Grind spices to a powder. Mix dry spices. Sprinkle over pork. Add liquid. Mix well and refrigerate for at least an hour. Regrind to a fine texture.

Stir fry or microwave to a crumbled texture. Use as a stuffing mix.

More traditionally, make a larger recipe. Stuff into pork casings. Boil for about 30 minutes, releasing fat and liquid by piercing with a fork (carefully). Towel or air dry. Brown using olive oil (well, maybe not so traditional). Serve with sauerkraut or even better mashed potatoes.

This is a mild sausage. It will go best with dishes that will not overwhelm the flavor.

This recipe is specific for pork ground from the tri-tip (cushion) or pork shoulder with all outside fat trimmed-off. Have your butcher make at least the first grind.

Origins of the Recipe:

The basic recipe spice mix is from Tarr.

An authentic recipe would include lean veal. This is not really cost effective from my viewpoint. Veal has virtually no flavor of its own. Modern pork also has very little distinctive flavor. For these reasons, I have eliminated veal from the recipe.

I usually try to buy pork tri-tip (cushion) for about $1.39 per pound and have the butcher trim the fat from the outside, then grind it. This gives you ground pork with about 15 percent fat content. The best way to test your seasonings is to make a small patty and either fry or microwave it. Adjust the seasoning to your taste rather than mine.

The basic spice proportions will also mix well with ground chicken or turkey. They used to be inexpensive, but with anything that is claimed to be lean, are now higher priced than pork in my area.

by Bill Larsen