Chef’s notes
The flavors of wild turkey and sage complement each other perfectly, especially when combined in a spicy breakfast sausage. This mixture can be stuffed into lamb casings to make breakfast-sized links, but I prefer to leave mine bulk and then form it into small patties that are easy to fry next to a couple of eggs.
Or better yet, throw a few of these patties on a griddle next to some toad-in-the-holes. It’s a memorable start for any day in the outdoors.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 lbs turkey, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 lb. pork back fat, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
- 1 tbsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 sage leaves, chopped
- 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 cup ice water, or more as needed
- Vegetable oil
Preparation
- Using the large die of a meat grinder, grind the turkey and pork fat into a bowl set over a bowl full of ice.
- Grind the meat a second time through the small die.
- In a large bowl, combine the meat with the remaining ingredients except the oil and mix well with your hands. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Form patties with a slightly wet hand. I like to make ’em 3 inches in diameter, ’cause they are easy to throw on the grill or in a pan that way, but you can make them any size you like.
- Preheat a cast-iron pan over high heat. Put a little oil in the pan and sear the sausage patties for 4 minutes per side.
Note: To freeze. separate the patties with a piece of freezer paper or parchment paper between them. Then wrap well with plastic wrap. They will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
