Breakfast Sausage

Breakfast Sausage
adapted from my friend Jenn via Cole Ward

Ingredients

3 lb boneless pork shoulder (about 25% fat)
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp dried sage
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup maple syrup

Method
(since I don't currently have a meat grinder, these instructions are only for the food processor)

In a medium bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the pork and the maple syrup. Set aside.

Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes. Spread the cubes out on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure they don’t touch. Freeze until the edges are stiff but the middles are still pliable, about 20 minutes. This will help the food processor blade to cut the meat cleanly, rather than tearing or smearing it.

Place about .5 lb of meat in the bowl of your food processor and grind it in 8 to 10 one-second pulses, until it looks coarsely ground. Empty the meat into a bowl and repeat with the remaining meat, grinding in half-pound batches.

Add the ground pork to the bowl of seasonings and mix well to combine. Add the maple syrup and work in with your hands until evenly distributed.

Use immediately or freeze in portions.

NOTES

I tried three different versions of breakfast sausage - all good but not great - before luckily catching this one on a Facebook post. My previous attempts all had the same elements this recipe does - sweet, peppery, herby - but I could not seem to find just the right ratio. Until now. This recipe is pure perfection.

I made the entire 3-pound batch and split it into .5-pound portions for storage. Six Saturdays in a row of homemade breakfast sausage and eggs? Yes, please.