The Sausage Factory

Our kitchen turned into a sausage factory this afternoon. It's true what Jason said in his blog. You should never watch how a sausage is being made. I disobeyed the law and made the mistake of watching. Now I will have to suffer the consequences.

On the bright side, we now have 32 lbs of sausages in our freezer, which would probably last us a lifetime. Signing up for Dream Dinners will have to wait until we make room in our freezer. And the only way to make room is to eat those sausages. Gulp.

Here's the process:
(Warning!! View at your own risk. Some pictures may be unsuitable for viewing before mealtimes)

Don an apron and a chef hat. Be prepared to get all dirty.

Chop up the Boston Butt (Pork Shoulder)
Ground up the meat. Drink some german beer (with courtesy from our neighbors, R.C & Betty, who dropped by to watch)
Add spices and other secret ingredients to taste. Knead with hands.

Make little patties and fry em in the pan to get a taste. Add more spices if necessary. Here, Bert uses the empty beer bottle as a makeshift pestle and mortar to break up the star anise.

Bert gets the intestines ready.

Roll meat and drop them into the grinder, very very carefully, while holding the intestines in place. Prevent air bubbles from forming. And prevent it from bursting. Very tricky.

Cut and tie the intestines.

Enjoy!!

The proud makers of the five-foot long sausage