DIY Down the Shore: Abruzzese-Style Lamb Sausage

To help your summer along, Foobooz plans to give you some recipes by notable chefs and bartenders in Philadelphia. We’re calling it the DIY Down the Shore series, and we’ll be posting them all week. We’re bringing Philly’s dining scene into your summer homes.

Summer is prime grilling time. There’s nothing like coming home from a day on the water, cracking open a few beers and firing up the grill. And if you consider yourself a serious grill master and are looking for your next challenge (or maybe just someone who just wants to attempt something new), Joe Cicala, executive chef at Le Virtù has shared one of his favorite recipes rooted in his family’s Italian heritage. If you’re feeling courageous we encourage you to try your hand at chef Cicala’s Abruzzese-Style Lamb Sausage. You’ll need a meat grinder and an appliance capable of stuffing the sausage, but don’t let the extra equipment scare you. These sausages are well worth the extra elbow grease.

Abruzzese Style Lamb Sausage

2 kilo (4.4 lbs) of lamb shoulder cut into large cubes

32 grams (1.12 oz) salt

20 grams pepper (0.7 oz)

5 cloves of garlic

3 cups dry white wine

– Place cubed meat in the freezer for a half hour.

– Remove from freezer and mix thoroughly with remaining ingredients.

– Pass the mixture through a meat grinder set with a medium die.

– With your hands, mix the ground meat mixture once more making sure everything is seasoned evenly throughout.

– Place the ground sausage in a 5# sausage stuffer (or kitchen aid attachment) and stuff into lamb casings (which were soaked overnight in equal parts water, vinegar and white wine).

– Once the sausage has been stuffed, prick with a needle to remove any air pockets.

– Form into links and refrigerate uncovered overnight so the casing dries slightly.

– Grill over coal or wood.

– Enjoy with a bottle of Montepulciano D’Abruzzo or Cerasuolo.

DIY Down The Shore [f8b8z]