Green Chorizo

The Meat Hook in Brooklyn show us the way to excellent homemade sausages. While this project is no easy feat—and requires some special equipment—even a beginner can achieve pro results. (Watch the step-by-step video here.) And once you master these, why not try your hand at a batch of Lamb Masala Sausage, Spicy Italian Sausage, or Boerewors?

Pro Tip: If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer, add the food grinder attachment and sausage stuffer kit. If you don’t have a stand mixer, a manual grinder with a 3⁄8" grinding plate and stuffing attachment (like the LEM #10 Clamp On Hand Grinder) is a good option. Cut the meat into 1⁄2" pieces and freeze completely, then grind one piece at a time. And if don’t want to buy anything, have a butcher grind the meat. We like 29- to 32-mm all-natural hog casings (preloaded or pretubed ones are easiest to work with) but you can also skip the casing and season and shape the sausage into patties or meatballs, or just use it loose (think about how often you take it out of the casing to make pasta sauces or hearty soups and stews).

Once you have your batch, grill 'em over medium-low heat so they don’t burst. Or deploy them in any of these sausage recipes.