2 lb ground pork (pork butt or leaner),
2 tablespoons paprika,
1 teaspoon garlic powder,
1 teaspoon minced garlic,
1 1/2 tbsp. salt,
1 teaspoon ground black pepper,
1 tsp. fennel seed,
1/4 cup dry red wine,
sausage casings,
chili flakes (optional - for spicy sausages).
Recipe: Mix together all the ingredients and leave the mixture to rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to blend flavors. Fill the sausage casings with the mixture and refrigerate the Italian sausages again for a couple of hours before using in order for them to set. After that the sausages can be grilled and sliced for pizza or pasta recipes, or served on its own with some caramelized onions and roasted red peppers. Any unused Italian sausage can be frozen for future use. If stored properly the uncooked Italian sausage will remain fresh in the refrigerator for over a week.
