Pork and fennel sausages
Sausages have been on my 'to cook' list for a while because I was as scared and as squeamish as I was time-poor. They are a two-day process, but the result is rustic and unlike anything you can buy. So, one day I plucked up the courage and wandered into the butcher's shop. I walked around aimlessly, thoughts like 'hmm, are you really sure about this', and 'urgh, all this meat is making me feel sick', spun around and around in my mind. Suddenly, a friendly man poked his head up over the counter and asked if I needed help. I fretted around trying to find my recipe and told him the measurements. He looked at me with great surprise and told me that recipe was all wrong; it'd make 3 times the snags I wanted. "Righto!" said my flustered little self as he went 'out the back' to get the meat I needed. He returned and delivered a demonstration of how to open up the 'hog casing', before charging me $10 for the lot and wishing me good luck. (I must've looked like I needed all of that!)
Having marvelled at my snags for long enough, I give you my top tips for making snags from scratch:
- Be aware that the casing really will not tear or break as easily as you might think. It's pretty tough - I reckon you could catch a nice fish on that stuff. (If in doubt, test it out!)
- Ensure that the meat cures in seasonings overnight. It does make a difference.
- Get in there and do it! Some parts are pretty gross, but these sausages are made of the same, if not better, quality ingredients that go into store-bought sausages.
I don't know how to explain the satisfaction of making something so commonly consumed, but not-so-commonly homemade. The joy in having those around you enjoy them is super lovely too.
