pizza sausage and similar

[flowerbug]

any sausage makers here?

i know @baymule is, they posted picture!

i'm trying to find out the recipe that works for making sausage that tastes like those lumps you get on most pizzas. it's some kind of sweet italian style sausage but i have yet to get close to that flavor and that is one of them i'm trying to get.

because none of the italian sausage around here tastes like that and that is what i like.

when i lived up north many years ago there was also a sweet italian sausage that they made in that region and i've never found anything that comes close to that flavor, nor have i been able to duplicate it. amazing how some of those flavors stick with ya and make you want to have them again once in a while. in this case it was a fresh bulk sausage, but it had some kinds of spices in it that we really liked.

alas, the place where we had it most often burnt down and when it reopened many years later it all had changed (including the menu).

some day i may come close to either of these.

 

[CrealCritter]

i've made deer sausage does that count?

 

[flowerbug]

if i was a sweet deer from Italy...

 

[milkmansdaughter]

When you lived "up north" where was it? Sometimes it helps to know a region. And my husband says if it is a specific sausage in Kansas City, no one has been able to quite duplicate it. He said if it's "the one" from there, he knows just the one you are talking about.
My husband and oldest son have always been very good at being able to identify ingredients in recipes and duplicate them. I'm pretty sure we'll be eating some sausage pizza pretty soon.

 

[flowerbug]

When you lived "up north" where was it? Sometimes it helps to know a region. And my husband says if it is a specific sausage in Kansas City, no one has been able to quite duplicate it. He said if it's "the one" from there, he knows just the one you are talking about.
My husband and oldest son have always been very good at being able to identify ingredients in recipes and duplicate them. I'm pretty sure we'll be eating some sausage pizza pretty soon.

the western UP of MI in Houghton. there was a place called The Library (which is still there now, but i don't think the sausage is the same, i've not been back), but perhaps the other place called The Ambassador also had a similar recipe. The Ambassador is still serving food that was similar to what i remember last time we checked it out, but i didn't have any sausage. so not sure...

Kansas City is a long ways away from Houghton, would be very surprised if it were the same one! me and a friend would always order a large double sausage and saurkraut pizza on whole wheat crust. since there was a turnover in staff/waitpeople often enough we would have to tell them, that yes the chef would do that. when brought up from the kitchen it really smelled up the place, but it was so good! not counting many hours of extra entertainment later too.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

I know where Houghton is. I spent a lot of time in the UP as a kid. So are you a born Yooper?

 

[flowerbug]

no, a troll, but i lived up there for 15 years. can do the accent if i need to blend in.

 

[baymule]

What recipes have you tried? I play at making sausage, but it turns out good. One of these days I'm going to get serious about it. I like Italian sausage. I've had frozen pizza with those delicious lumps of Italian sausage on it. The rest of the pizza could hit the trash, but that sausage was good. No where near what you are describing, I'm more than sure. Italian sausage has fennel in it. Maybe the secret ingredient you are not finding is anise. Anise has a sweet taste.

 

[flowerbug]

What recipes have you tried? I play at making sausage, but it turns out good. One of these days I'm going to get serious about it. I like Italian sausage. I've had frozen pizza with those delicious lumps of Italian sausage on it. The rest of the pizza could hit the trash, but that sausage was good. No where near what you are describing, I'm more than sure. Italian sausage has fennel in it. Maybe the secret ingredient you are not finding is anise. Anise has a sweet taste.

i've tried a bunch of different recipes - none are it yet.

fennel yes, is a part of the answer, but not all of it. not sure what i'm missing for the taste i am after. i've also tried adding some wines and liquors but they aren't it either. anise is another i've tried. still not sure what it is...

some day i'll get there. i don't do this often, about once a year i try to find a new variation to see if it is better or not. most commercial sausage sold around here called italian is just too mild and tasteless to me in comparison. i can't go whole hog (pun intended) since Mom won't eat any of it, but i just like to have fun and try things. this is the website i use for a lot of sausage recipies:

Sausage Recipes and Formulations

A collection of proven recipes for making sausage. Recipes and formulations are in both U.S. and Metric measurements with instruction on grinding, mixing, stuffing, coorking or curing sausages

lpoli.50webs.com

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Thanks for the link, I'll definitely be trying some of those!