Cumberland Sausage
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
1 hr
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Total Time
1 hr
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Servings
16 servings
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Calories
208 kcal
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Course
Main Course, Appetizer, Lunch
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Cuisine
British
Cumberland Sausage
Description
The sausage starts with preparing the casings by flushing them with warm water. Pork shoulder and fat are cut to fit a grinder, then mixed with salt and optionally rested overnight to improve binding. The meat and spices—including fresh minced sage, mace, white and black pepper—are ground through a coarse die, sometimes twice if needed to break down connective tissue.
The ground meat is kept chilled below 40°F to maintain quality, then combined with dry breadcrumbs and ice water and rapidly mixed to develop a sticky texture that will hold the sausage together. The resulting mixture is loaded into a sausage stuffer and carefully filled into casings, typically formed into coils instead of links, a traditional Cumberland style.
Flavorful and well-balanced, this sausage benefits from the aromatic fresh sage and a hint of mace for warmth. The recipe suggests substituting game meat by blending with fatty pork when desired, but pure pork is traditional. The method allows for making a large quantity, with the option to season and bind slowly over time.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds pork shoulder see below for options, or other fatty pork
- 33 grams salt about 2 tablespoons
- 1 cup dry breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon sage minced, fresh
- 1/2 teaspoon mace or ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 cup water ice
- Sausage casings about 6 feet's worth
Instructions
- Flush the casings with warm water and keep them in a bowl of warm water.
- Cut the meat and fat into pieces that will fit into your grinder. If you have time, mix this with the salt and put in a covered container in the fridge overnight. This will help improve the bind. But you can skip this if you are in a hurry.
- Mix the meat and fat with all the remaining spices; save the breadcrumbs and water for later. Grind through a coarse die, between 5 mm and 9 mm. If the meat has silverskin and connective tissue, grind twice.
- Make sure the mixture is below 40°F, and if it's not, chill until it is. Add the breadcrumbs and ice water and mix well for about 1 to 2 minutes. You'll see the sausage bind to itself and form one cohesive ball. You'll also see little whitish streaks on the sides of container you're mixing in.
- Put the meat in a sausage stuffer and carefully fill a coil of casing. You will want to do this slowly because unlike links, coils are harder to manipulate after stuffing to remove all the air pockets -- so you want to minimize those air pockets in the first place.
- Let the sausage sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour before cooking, to give the breadcrumbs a chance to absorb moisture, which will help with the finished texture.
Notes
- For game meat versions, mix 50% game with fatty pork shoulder or 80% game with pork fatback or belly for balance.
- Traditional Cumberland sausage uses pure pork.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 16servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 208 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 208kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 33g | 66% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.02g | 1% |
| Cholesterol | 85mg | 28% |
| Sodium | 926mg | 39% |
| Potassium | 552mg | 12% |
| Fiber | 0.4g | 2% |
| Sugar | 0.4g | 1% |
| Vitamin A | 1IU | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0.03mg | 0% |
| Calcium | 26mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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