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Swiss Sausage Recipe

Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2013 18:06
by sausagemaneric
Here is a real cool somewhat old world type recipe for what the Salinas Valley calls Swiss Sausage.

1 lb. 4 oz. salt
Black pepper, mix with salt 'til grey. (no I'm not kidding)
1-1/2 tablespoon of Cinnamon
1 tablespoon allspice
1-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 tablespoons garlic salt
2-1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 gallon burgundy wine
50 lbs meat, 70% pork, 30% beef, or 100% pork if they are lean butts.

This is the way the recipe read when I got it, I never made it exactly like this. I modified it to the following 10 lb. recipe

10 lbs pork butts
4 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1-1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2-1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pint burgundy wine ( it usually winds up being a quart though)
Grind the fat and gristle-y meat with a 3/16 plate
Grind the lean/clean meat through a 1/2" plate (I like lean through a coarse plate)

I get real good reviews from people who like Swiss sausage with this recipe. I have to say, I like it a lot but only 5 out of 20 people like this recipe. It is just too "out there" for the average Italian sausage eater.

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 19:43
by redzed
Geez, that is a flood of wine in that recipe! Does it still bind well?

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 23:41
by el Ducko
...interesting recipe. Do you know any of the history behind it? Was the Salinas Valley settled by Swiss immigrants?
:mrgreen:

Posted: Tue Feb 12, 2013 03:22
by sausagemaneric
Answering both questions. There is quite a collection of Swiss down in the Soledad and Arroyo Seco Area. There is one guy down there and his business is called Roy's Swiss Sausage. I don't know if that is all he makes, but his is largely like this recipe. There is at least one or two other Mom and Pop operations that make Swiss sausage and they are all very similar. And my buddy's relatives (Swiss) make Swiss sausage at their home and it is like this. So I am thinking that the Swiss here think it is Swiss sausage. There is also a company in San Luis Obispo County called "Cattaneo Brothers" and their Swiss Sausage is really close. It binds up pretty well, like Italian sausage. I know when you put vinegar in chorizo it makes the sausage fall apart. This is nothing like that.

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 00:19
by Bobh92057
I know this post is a few years old, but when I seen it I just had to reply. I'm new to this site but have been making fresh sausage for many years. I grew up in Salinas and my step Dad was "Swiss Italian". He had/has many relatives throughout the valley, down to King City and Soledad.

Annually, the local "Swiss-American club"would host a large BBQ at one of the local parks in Soledad and they would BBQ several hundred pounds of sausage. Added to a crunchy roll, some hot mustard and it was remarkable!

I do recall some of the above spices that my step Dad would use when we made our 20 lb batches. Your recipes sounds pretty accurate. I think I'll give it a try for memory-sake. Man, this takes me back to the mid-70's....

Bob

Posted: Sat Apr 23, 2016 16:21
by Bob K
Bobh92057 wrote: Man, this takes me back to the mid-70's....
Wow ,yea that was a great decade :wink:

If you get a chance take some some pics and post them!

Posted: Thu May 19, 2016 04:56
by sausagemaneric
I know this post is a few years old, but when I seen it I just had to reply. I'm new to this site but have been making fresh sausage for many years. I grew up in Salinas and my step Dad was "Swiss Italian". He had/has many relatives throughout the valley, down to King City and Soledad.

Annually, the local "Swiss-American club"would host a large BBQ at one of the local parks in Soledad and they would BBQ several hundred pounds of sausage. Added to a crunchy roll, some hot mustard and it was remarkable!

I do recall some of the above spices that my step Dad would use when we made our 20 lb batches. Your recipes sounds pretty accurate. I think I'll give it a try for memory-sake. Man, this takes me back to the mid-70's....

Bob
Hope you like the recipe. When I was making a 100 or so pounds various sausage a month I would regularly make 20-30 pounds of Swiss and there were a few people that always wanted it. I've found it to be a either a love it or hate it recipe. I personally love it for the taste and the history behind it. With the amount of wine in it, it is a good idea to mix it pretty well to give it bind-ability.

V465