Pork Sausage's Cheesy Companions: Finding The Perfect Match

Sausages and cheese are a classic combination, and there are many types of cheese that go well with pork sausage. For example, cheddar, which is often used in sausage recipes, can be added to pork and jalapeño sausages or used to make sausage balls. Other cheeses that complement pork sausage include Havarti, Mueller, sharp cheddar, Swiss cheese, pepper jack, gouda, Monterey Jack, fontina, and aged Asiago.

Sharp cheddar is a good pairing for pork sausage

When it comes to pairing cheese with pork sausage, sharp cheddar is an excellent choice. Its salty, tangy flavour adds a nice counterpoint to the richness of the sausage, while the sharpness of the cheddar cuts through the fattiness of the meat. Aged cheddar, in particular, works well with pork sausage.

Cheddar is a versatile cheese that can be used in a variety of dishes, from appetizers to main courses. For instance, cheddar can be shredded and mixed with bulk pork sausage to make easy sausage cheese balls, perfect as a snack or breakfast item. Alternatively, it can be grated and melted over pork sausage for a tasty topping.

In addition to its flavour and versatility, cheddar also offers a textural contrast to pork sausage. The coarseness of the sausage is complemented by the creaminess of cheddar, creating a pleasant sensory experience.

When serving cheddar with pork sausage, it is important to ensure that both ingredients are at room temperature to bring out their flavours fully. Offering a variety of cheeses, spices, mustards, chutneys, and other pairings can also enhance the dining experience.

In summary, sharp cheddar is a fantastic pairing for pork sausage due to its flavour, texture, and versatility. Its salty and tangy notes complement the richness of the sausage, while its sharpness cuts through the fattiness. Cheddar's creamy texture also provides a nice contrast to the coarseness of the sausage.

Avoid pairing pork sausage with soft cheeses like feta and ricotta

When it comes to choosing a cheese to pair with pork sausage, there are several options that can enhance the flavour of the meat. Pork sausage has a bold, smoky flavour and a coarse, firm texture, which makes it a good match for full-flavoured cheeses. The richness of the cheese balances out the smokiness of the sausage.

However, not all cheeses work well with pork sausage. It is best to avoid softer, crumbly, or super-strong cheeses, as they can overpower or conflict with the robust characteristics of the sausage.

One type of cheese to avoid pairing with pork sausage is soft cheeses like feta and ricotta. Feta has a crumbly and acidic texture that can clash with the sausage. Its strong flavour can be overwhelming against the more subtle notes of the pork. Similarly, ricotta has a chalky texture that can mismatch the sausage's softness. These soft cheeses can also be too delicate and mild to stand up to the bold, tangy taste of the sausage.

Instead, opt for cheeses that complement the sausage's smokiness, such as Havarti, Muenster, or aged cheddar. These cheeses have a smooth, creamy texture and a mild, buttery flavour that highlights the sausage's smokiness without overpowering it. Their semi-soft to firm textures also pair well with the coarseness of the sausage.

In summary, when pairing cheese with pork sausage, it is best to avoid soft cheeses like feta and ricotta, which can be too overwhelming, delicate, or mild. Instead, choose cheeses that complement the sausage's flavour and texture, such as Havarti, Muenster, or aged cheddar.

The best cheeses to pair with summer sausage

Summer sausage is a cured, fermented sausage that can be either semi-dry or smoked. It has a bold, smoky flavour and a coarse, firm texture. The best cheeses to pair with summer sausage are those with full flavour and a creamy texture, which balances out the smokiness of the sausage.

Havarti

Havarti is a smooth and creamy cheese with a mild, buttery flavour. It highlights the smokiness of the sausage without overpowering it and its semi-soft texture pairs well with the coarseness of the sausage.

Butterkäse

This creamy German-style cheese has a mild, tangy flavour with a subtle buttery note. Its smooth texture contrasts nicely with the sausage's coarseness, allowing the spices and smoke of the sausage to shine.

Muenster

Muenster has a mild, mellow flavour and a creamy, smooth texture with a hint of nuttiness. It complements the smoky summer sausage beautifully without competing for dominance flavour-wise.

Sharp Cheddar

For a cheese with more bite, sharp cheddar is a great choice. Its salty, tangy flavour adds a nice counterpoint to the richness of the sausage, and its sharpness cuts through the fattiness. Aged cheddar works particularly well.

Swiss Cheese

With its firm texture, nutty taste, and mild sweetness, Swiss cheese is another excellent pairing for summer sausage. Its subtle flavour profile complements the sausage without overwhelming it.

Pepper Jack

For those who like a little spice, pepper jack adds a fiery kick that pairs fantastically with the bold, smoky flavour of summer sausage. Just be sure to choose a pepper jack that isn't too hot, so it doesn't overwhelm the sausage's spices.

In addition to these cheeses, young gouda, Monterey Jack, and fontina are also great choices to pair with summer sausage. For a more assertive cheese, aged Asiago can stand up to the bold flavour of the sausage, adding subtle hints of hazelnut and caramel.

