1 1/2 m medium hog casings [if making links]

2 kg lean pork butt -- cubed

500 g pork fat -- cubed [Note: substit

5 tsp coarse salt [Kosher salt, no iodine]

3 tsp fresh black pepper -- coarsely ground

2 cloves garlic finely minced

2 1/2 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp anise seed

crushed red pepper to taste

1. Prepare the casings.

2. Grind the meat and fat together through the course disk.

3. Mix the remaining ingredients with the ground meat and fat.

4. Stuff the mixture into casings and twist off into 8-10 cm links.

5. Refrigerate and use within three days [immediately if using store- ground meat as this is not as sanitary as grinding your own], or wrap sausages individually and freeze.

Author's Notes: From 'Home Sausage Making' by Charles Reavis, Pownal, VT: Garden Way Publishing, 1981, ISBN# 0-88266-5

You might also try adding about 1 Tbls of dry sweet basil and 1 Tbls of dried Italian oregano.

Difficulty : moderate - patience needed. Precision : measure ingredients.