I bought this 8 lb shoulder butt last Thursday and an 8 lb boneless pork shoulder butt at the same time. It was so good that I bought another 8 lb shoulder butt later that same day. Naturally fed and grazed pork is good. It was on sale and it is good to eat. Don’t worry, be happy with your pork! It is better for the environment that the commercial dreck that you normally get. Look for the naturally fed and free ranging pigs at your local grocer. I bought 20 lbs of pork for $24.00. Great, great deal! Then I got to work grinding pork for sausage and ground pork for later. I made a marinated pork roast that was delish. Then I made the best carnitas I have ever tasted! YUM!
Grinding pork or any meat into, well, ground meat takes a grinder. I have an Oster Kitchen Center from the 1970′s that has a grinder attachment. I also have a manual grinder if the power “fails”. Grinding meat and adding some herbs and spices is a great thing to do. It is easy and customizes sausage to your tastes. You can make any sausage as spicy, hot , herby, or mild as you wish, AND you leave out all the bad chemicals that most sausages contain. I never liked the sausage in a roll that seems to be standard fare.
Breakfast Sausage
1 lb ground pork
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground fresh
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Mix together well and freeze on a cookie sheet in 1/8 cup (or just a good handful) patties and then place in a ziploc freezer bag and use as needed. Grill in skillet or on an electric grill until browned on both sides.
Mild Italian Sausage
1 lb ground pork
Add together:
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp white sugar
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
1 T fresh rosemary, minced
1 T fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp fresh oregano, minced
1/2 tsp fresh French tarragon, minced
2 tsp cold water
Toss the spices and herbs together in the water and add to the ground pork. Mix well and make small 1/4 lb patties and freeze as above.
Hot Italian Sausage
1 lb ground pork
Add together:
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sea salt
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp cayenne powder or chili or ??? something hot! (I might even add some minced hatch chilies in season)
1 T crushed fennel seeds
1 T Hungarian Paprika
2-3 T parsley or cilantro, minced depending on what you are going for
add some liquid, either 1/4 Cup cold red wine, or water, or some spirit to your liking
Mix the herbs and spices with the liquid and mix into the ground pork really well. Form into 1/ 4 lb patties and freeze as above.
The object here is to have sausage for breakfast, in a recipe, an Italian dish, pizza or ??? These patties will cook well either in a skillet or on an electric grill (I LOVE mine!).
EASY PEASY CARNITAS
This recipe is courtesy of Diana Kennedy by way of Homesick Texan.
3 lbs pork butt
1 C orange juice
3 C water
2 tsp sea salt
Cut pork in 3″ X 1″ strips and place in a dutch oven with a lid (I used the shoulder bone, too). Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil and then turn down, put the lid on and slow cook until done and crispy.
This is so cool. The water cooks out and the fat renders down and the pork gets brown! YUM! If you don’t get enough fat, add some LARD!
Do I need to tell you what to do with this heavenly meat? Make carnitas!!! Use it in some brilliant Mexican concoction you’ve just made up! It is delicious!
8 Comments
Good pork does make outstanding carnitas, Scotia. I also like the idea of making one’s own sausage – I would love Italian sausage were it not for the fennel. There is something in my palate’s taste center that doesn’t like fennel – or anise, or licorice, or any of that family.
I wish I could find good hormone-and-antibiotic-free pork. Even at Whole Foods, good pork seems to be in short supply. I dearly love good pork loin – with spiced applesauce and sauerkraut on the side.
Try these people and see if they can get you some pork:
Roy’s Natural Market
130 Preston Royal VIllage
Dallas, TX
(214) 987-0213?
The wonderful thing about making your own sausage is that you can add or subtract anything that does or doesn’t appeal to you! I don’t like the casings-I don’t put my pork in them!
I too love really good pork loin, applesauce and sauerkraut.
I made the carnita meat out of 4 lbs and packaged it in 1 lb ziploc bags and froze them. I now have a great meal for two (or more) to heat up with some tortillas, pepper jack cheese, pickled red onion, pickled jalapenos, cilantro, maybe salsa or guacamole? Maybe some Mexican rice on the side? It’s all goood.
Here’s another Texas place-door to door- http://www.texasgrassfedbeef.com/
drchelo,
A question…do you also not like cilantro? What other flavors do you not like? I am really curious. I really really do not like fresh sage. I think it smells like soapy fish, ICK! The older ground sage is great in limited dishes (mainly my Mother’s corn bread turkey stuffing). I find it very interesting what herbs and spices we humans like and don’t like! An outdoor cat I had loved parsley and would eat it after he ate his dinner of cat food.
I like cilantro! I must admit, though, that although I love the aroma, I do not like the taste of basil. Not even lemon basil. I’ve tried, but it just doesn’t agree with me.
I’m not fond of anise or fennel, either.
I love cilantro! But the licorice-type flavor of anise and fennel just does not sit well with me.
I like the smell of burning sage, and I like dried sage in small pinches, and I like fresh parsley in small amounts. I cannot taste dried parsley at all – is there any use for dried parsley other than compost heaps?
Color. That’s about all it’s good for.
I understand that we all have brain receptors for different tastes so that may be a reason for our likes and dislikes. I could roll in a field of rosemary forever!
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