There's a Thin Line Between Love and Hate

Beware women scorned boys, or you may end up with . . . wait for it . . . your penis glued to your stomach. Now, a bit of industrial adhesive seems cruel, especially coupled with being bound and taunted by these four hotties. But it could have been worse. Somewhere John Wayne Bobbitt is screaming "what the fuck is this guy so upset about?" Anyway, it makes me think about the yummy and spicy garlic sausage with lentils I enjoyed recently. So lets' all take a turn for the wurst, shall we?

No, I'm not going to go into all the details of sausage making, although I do make my own and did make the garlic sausage referenced above. Interested parties can find information on how to do it here, or by getting a hold of this excellent book.
And by the way, making your own sausage is a great way to use up all kinds of trimmings and leftovers from the big pork roasts, family packs, and whole beef tenderloins you buy to save two to twelve dollars per pound!

I will tell you what the ingredients were, and then it's up to you. Of course you can buy delightful sausage (and casings too) at Fiorella's Sausage, 817 Christian St in Philadelphia.‎

I used 2 1/2 pounds of thawed meat scraps from the freezer. These included: beef sirloin and the "chain" from a beef tenderloin, raw pork belly (skinned), and pork loin and shoulder scraps.

I added a half pound of pork back fat (also skinned) to bring the fat level up to approximately two thirds lean, one third fat. Some of the scraps were fairly fatty already. Use your judgment; it ain't rocket science! All the meat was cut into small cubes, chilled to almost freezing and ground in the Kitchen Aid grinder attachment. It was then mixed well with seasonings (see below) and left overnight in the refrigerator. Next day, stuff away!

The meat was seasoned with 1 tbsp of coarsely ground black pepper, 2 large and finely minced garlic cloves, 1 tbsp paprika (smoked would work), and 2 tsp of fresh hot peppers whizzed up into a paste with olive oil. Pepper flakes would also do, and if you like it hot, then go crazy!

I also added one ounce of Morton's Tender Quick. Regular salt is fine, BUT BY WEIGHT, PLEASE. Tender Quick has additives to keep the sausage pink and if you wanna get serious about sausage, you'll need it.

I like to cook my sausage right on the oven rack at 325 degrees, with a rimmed baking pan on the rack below to catch drippings. Golden brown should be achieved in about half an hour.

On to the lentils, which by the way are extraordinarily good for you. And made with a bit of care, pretty friggin' yummy!

For four eaters you'll need 2 pounds of uncooked sausage to start with. Then:
Sauté a minced onion and two or three minced celery stalks in olive oil in a medium pot. When they're soft, cook 2 minced garlic cloves for 30 seconds. Then add a cup and a half of lentils and stir around with the oil and vegetables. Next, add a half cup of broth (vegetable if necessary, but it won't be as good) and add water to cover the lentils. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or so.

This would be a good time to get the sausage cooking.

Test for doneness and seasoning. If there's still too much liquid, raise the heat and cook it off. When done stir in LOTS of chopped fresh Italian parsley and serve as a bed for your yummy sausages.

Wash it down with a nice Côtes du Rhône and have a vinegary green salad after. Magnifique