients

• 3 lb. pork shoulder or butt with plenty of fat (I used a cut labeled as 'grilling strips for carnitas,' and it had plenty enough fat for this sausage)
• 31/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. green garlic shoots, finely chopped, including bulb (can substitute 11/2 Tbsp. minced garlic cloves)
• 11/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 2 Tbsp. cilantro
• 1 tsp. fresh sage, finely chopped

Preparation

Step 1

Using a large chef's knife, cut pork into 1-inch cubes and place in a large bowl or dish. Mix in salt, pepper, green garlic, red pepper flakes, cilantro and sage. (This is less salt than the traditional ratio of 60 parts meat to 1 part salt that most charcuterie makers called for, but I found the original ratio too strong. Always undersalt first. You can add more later.) Cover with a towel and place in the freezer for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for at least an hour to chill. (Place food processor parts in the fridge, too.)
Once meat is thoroughly chilled but not frozen, reassemble food processor and add 1/3 of the meat mixture. Pulse eight to 10 times, for 20 to 30 seconds in total, until meat is in small pieces. (Continue processing if you want a smoother texture for patties, links or stuffing into casings.)
Process the rest of the meat in batches and put all the meat in the same large bowl. Add 1/2 cup ice-cold water, which can be replaced by beer, wine or vinegar if you choose. Combine with a large wooden spoon, your hands or a large stand-up mixer until well combined and sticky, about a minute or two (just 30 seconds or so if using a mixer.)
Roll into meatballs, shape into patties or leave loose and sauté, until well browned on the outside. (For adventurous cooks, you can also stuff sausage into hog casings using the stuffer attachment on your stand-up mixer or a commercial stuffer. See austin360.com/relishaustin for a how-to guide.) Store in the fridge for up to four days and in the freezer for up to six weeks.