Italian Sausage by Moons - Casing Free/Low Fat
1 boneless pork boston butt, relatively lean, about 5 pounds
You tell the butcher to grind it once on coarse, then AGAIN on fine
If you want it really low fat, tell him to remove all visible fat first3 Tablespoons of fennel seed
2 Tablespoons of Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Salt
1 Tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes (reduce amount by half for mild)
All you do is mix this THOROUGHLY and well, using your bare hands (yes, they will freeze but just cope). Form it in patties or into sausage shapes compacting well. You don't need casings for this....lay out the shapes on wax paper and put them in the freezer, removing when firm (an hour or two) to place into zip lock freezer bags. To smoke them, just take the newly formed shapes and put on the smoker grill for about 30 minutes, checking center to make sure they are cooked through. You can also freeze these and then use them months later to slice when still a tiny bit frozen to use on homemade pizza or serve with onion and roasted red pepper sauteed in olive oil with a bit of spaghetti sauce added for a great sandwich on hard rolls.