Summer Sausage has always been a favorite finger food of mine during the holiday season. I’ve tinkered with recipes before, but haven’t felt like I’ve nailed them – until now.
Folks, we can now eat Summer Sausage – worry free. High fives all around! No MSG, no nitrites, no preservatives. Actually, salt is a natural preservative, so I guess I can’t say “no preservatives.” But the least of my worries is sea salt, especially when I use Redmond. That means that “summer sausage” and “good for you” can be used in the same sentence. Yay!!!
I think you’ll be as excited about this recipe as I am. It’s homemade beef summer sausage!! You will not believe how crazy easy this is to make.
Homemade Beef Summer Sausage
- 2½ pounds hamburger meat
- 2½ Tablespoons liquid smoke (I prefer Wright's Brand)
- 1 Tablespoon sea salt (I prefer Redmond brand)
- 1 teaspoon sucanat
- 1 Tablespoon ground pepper
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon mustard seeds
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl, squishing with your hands until everything is well combined. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
- Knead meat mixture, then shape into 2 logs, about 13x2 inches each. (I found that rolling them in parchment paper helped form a nice, round shape.)
- Place logs in baking dishes such as Pyrex 9x13 inch pans (so fat drippings will not spill over into the oven).
- Bake in a 300° oven for 2½ - 3 hours.
To freeze Summer Sausage: Allow baked summer sausage to cool completely. Wrap in parchment paper, then with plastic wrap. Place in a freezer bag, storing in freezer for up to 2 months.
As if it wasn’t already wonderful news that we can enjoy healthy summer sausage – it’s even better news that this will be perfect for your Make-Ahead Lunch Box. I’ll be packing this for road trips, for sure.
