SMOKED HABANERO FONTINA SAUSAGE

Smoked Habanero Fontina Sausage image

Provided by Food Network

Time 18h

Yield about 15 servings

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 3/4 pounds beef brisket trimmings or beef chuck
1 1/4 pounds pork butt trimmings
1 pound pork fatback
2 ounces garlic, chopped
1.1 ounces habanero peppers, minced
1.6 ounces sea salt
.8 ounce coarse black pepper
.5 ounce fresh cilantro, finely chopped
.3 ounce toasted coriander
.3 ounce sweet paprika
.2 ounce onion powder
.2 ounce crushed red pepper
2.2 ounces peach puree
.8 ounce ice water
1/2 pound fontina cheese, diced (1/4- to 3/8-inch cubes)
10 feet natural hog casings

Steps:

Cube beef, pork butt and fatback to 1 1/2 to 2 inches. Toss the garlic and habaneros with the cubed meat and fat in a large bowl. Combine salt, pepper, cilantro, coriander, paprika, onion powder and red pepper together in a bowl, then distribute over the meat mixture and mix by hand to make sure all the meat is well coated. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or up to 2 days.
Grind meat mixture with medium die on a meat grinder to create sausage blend. Add peach puree and ice water and incorporate by hand until evenly distributed. Combine fontina cheese with sausage blend and mix thoroughly by hand to ensure even distribution. Refrigerate until sausage is below 40 degrees, at least 2 hours.
Prepare hog casings by rinsing and soaking for 30 minutes in tepid water prior to stuffing.
Stuff the sausage mixture into prepared hog casings and coil or link to desired size. You may choose to separate the links at this point or leave them linked. Hang or lay on a drying rack in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours, or up to overnight. This lets the casings dry out to form pellicle, which aids in smoke absorption.
Heat a smoker to 225 degrees F.
Smoke sausage using wood of your choice until an internal temperature of 150 degrees F is reached, about 45 minutes. Rest 15 minutes. Enjoy!