Country sausage patties

by

Makes 18–24

1 pound fatback or bacon, cut into pieces

2 pounds ground pork

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage leaves

2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

½ teaspoon cardamom (or equal parts cinnamon and nutmeg)

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Using a food processor, grind the fatback or bacon. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavors to blend.

Form into 2- to 3-inch patties. (Patties will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week or in the freezer up to 3 months.) In a medium nonstick skillet, over medium heat, cook patties until brown on both sides and done in the center, about 8–12 minutes.

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Recipe tips

Keys to success with sausage

  • Always keep your ingredients cool. If they warm up, the fat content will start to melt or breakdown, and this can cause the patties to be tough after cooking.
  • A kitchen scoop will help you get uniform sizing when you are making your patties.
  • If you are planning to freeze your sausage patties, chill them in a single layer on a sheet pan or in shallow baking dish in the freezer for about 2 hours. Then you can place them in a zipper-locked plastic bag or other sealed container and store them in the freezer.

How do you substitute fresh herbs or dried herbs?

You’ve got dried parsley, but your recipe calls for fresh. Or maybe it’s the other way around. Either way, how can you substitute what you’ve got for what you need? Remember, the flavor intensifies when herbs are dried, so dried herbs pack more punch.

Just use this formula:

When the recipe calls for fresh herbs: Use 1/3 the recipe amount of dried instead.

When the recipe calls for dried herbs: Use 3 times the recipe amount of fresh instead.