Home-made Pork breakfast sausage & Gravy recipe

Last spring I purchased a whole Pig from a local farmer. Part of my meat order included an abundance of ground pork. I had already been on the search for sausage recipes and this was a great opportunity to start experimenting.

Here are some recipes I found on line... My changes are in bold Italics

This first recipe is the one I used for the biscuits and gravy recipe I mentioned last week. My family really liked it. I can not give a full review as I was under the weather and not in the mood to eat.

homemade breakfast sausage patties
(original recipe link above)

Ingredients

    ½ teaspoon garlic powder

    ¼ teaspoon onion powder

    ½ teaspoon ground thyme

    ½ teaspoon crushed fennel seeds (I omitted because I did not have them)

    3 teaspoons rubbed sage

    1 teaspoon kosher salt

    ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I substituted chili powder)

    pinch cloves

    grating of fresh nutmeg

    1 pound ground pork

    1 tablespoon maple syrup (I omitted due to wanting a savory sausage)

    2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon extra for frying

Instructions

    In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, fennel, sage, salt, red pepper flakes, cloves and nutmeg.

    Place the pork in another bowl; drizzle over the syrup and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Add the spices to the pork and mix to combine. Rinse your hands (having wet hands makes shaping the patties easier) and form the meat into patties, about 2-1/2 inches round.

    In a nonstick skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the patties and cook until the patties are completely cooked through and golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Drain the patties on paper towels and serve.

Homemade Breakfast Sausage
Original recipe link   Here

This second recipe I have used multiple times. I have adapted it many ways depending on the flavor profile I was wanting. Savory vs a sweet or mild vs spicy. It is always a hit :)

1 lb. ground pork
1 Tbs. fresh thyme, finely chopped ( I used dried)
1 Tbs. fresh cilantro, finely chopped ( I used dried) 
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. dijon mustard
1/2 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 Tbs. kosher salt
1 tsp. ancho chili powder (I omitted)
 1 tsp. cayenne pepper ( I substituted Chili powder)
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. grated nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Form into eight 2" wide, 1/2" thick patties

Back to Basics Mom's review:  

This is super good!

First I did not use ancho chili powder or Cayenne but just 1 tsp of regular chili powder.

I also did some without the brown sugar and it tasted a lot like Jimmy dean. 

Gravy Recipe for Biscuits n Gravy Printable here
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons of flour
2 Cups of Milk
Salt and Pepper

In a Medium sauce pan melt butter. Add Flour and let simmer for a minute or so.Slowly add milk whisking as you pour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add cooked ground sausage. Bring to a boil and let thicken to desired consistency whisking from time to time.

Do NOT walk away from this for too long as it can burn!  

Serve over your favorite Biscuits...

Biscuits-N-Gravy

I discovered the joys of Biscuits n gravy when my now Hubby and I first moved in together. I had never had it nor even heard of it before then. He requested it one morning and I said "what's that?" so I did some research and started making canned biscuits and a gravy similar to what I make now with a purchased savory sausage. We enjoyed it but over the evolution of my scratch cooking I have discovered a better way (at least better for us).

I discovered this recipe on allrecipes.com a few years ago. I love it because it's pretty easy and my family loves it because they are YUMMY!

This is a double batch...

My Printable

Here is how I make them...

Ingredients:
2 cups of self rising flour (how to make your own below!)
1/2 cup of butter
2/3 cup of buttermilk (I'll talk about substitutions below)

1st preheat your oven to 450 degrees

Measure out your flour into a decent sized mixing bowl. Cutting in the flour can make a mess! I slice the butter while it's super cold into thin slices then roll it around to coat it with flour (a tip I learned from Alton Brown on one of his pie crust episodes)

Using your favorite pastry blender (or 2 butter knives) "cut in" the butter. You could also do this in a food processor and just pulse a few times being careful not to overwork the dough. (If my processor was full capacity I would definitely try it!)

 When the mixture looks grainy and no piece of butter is larger than a pea you are ready to add your liquid.

You may need a bit more liquid than the recipe calls for, just add cold water a tablespoon at a time. You want to work the dough as little as possible but all the flour should be incorporated and the dough should be a bit sticky.

I then use my largest scoop (about a 1/4 cup size)  to portion out my biscuits onto my large baking stone (pan must have sides as the butter will ooze when cooking!) If using a metal pan grease it or use Parchment paper!

This is a double batch

After They are all portioned out I press them down a bit. I dip my fingertimp in water so they will not stick :)


Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden...

Putz factor... 3 because of cutting in the butter.

 OK heres the scoop on Self Rising Flour... it is SUPER easy to make your own! No need to purchase and store yet another baking supply!

for 1 cup of self rising flour you need:

1 cup of all purpose flour with 2 teaspoons removed
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt

whisk to blend... That's it!



Buttermilk Substitutions...

Here is my favorite substitution. I use it in pancakes, these biscuits and any recipe that calls for buttermilk. I also often transfer it to an airtight container as it is prone to absorbing moisture. When it gets lumpy it does not work as well.

Buttermilk powder

I measure this out and add it in with the dry ingredients then just add the amount of water that you would have used if you'd had buttermilk.

Another substitution is to add a bit of vinegar or lemon juice to milk.  find some good tips here...



So, next time you need some biscuits give these a try!

Gravy /Sausage recipe coming soon!




FYI as of the date I posted this I do not get any compensation for posting links to products or other website links.

Meal plan March 23rd - March 29th 2014

We will be trying a bunch of "new to us" recipes over the next few weeks. I have added links to the original sources so those awesome bloggers can  get the credit!I probably will alter many of the recipes a bit to suit my family's taste

The end of the week will be busy with a band concert for the girl and I am out of town Friday evening - late Saturday afternoon so the family will be eating Freezer meals, Yay for them and no worries for me! :)    Side note, I'm so happy to be spending some relax / scrapping time with 2 of my favorite gal pals! ;) Wahoo!
 
Sunday - Meatloaf  See my post here for details 
Monday - Cheesy Chicken and Rice casserole NEW!  See recipe here

Tuesday - Baked Pork Chops NEW!   see recipe here
Wednesday - Teriyaki Chicken (in the Crock Pot) NEW!  See recipe here
Thursday - Quesadillas  NEW! See recipe here

Friday - Ravioli & Garlic bread (leftover from the freezer) See recipe here
Saturday - Sheppard's pie (Made ahead from the freezer) See my recipe here  and See my original post here  :)

Breakfast this morning was a family favorite... Biscuits and gravy... (recipes coming soon)