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Italian Salsiccia Sausage Recipe

Italian Salsiccia Sausage Recipe

Salsiccia is a type of Italian sausage prepared using minced or ground pork meat, pork fat and several spices. The mixture is then filled into a natural pork or sheep casing, and it is hardly ever cured or smoked. The sausage is usually sold fresh and is planned for grilling or frying.

Apart from pork, Salsiccia can also be prepared using beef, rabbit or even seafood ingredients. They are generally well seasoned with various spices including pepper, fennel, ground paprika, parsley, anise, coriander, nutmeg, and even red wine are added to it.

Salsiccia is not just popular within Italy but is also widely loved and consumed in the United States. In the US salsiccia is largely familiar as a pork sausage spiced with fennel or anise. In 1998, the Salsiccia di Calabria sausage also received DOP certification.

salsiccia in a pan with salad on a plate

Origin & Cultural Significance

Despite of some disambiguation, the creation of actual salsiccia is believed to have been in the region of Basilicata. However, the consumption of fresh sausages has become so common that almost every Italian region has its own salsiccia kind. The major difference is just the choice of meat, amount of fat, and spices.

Salsiccia can be served as a main dish, used as a sandwich filling, a topping on traditional pizzas, or used as an ingredient in pasta sauces or casseroles. Italians consume salsiccia throughout the year.

Italian salsiccia in a pan

Italian Salsiccia Recipe

Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

Ingredients

Meat for 1 kg Salsiccia:

  • 70% pork shoulder - 700g
  • 30% pork back fat - 300g

Spices per 1 kg meat:

  • Salt - 20g
  • Pepper - 2g
  • Allspice - 1g
  • Fennel seeds - 7g (according to preference)
  • Mace - 0.5g
  • Rosemary - 1g
  • Fresh garlic - 10g
  • Bay leaf - 0.5g
  • Juniper berries - 0.5g
  • White wine - 42g

Instructions

  1. The first step is to cut the meat into strips or cubes. The size of the chopped cubes or strips is totally dependent on the size of your grinder and can completely vary. Transfer the meat to a medium-sized bowl.
  2. Next, take the garlic, peel it, and make a fine paste of it. Now, take all other spices and grind them into a very fine powder.
  3. Add the prepared powder and garlic paste to the bowl containing meat and combine well. Make sure the meat is properly covered in spices from all sides.
  4. Once mixed properly, put the bowl into the freezer and leave it undisturbed for 1-2 hours. This step is important as it will not let the prepared mixture get too warm, which in turn will make sure that your grinding process later takes place smoothly.
  5. After 1-2 hours, take out the meat and start grinding it in the grinder. It is completely okay to let the sausage go through the grinder twice if you prefer it finer in texture or have a coarser disc.
  6. It’s time to add in the white wine. Remember to mix it well for at least 3-5 minutes.
  7. Now, start kneading the meat. You can either use a food processor having a kneading attachment or you can knead it using your bare hands. This step makes sure that the sausage meat binds properly later and that the sausage doesn’t crumble.
  8. Place the casing onto your sausage stuffer and stuff the mass into the casings. Keep in mind to allow as little air as possible to be trapped in it. It is very important to not fill the casing completely, or else it will end up bursting while roasting.
  9. It’s finally time to connect the sausages. It is completely on you to decide the size of your salsiccia. Place the sausage between your thumb and forefinger. Now, rotate it away from you, then move to the next link and repeat.
  10. In case there’s any air trapped within, pierce the sausage using a needle. This will not just help to open the air holes but will also stop the sausage from bursting later while grilling.
  11. Separate the individual links and done! You can either grill or fry in a pan and your sausage is ready.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 7 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 407Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 128mgSodium: 1202mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 35g

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