Homemade Sweet Italian Sausage (Mild or Hot)

Ingredients

• 3 pounds ground pork
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1.25 tablespoons dried parsley
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes , or to taste
• 0.75 teaspoons ground fennel seed
• 0.25 teaspoons brown sugar
• 0.13 teaspoons dried oregano
• 0.13 teaspoons dried thyme

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather all ingredients.

2. 2

   Place pork and red wine vinegar in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, salt, black pepper, paprika, red pepper flakes, fennel seed, brown sugar, oregano, and thyme.

3. 3

   Knead until flecks of spice are evenly distributed throughout meat.

4. 4

   Divide sausage into thirds. Form each into a 3-inch diameter log, wrap securely in plastic wrap, and place in a zip-top bag. Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before cooking.

5. 5

   When ready to cook, remove logs from the zip-top bags and place on a cutting board. Use a finely serrated knife to cut logs right through the plastic wrapping into 1/4- to 1/2-inch-thick patties. Carefully remove and discard any plastic.

6. 6

   Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, cook sausage patties in the hot skillet until no longer pink in the center, 2 to 6 minutes per side, depending on thickness. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).