Cooking Game: Wild Turkey Apple Sausage
There's lots of things Steve likes to do with Wild Turkey's, and one of them is making some good Wild Turkey Apple Sausage. Join Steve as he shows you how you can step your breakfast game up.
2 pounds skinless, boneless turkey legs (or a mix of legs and breast), cut into 1½-inch cubes
14 ounces thick-sliced bacon, cut into large pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 large onion, diced
2 medium sweet and tart apples, such as Honeycrisp, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
2 to 2½ tablespoons packed brown sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Zest of 1 lemon
Freeze the turkey meat and bacon on a baking sheet for 30 to 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the apples and continue to cook until soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a large plate, spread in a thin layer, and let cool in the refrigerator.
Grind the turkey and bacon into a large bowl set over a large bowl of ice. Add the cooled onions and apples, the sugar, thyme, salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Mix well with your hands. Pinch off a small bit of the sausage mixture and cook in a little oil in a skillet to test for seasoning. Adjust seasonings as necessary. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Form patties with a slightly wet hand. I like to make them 3 inches in diameter because they’re easy to throw on the grill or in a pan, but you can make them any size you want. Preheat a cast-iron pan over medium heat and put a little oil in the pan. Working in batches, sear the sausage patties until browned on both sides and cooked throughout, 4 to 5 minutes per side.
Note: To freeze, stuff sausage into poly meat bags in ½-pound or 1-pound quantities, depending on how many people you typically serve.
You can find all the special equipment used for this recipe at Weston
Cooking Game: Wild Turkey Apple Sausage brought to you by Weston
