Pork and Cider Sausages

Pork and Cider Sausages are great for breakfast but even better on the barbeque and then stuffed in a ciabatta bread with some home made pickles.  You have to remember to save a bottle of cider which is the only snag really and then you get to finish the cider whilst making the sausages so it's not so bad.

This recipe assumes that you have already read, understood and absorbed the basics of sausage making.

Ingredients

1.8kgs of Pork, ideally half shoulder meat and half belly (the offcuts from Jarvo's Bacon) but not crucial.
1 Tbsp fresh chopped Thyme and 1 Tbsp fresh chopped Sage (or 3 Tbsp mixed dried herbs)
1/2 Tsp ground Nutmeg
1 Tbsp dried mustard powder
1 Tbsp white pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp salt
100g Breadcrumbs
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
100ml Cider

Mince the pork finely, 5mm then spread it out on the table and combine well with the ingredients.  The best way is to spread half out on top of the mince, mix it together well by hand then repeat with the other half.  When it's well combined place it in a plastic food grade container in a cool place or the fridge if you have room to rest for at least 2 hours although overnight is better.  Ensure that you put something under the meat to allow any liquid to drain off as soggy meat is naff when making the actual sausages.

It's important when sausage making that the meat is as cool as possible and the grinder as well.  The next day we make the sausages themselves.  The casings are soaked in water for at least an hour after K has firstly untangled them and then run water through them.  Using your medium nozzle wet it thoroughly and slide the skin onto the nozzle.  Before tying off the end of the casing, push some meat through to almost the exit point to clear air from the nozzle. The knot must be as tight as you can tie it, do a double then fold the skin over and tie another double, this is known as a bubble knot.  Leave enough string to let yourself tie the two ends of the sausage together to hang them.  Now the filling. Use a steady turn and allow the sausages to fill fully keeping hands and table top wet.  At the required length for each sausage about 10cms twist it 4 times and then fill the next one.  At the correct length stop and twist 4 times in the opposite direction and continue till you have s string of 4 sausages then cut the skin cut and tie off again with a bubble knot.  If you intend to freeze the sausages, let them hang for a day in a cool place then bag and freeze.  If cooking in a pan, preheat a little oil over a medium heat, prick the sausages all over with a needle and then cook till golden brown all over.