Name: Homemade Breakfast Sausage
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 2 pounds ground pork (see note); 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 tablespoon maple syrup; 2 teaspoons dried sage; 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper; 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Why This Recipe Works

When shopping for ground pork for our Homemade Breakfast Sausage, we avoided lean meat, which was neither fatty enough nor flavorful enough. To add additional flavor, we found a hint of maple syrup sweetened the patties and was appropriate for breakfast fare.

When crafting the patties, we kneaded the meat mixture with our hands, but were careful not to overmix, which toughened the meat. To form even patties, we found a greased measuring cup worked like a charm.

Before You Begin

Avoid lean or extra-lean ground pork; it makes the sausage dry, crumbly, and less flavorful.

Instructions

MIX SAUSAGE Combine pork, garlic, syrup, sage, thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne in large bowl. Gently mix with hands until well combined. Form mixture into 2 1/2-inch patties, about 1/2 inch thick. (You should have 16 patties.)

BROWN SAUSAGE Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook half of patties until well browned and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and tent with foil. Wipe out skillet. Repeat with remaining butter and patties. Serve.

make ahead

The raw sausage patties can be refrigerated, covered, for 1 day or frozen for up to 1 month. To cook frozen patties, proceed with step 2, cooking patties for 7 to 9 minutes per side.