Thread: How can I add garlic to fresh homemade sausage without it being overbearing in taste?

I'm buying a pork shoulder and making fresh sausage from scratch. Grinding, stuffing etc etc. Tips, recipes would help too! Thx in advance.

You could always do the following: "temper" the garlic by peeling the cloves and placing them in boiling water for just a minute or less. Then remove them from the hot water with a slotted spoon, setting the cloves in ice water. This will stop the cooking process & take the "punch" out of it but leave the flavor in. Technically you are "poaching" the garlic. Then when the cloves have cooled you could run them through the garlic press or the food processor (1-2 quick pulses only to keep it chunky).

This one includes garlic- but if you want to add garlic to an existing recipe without the overpowering taste- roast it first, take entire clove, wrap in foil, and bake at 350 for an hour, then unwrap and squeeze pulp from skin, add to your sausage recipe!

French Garlic Sausage
1 ½ pound trimmed pork shoulder or loin, cut into ½ by 1 ¾ inch strips
½ pound trimmed pork fat, cut into ½ by 1 ¾ inch strips
¼ cup peeled natural pistachios, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, coarsely grounded
1 ½ teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 x 12 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
1/3 cup cognac or white wine


Rinse sausage casings and soak in tepid water for 1 hour. Freeze pork and fat 30 minutes, then grind fat through fine blade of grinder and pork through coarse blade. Mix in pistachios, salt, peppercorns, garlic, thyme, ginger, nutmeg and allspice. Combine eggs, egg white and Cognac. Stir into sausage 1 tablespoon at a time Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Stuff sausages mixture into casings. Tie or twist into 12 links.


Hang in a cool spot until dry or refrigerate on rack, turning occasionally, 24 to 48 hours.


To cook, bring water to simmer in Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add sausages, cover and poach gently until sausages are cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Try minced canned/jar garalic. I have found it to be a tad milder in taste than fresh chopped garalic, but much better tasting than garlic powder.

Good Luck!

2 lb. Pork butt or shoulder
2 teaspoon salt
Black pepper to taste
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/3 c Plus 1 teaspoon ice-cold water
Cut pork into 1 1/2 " cubes, trimming all gristle and bone. Pass through a meat grinder with a coarse blade. Put pork in a large stainless or ceramic crock or bowl. Mix the dry spices in a small bowl. Using your hands, toss the meat while adding the spices a small amount at a time. When half the spices are in, add half the ice water. Mix keeping the meat as loose as possible. Add remaining spices & water as above. At this point you may fry a small patty of the meat to test for seasonings. Adjust if necessary.
Refrigerate the sausage mix overnight
Stuff the mix into about 5' of rinsed casings, tying off links at about 8" lengths.


You may grill, steam or fry the sausages as you prefer.

I would roast the garlic first. This will mellow the "bite" but not the flavor. I would also go as far as to season the garlic prior to roasting. Take the entire bulb, and cut off the crown, about 3/4 off the top. Season with salt, pepper, tyme, taragon, and don't forget the olive oil.