Homemade Merguez Sausage
This homemade merguez sausage is packed with harissa, garlic, warm spices, and roasted red peppers, and can be made with either lamb or venison plus pork back fat for juicy, grill-ready links or patties.
Ingredients
- 3.5 pounds lean boneless lamb or venison, diced
- 1.5 pounds pork back fat, diced
- 3 tablespoons coarse kosher salt (40 grams if using a different salt)
- 2 tablespoons harissa seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- â…› teaspoon ground cloves
- â…› teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup roasted red peppers, seeded and diced
- ¾ cup chilled red wine
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients except the wine in a large bowl. Toss to coat thoroughly.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed, slowly pour in the chilled wine. Mix until the merguez sausage mixture is mixed thoroughly and tacky to the touch. If you do not have a stand mixer, you can use a sturdy spoon, but be prepared to stir vigorously.
- If you would like to check for seasoning, cook a small piece off in a skillet. Now is the time when you can adjust the salt and harissa content to taste.
- Stuff into casings or form into patties. Chill in the refrigerator or cook on the grill or in a skillet until cooked through.
NOTES
- Keep everything very cold. Chill the meat, pork back fat, bowls, and wine before you start so the fat stays firm and the sausage binds cleanly instead of smearing.
- Use enough fat. This recipe is built around about a 70/30 lean-to-fat ratio. If you cut the pork back fat too far, the merguez can turn dry, especially with venison.
- Mix until it turns tacky. After grinding, mix in the chilled wine until the sausage looks sticky and slightly shiny and holds together when you squeeze it. That protein bind is what gives the finished sausage a juicy, tight texture.
- Cook a test patty. Before stuffing all 5 pounds, cook a small piece in a skillet and adjust the salt, harissa, or sugar if needed. This matters even more if your harissa blend is hotter or saltier than expected.
- Make patties if needed. You do not need casings to make this recipe work. Form the sausage into patties if you do not have a stuffer, then chill or freeze them between sheets of parchment.
- Adjust the wine if needed. If you do not want a full wine flavor, replace half of the wine with ice-cold water and keep the liquid cold when mixing.
- Store it properly. Refrigerate the sausage for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months if it is wrapped well.
- Sausage Making Tips: If you're new to making sausage, check out my guide on how to make venison sausage.
Nutrition
Calories: 2058kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 57g | Fat: 195g | Saturated Fat: 76g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 20g | Monounsaturated Fat: 88g | Cholesterol: 309mg | Sodium: 4854mg | Potassium: 931mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 407IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 80mg | Iron: 6mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutrition is per serving.
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