This Homemade Wild Boar Italian Sausage Recipe is one of the tastiest and easiest sausages that you can make. It’s a little bit sweet with just the right amount of spiciness, although you can kick the heat up a few notches if you like. You can use a wild hog that you harvested yourself or pork that you picked up from your local farmer or grocery store. They both will work out fine, but just keep in mind that the fat content will vary from pig to pig.
Follow these easy steps for bulk sausage making and you’ll be rewarded by learning the basic techniques that you can implement in the future for similar sausages. If you’re looking to eat these in sandwich form, you have the option of stuffing this sausage into casings and making sausage links that you can grill up.
Cooking Tips and Notes:
Can I Use the back leg (ham) to make Italian Sausage?
You technically could use the back leg meat to make the sausage, but you won’t have enough fat content by working with lean meat. I highly recommend just using the shoulder/pork butt as it usually has just the right amount of fat. Although you have the option of adding more fat with any cut, if you see fit.
Keep Things Cold While Grinding:
You want to keep your meat grinder attachments, meat and any fat that you are using ice cold. It plays a major role in achieving the right texture, flavor and overall quality of the sausage. So keep in mind that meat grinder attachments can warm up fast and when metal warms up, pork fat will start to melt. I also like to place the container that the ground pork will be falling into in the freezer before starting as well.
Can I use Pre-Ground Pork Instead of grinding my Own?
You can definitely use pre-ground meat. You just want to try and have a meat mixture that’s around 30% percent fat and 70% percent meat. The meat can be a little leaner, but just keep in mind that the final product won’t be as juicy. Especially if you’re stuffing the sausage into casings or making meatballs.
How Long Does Italian Sausage Last in the Refrigerator?
I have no problem leaving the raw ground sausage in the refrigerator for around one week if they are wrapped tightly in an airtight container. Once you go beyond a week, the sausage will start to lose flavor and color. So for a superior product, wrapping and storing them properly in an airtight container or plastic wrap will extend the shelf life quality.
Can You Freeze Italian Sausage?
You can absolutely freeze this sausage. Like with most fatty sausages, if they are stored properly in the freezer they will keep well for around 3 months. I like to wrap them first in a layer of plastic food wrap, followed by either freezer paper or freezer bags. Vacuum sealing is another option that is fast, easy and convenient.
Roasted Garlic Sausage Variation:
If you want a delicious and savory garlic flavor, swap out the raw minced garlic for roasted. Simply place a head of garlic into a sheet of aluminum foil with around 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap completely in the foil and bake in a 350-degree F oven until soft. This can take up to 40 minutes. Let the garlic chill, and then squeeze out the soft contents.
Internal Temperature for Wild Pork:
If you are working with wild boar/wild hog, the CDC/USDA recommends cooking the meat to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. If you are worried, you can easily do this with an instant-read thermometer.
Looking for other wild game recipes? These are a few of my favorites:
- Wild Boar Breakfast Sausage
- Kalua Pulled Pork
- Pork Schnitzel
- Wild Boar Roast
- Wild Boar Ragu
- Ground Venison Recipe Collection
Lastly, if you make this simple Homemade Wild Boar Italian Sausage Recipe, be sure to leave a comment or tag me on Instagram! I thoroughly enjoy hearing feedback and checking out the photos of recipes that you’ve made.
WILD BOAR ITALIAN SAUSAGE
Ingredients
- 5 pounds boneless pork shoulder
- 3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (40 grams if using a different salt)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons fennel seeds
- 1 tablespoon hot red pepper chili flakes
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 3 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves (or 2 tablespoons dried)
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves (or 2 tablespoons dried)
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- ¾ ice cold water
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients except the vinegar and water into a large bowl. Toss thoroughly to combine.
- Grind the pork mixture through the small die plate into your chilled mixing bowl or a bowl that is sitting over ice.
- Pour the water and the vinegar into the ground meat mixture.
- Using your stand mixer’s paddle attachment (or a sturdy spoon), start mixing the ground pork at a low speed. Mix until the liquids are fully combined and the meat has a tacky/sticky appearance. This can take around 2 minutes.
- Check for Seasoning: Fry a small piece of the sausage and taste. Now is the time to add seasoning as you see fit. This could be more salt, red pepper flakes or any other seasoning you see fit. Repeat until you are satisfied with the finished product.
- Refrigerate until needed or freeze for future use.
NOTES
- Keep everything cold. Chill the meat, grinder parts, bowl, and any added fat before you start. Cold meat grinds cleaner and gives the sausage a better texture.
- Use enough fat. Pork shoulder is the best fit here because it already has good fat content. If your meat is leaner, the post notes you can make it juicier with 4 1/2 pounds pork shoulder plus 8 ounces pork fat.
- Add liquids after grinding. Grind the seasoned meat first, then mix in the vinegar and ice-cold water until the sausage looks tacky and sticky. That protein binding is what keeps the sausage from being crumbly.
- Cook a test patty. Fry a small piece before packaging or stuffing the whole batch so you can adjust the salt, heat, or herbs while it is still easy to fix.
- Rest it if possible. The post says the raw sausage holds well in the refrigerator for about 1 week if wrapped tightly, which also gives the seasoning time to settle in.
- Freeze it wrapped well. Wrap tightly in plastic, freezer paper, freezer bags, or vacuum seal it, and use within about 3 months for best quality.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
