Roasted Green Chile Sausage

Foundations Referenced

• → Spice Blends (custom blend below)
• → Techniques — mise en place

Ingredients

• 2 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 1" cubes, partially frozen
• 4 oz pork fatback, cubed, partially frozen
• 4 roasted Hatch or Anaheim green chiles, peeled, seeded, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 2 tbsp ice water
• Natural hog casings, soaked in water 30 min (or make patties)

Equipment

• Meat grinder with medium (3/8") die
• Sausage stuffer attachment (or stuff by hand with a funnel)

Method

1. Chill everything: Grinder parts, bowl, meat — all should be near-frozen. Warm fat smears instead of cutting cleanly, ruining the texture.

2. Grind: Pass pork and fatback through medium die into a chilled bowl set over ice.

3. Mix: Add chiles, garlic, spices, and ice water. Mix with your hands or paddle attachment until the mixture is tacky and binds to itself when pressed (this develops myosin — the protein that gives sausage its snap).

4. Test: Pinch off a small piece, flatten into a patty, cook in a skillet. Taste and adjust seasoning. This step is non-negotiable — you can't fix seasoning after stuffing.

5. Stuff (if using casings): Thread soaked casing onto stuffer nozzle. Fill evenly, avoiding air pockets. Twist into 5–6" links, alternating direction.

6. Cook: Grill, pan-fry, or roast at 375°F until internal temp reaches 160°F. Rest 5 min.

What You're Learning

• Temperature control in sausage making: cold = clean grind, warm = smeared fat
• Myosin development: mixing until tacky creates the characteristic sausage "bind"
• Always cook a test patty — professional charcutiers do this every time
• Casing technique: even filling, no air pockets, consistent links
• This is charcuterie at its most accessible — homemade sausage is transformative