Sausage and Peppers

One of my favorite meals of all time is Sausage and Peppers with Rigatoni.  If you have read my "What's In Your Beef" blog, you are aware of my serious distaste for all purchased ground meat products.  So as a special treat I will make homemade sausage.  So, with the following recipe you can go ahead and make your own sausage (which is surprisingly easy, and super tasty).  Or you can skip this part, buy your favorite Italian sausage (sweet, spicey or a combo of both) and it is up to you if you want to take it out of the casing and use it loose (like I have done) or you can roast it as whole links and slice it when cooled and add it to the sauce.  Your Choice!

Homemade Italian Sausage
Ingredients:

2lbs Pork (I used center cut pork chops because they were on sale and looked good)

4oz Pork Fat (find this at a good butcher, buy a few pounds, divide it into small packs, vacuum seal it and freeze it for just these kinds of situations.  If you cannot find pork fat, just find the fattiest pieces of pork possible and up the overall total weight of pork to 2 1/4 lbs)

1 1/4 Tbl Salt

1 Tbl Sugar

1 Tbl Fennel Seed, Whole

1/2 Tbl Coriander, Ground

1 1/4 Tbl Sweet Paprika (aka Hungarian Paprika)

1/4 Tsp - 1 Tsp Chili Flakes (depends on how spicy you like it)

2 Tbl Oregano, Dried

2 Tbl Basil, Fresh

1 Tsp Black Pepper, Ground

1/2 Tbl Garlic, Fresh, Chopped

1/3 Cup Ice Water

2 Tbl Red Wine Vinegar

Cut your pork into pieces small enough to fit into your ginder.  Toss pork and pork fat with everything except the water and vinegar. 

Grind.  Place in a mixing bowl with the paddle attachment.  On low speed mix pork, slowly adding water and vinegar until it is fully mixed.  And that is it! 

'

This makes just over 2lbs of sausage.  In the following recipe you only need about 1lb of so place the rest in a vaccum seal bag and freeze. 

Next time you want to make homemade pizza's just thaw, cook and sprinkle on your pizza OR turn them into hamburger patties.  I just suggest cooking you "Italian Sausage Burgers" until they are medium well done.


Sausage and Peppers
Ingredients:

1 Onion, sliced thin

1 Pepper, any color is fine, slice into strips

2 Cloves Garlic, sliced thin

1lb Italian Sausage

1 cup White Wine

1 sm can Diced Tomatoes (NOT stewed tomatoes like I have in the picture, oops)

1 sm can or 1 cup Beef Stock

1 1/2 cups Tomato Sauce (If you check out my "Big Batch Tomato Sauce" blog you will see I like to freeze extra tomato sauce in ice cubes for easy use later.  If you do this, use 8 cubes)

Start by heating up the largest, wide bottom pan you have got over medium heat.  Add about 3 tbl olive oil and onions.  Gently cook until they about 1/2 caramelized.  Add sliced garlic and saute for 1 minute more.

Add sausage and peppers.  Continue to cook until the meat if fully cooked and the peppers are starting to get soft.  Drain off excess fat if needed (if you are using my sausage recipe you will not have extra fat)

Add wine, this will loosen all those tasty brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Contiune to cook until the wine is almost fully reduced.  Add diced tomatoes, stock and tomato sauce. 

Simmer over low heat until it about 1/2 reduced and sauce is slightly thickened. 

Cook a box of pasta until just al dente, add sauce and continue to cook pasta in the sauce.  The pasta will kinda absorb the sauce and be that much more tasty. 

Notes:
Buy a crusty french bread and fill with sauce, top with porvolone or mozzarella.  Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350' until nice a gooey.