Description
Making homemade summer sausage is easier than you think! This recipe delivers a rich, smoky, and perfectly seasoned sausage that’s great for snacking, sandwiches, or charcuterie boards. Using a combination of beef and pork, this guide walks you through the curing, stuffing, and smoking process to create a delicious, traditional summer sausage right at home.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 lbs ground beef (70% lean)
- 1 lb ground pork (30% fat)
- 1 tbsp Prague Powder #1 (curing salt)
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp buttermilk powder (optional, for tangy flavor)
- 1 tbsp liquid smoke (if not using a smoker)
- ¼ cup ice water
- Fibrous casings
Instructions
- Prepare the Meat: Chill the meat for 30 minutes, then grind it using a medium plate.
- Mix the Seasonings: Combine all spices, curing salt, and buttermilk powder, then mix them into the ground meat. Add ice water to help with binding.
- Cure the Mixture: Cover the mixture and refrigerate for 12-24 hours to allow flavors to develop.
- Stuff the Casings: Soak fibrous casings in warm water for 30 minutes, then stuff them with the meat mixture, pressing out air pockets.
- Smoke the Sausage: Preheat the smoker to 130°F, then gradually increase the temperature to 165°F over 4-6 hours until the sausage reaches 155°F internally.
- Cool and Rest: Immediately transfer the sausages to an ice bath for 2 hours, then refrigerate overnight before slicing.
Notes
- If baking instead of smoking, cook at 170°F in the oven with a shallow pan of water.
- Allow the sausage to rest before slicing for the best texture.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-6 hours
- Category: Snack/Appetizer
- Method: Smoking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12-24
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 500mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 2g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 12g
- Cholesterol: 0mg