How to make your own smoked cheddar pork sausages

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, diced into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 pound pork back fat, cubed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Prague powder #1
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika powder
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons dry ground mustard
• 1/2 cup non-fat dry milk
• 1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, diced into 1/8-inch cubes
• Medium hog casings, soaked in lukewarm water for at least 30 minutes before use
• Chunks of applewood or other smoking wood of your choice

Method:

Start by dicing the pork and fat into small cubes and freezing them for about 45 minutes to reach a temperature of 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0 degrees Celsius). This step is important to achieve the right texture for your sausages.

Next, you'll need to grind the pork and fat through a 1/4-inch die into a bowl set in ice water. It's best to use a stand mixer for this process. Be sure to grind the meat and fat quickly and then grind it all a second time. Once you've finished grinding, chill the meat in the refrigerator.

In a separate small bowl, combine all your spices: salt, Prague powder, paprika, black pepper, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and dry ground mustard. You can adjust the quantities of each spice to your taste preferences.

Take the ground meat out of the fridge and place it in the stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the spice mix, dry milk powder, and ice water to the ground meat and mix for 3-4 minutes. You'll know it's ready when you see tiny threads forming in the meat. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more ice water.

Now, stir the diced cheddar cheese into the meat mixture and chill it in the fridge while you prepare your sausage stuffer. This is also the time to taste the mixture and adjust the seasonings if needed. Fry a small amount of the mixture in a pan and make any necessary adjustments.

Thread the sausage stuffer with the prepared hog casings, then fill it with the meat mixture. Carefully stuff the casings, avoiding air gaps and being careful not to overstuff them. Twist the sausages into links, and use a sausage pricker to remove any air bubbles. For best results, chill the sausages overnight.

Smoking the Sausages:

Preheat your smoker to a temperature between 175-185 degrees Fahrenheit (or 225 degrees Fahrenheit, according to another source). Smoke the sausages until their internal temperature reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Be careful not to exceed this temperature, or the fat may melt and cause the sausages to shrink.

Add a handful of wood chips twice throughout the smoking process. Hickory and apple wood chips are excellent choices for pork. The smoking process should take around 1-2 hours.

Cooling the Sausages:

Once the sausages reach the correct internal temperature, they need to be cooled down quickly to about 120 degrees Fahrenheit. This step is crucial to prevent the sausages from overcooking and the casings from shrinking. While some people submerge the sausages in an ice bath, others prefer spraying them with cold water in the sink or leaving them on the smoker racks and spraying them with a garden hose. Work quickly as soon as the sausages reach the right internal temperature.

After lowering the temperature, let the sausages air dry for an hour or two. Your homemade smoked cheddar pork sausages are now ready to eat! Store them in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 3 months.

Enjoy your delicious, homemade sausages!

How to make your own Italian pork sausage

Ingredients

To make your own Italian pork sausage, you'll need the following ingredients:

• Boneless pork butt (or ground pork)
• Spices and flavourings: fennel seeds, sweet paprika, red pepper flakes, ground coriander, garlic, salt and pepper
• Natural hog casing
• Orange zest
• White wine (or red wine)
• Sugar
• Shaved ice
• Parsley

Method

Here's a step-by-step guide to making your own Italian pork sausage:

• Cut the pork butt into long strips and chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes. This helps to firm up the fat and ensures it doesn't melt during grinding.
• Set up your meat grinder with the largest plate (biggest holes) and place a bowl underneath to catch the meat. Alternatively, you can use a food processor to grind the meat, but the texture will be slightly different.
• Grind the chilled pork strips through the largest plate first, then pass the coarsely ground meat through the smallest plate for a classic ground meat texture. If the meat starts to get too warm, place it in the fridge for 10 minutes.
• To ensure all the meat has been pushed through, thread a piece of plastic wrap through the grinder.
• Place the ground pork mixture in the fridge to keep it cold while you clean your grinder.
• Mix in the spices and seasonings using a spatula to gently combine them with the meat. Avoid using your hands to keep the mixture cold and make cleanup easier.
• At this point, you can use your homemade Italian sausage in a variety of dishes. If you plan to stuff it into casings, continue to the next steps.
• Soak the hog casing in a bowl of cold water for 15-20 minutes.
• Trim the meat from a pork shoulder and cut it into 1-inch chunks. Chill the meat in the freezer or refrigerator for 15-20 minutes.
• Assemble your grinder with the auger, blade, dye, and tightening ring.
• Run the cold cubed pork through the grinder using the medium-sized dye into another pan.
• Add in all the spices and mix thoroughly.
• Fry a small piece of the sausage mixture to taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. Chill the mixture again for 15-20 minutes.
• Rinse the hog casing by running water through its centre.
• Attach the hog casing to the sausage filler, tie a knot at the end, and stuff the casing with the sausage mixture at low speed.
• Tie a knot around the end of the sausage and continue stuffing until all the meat is used.
• Pinch the middle of the filled casing and then pinch again about 6 inches down. Twist these two pinches together.
• Take one of the hanging links and thread it through the hole created by the twisted pinches. Repeat this process until all the filled casing is tied.
• Tie a double knot at the end of the links and cut off any excess casing.
• Store or cook your homemade Italian sausages as desired.

Tips and Variations

• If you're using pre-ground pork, it will have less fat than pork butt, so your sausage may be drier.
• To make spicy Italian sausage, reduce the amount of fennel and increase the red pepper flakes.
• You can make this recipe up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to cook.
• Your homemade Italian sausage will freeze well for up to 6 months, either raw or cooked.

Frequently asked questions