1. If purchasing your pork at the grocery store be sure to get a pork butt that has the fat still attached. You may have better luck by getting the meat from your local butcher shop.

Cut Meat

1. Slice meat and fat into 2 inch strips and place in a large bowl. Remove any bones from the meat and discard.

Add Ingredients to Meat and Place in Freezer

1. Add Instacure, dry instant milk, garlic, cloves, allspice, dried mustard and Cajun seasoning to meat and toss to combine. Cover and place bowl in freezer for about 1 hour or until meat reaches 37 degrees Fahrenheit.

   NOTE: To avoid complications during the grinding process the temperature of the meat is VERY IMPORTANT! The meat should be as cold as possible without being frozen solid. With that being said, I highly recommend checking the temperatures with an instant read meat thermometer. It will make this recipe move so much smoother.

Saute Onions

1. Saute onions in 1 Tablespoon olive oil for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Prepare Casings

1. While the meat is in the freezer prepare about 3 or 4 natural hog casings by rinsing in warm water. Allow to rest in warm water for 1 hour.

   TIP: When rinsing the casing rinse the insides too by opening one of the ends and placing it near the opening of the faucet allowing water to run on the inside of the casing. I find my casings at the local butcher. If you are unable to find them try these natural hog casings.

Grind Meat & Onions

1. Prepare grinder per manufacturers instructions. I used the coarse grinding plate.

   When meat has reached temperature place meat in meat hopper or top tray and grind meat, fat and onions into a large bowl.

   Add beer if desired and combine. Again, return bowl to freezer until mixture reaches 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

   Remove grinding plate and clean.

Make Sausage

1. Add sausage attachments according to manufacturer instructions.

   Choose the stuffing tube of your choice. I used the 1/2″ tube.

   Bunch the casing up onto the sausage stuffing tube leaving about a 2-3 inch overhang. DO NOT tie the end of casing until the casing is completely filled with meat. I know the photo below has a tie in it but don’t do it yet. I had tied a knot and had to cut it off because the casing started filling up with air when I first turned the machine on. HINT: Don’t do the same mistake I did.

   Place ground meat mixture to meat hopper or top tray and stuff it into the running grinder using the meat pusher.

   After each sausage is made tie off both ends, coil up and place on a foil lined baking sheet and move on to making another sausage until all meat has been filled into casings.

Make Links and Hang to Dry

1. Fold link in half.

   Divide links by making a twist in the center.

   Moving down the sausage to the size length desired and pinch.

   Make a twist of both casing at the same time.

   Then take one side and pass the tail through the opening between the two. This step ties off the links

   Allow links to dry at room temperature for at least 1 hour or overnight at 45 degrees.

Smoke Sausages

1. Place sausages on foil lined baking sheet and hot smoke sausages for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours per desired smoke taste.

Bake

1. After sausage has smoked for 1 hour remove from smoker and place in 200 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven and bake until sausage internal temperatures reach 155 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cool and Freeze

1. Once sausages reached temperature remove from oven. The sausages are ready to eat. Any sausages not being consumed right away allow to cool and prep for freezing.

   To store sausages use a FoodSaver, Vac/Seal for freshness and place in the freezer. Can be frozen up to 3 months.

2. Enjoy!