Barb Hodgens
Barb Hodgens

Barb Hodgens loves to cook with alternative, healthy whole food ingredients, with a focus on gut health. Barb has overcome her own gut health issues through healthy eating. Share your ideas, comments and photos at the end of this post :)

beef sausages

Stay in charge of your ingredients and make sausages at home.

Here's a great sausage recipe that you can make right in your own kitchen! They have the deliciousness, moisture, and texture you’d expect in a professional gourmet sausage, but you control exactly what goes in them! They are an all-round, family friendly BBQ snag that is lightly seasoned with sage, ground ginger and white pepper. Beef is also a great alternative if you are trying to stay away from pork or would just like to try something new.

homemade beef sausages

This recipe is based on a traditional British style beef sausage and includes a portion of grain filler (rusk). Adding filler helps to create soft spacing between the meat fibres so the sausages don’t cook up chewy or dry. Fillers absorb the seasoning and fats as they smelt into, and blend with the beef during the cooking processes. We used a small amount of freshly cooked rice - and it works a treat.

beef sausages

GRAIN FREE OPTION

If you would like a pure beef and grain-free homemade sausage, simply leave out the cooked rice and add 3 tablespoons of red wine or red wine vinegar instead.

Before you begin check out our tips for making fantastic sausages.

beef sausages

WATCH HOW TO MAKE THE GRAIN FREE VERSION HERE


INGREDIENTS

2 kg (4 pounds) of beef flank (brisket), rump or chuck with approx. 80% lean meat and 20% fat
3 teaspoons (12 grams) garlic powder
1 ½ tablespoons (35 grams) salt
2 teaspoons (8 grams) white pepper
1 heaped teaspoon of dried sage
1 ½ teaspoons (6 grams) of ground ginger
¾ cup (150 grams) long grain rice such as Jasmine
3 tablespoons red wine or red wine vinegar (omit it using rice)

METHOD

RICE (Optional)
1. 
 Add rice to a saucepan and rinse thoroughly, 3 times to remove as much starch as you can, then drain.

2.   Add one and a quarter cup of water, or just enough water to cover the rice by approx. 10 mm.
3.   Put a lid on, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 mins. Turn the heat off but leave the lid on for another few minutes to absorb the remaining moisture. It is preferable that the rice is slightly under-cooked than over-cooked and soggy. Watery rice may cause the sausage skin to split due to trapped steam building up when cooking.
4.   When the rice is cooked, turn it out onto a plate to cool. Place it in the fridge to speed cooling it if you like.

making beef sausages

PREPARING THE BEEF
5. 
 Set up your Luvele meat grinder on an even surface, then place the 8mm cutting plate into the grinder head.

6.   Measure out the seasoning and set aside.
7.   Chop the beef into 5cm chunks and place in a large mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the seasoning over the chopped beef and turn with your hands to coat.
8.   Place in the freezer for 15 mins to chill. Optional but recommended in warm weather.
9.   Load the hopper plate with beef. Grind on speed 2, guiding the seasoned beef pieces through the mincer with the food pusher into a large bowl. (The attached video adds the seasoning after grinding. Either way is fine)
10.  For grain free sausage add red wine or vinegar and mix it in.
11.  Place the mince back into the fridge or freezer to chill while preparing the rice. For grain free sausages proceed to 'making sausages' below.
13.  When the rice is cold, add it to the beef mince and knead it through with your hands.
14.  Feed the beef and rice mixture through the grinder a second time then put it back in the freezer until you are ready to begin making sausages.  

how to make beef sausages

making beef sausages

MAKING SAUSAGES
15.  Soak the casings in cool water for about five minutes to remove the preserving salt (see this post for tips on preparing casing)
16.  Use the 2-hole cutting plate and 2-blade when setting up the sausage nozzle.
17.  Carefully slide the sausage casing on to the nozzle.
18.  Place the beef mixture on to the hopper tray. Turn the mincer on and guide the mixture though until it reaches the end of the nozzle. Turn the mincer off.
19.  Pull a small section of the casing off the nozzle and carefully tie a knot in the end.
20.  You are now ready to start making sausages. Turn on the mincer. Place one hand over the casing and nozzle. Use the other hand to carefully guide the sausage mixture through the grinder. Gently pull the casing from the nozzle as the mixture comes out and fills the sausage. The machine will guide the process. It is not difficult.
21.  Leave a few centimetres of casing at the end of the sausage, but do not tie off the end at this stage.
22.  Carefully pinch and twist at even intervals. Twist each link in alternating directions until you reach the end.
23.  Tie the end and trim off any excess casing.
24.  Refrigerate the sausages for at least 2 hours or over-night before cooking.
25.  Consume within 3 days or freeze.

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homemade beef sausages