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Breakfast sausage to begin the day

Even though the days are growing longer and the month of March begins in just a few days (does Daylight Saving Time start soon? That sunshine poking through the bedroom curtains at 6:30 AM would be much more welcome at the tail-end of the day rather than the beginning), it’s been blustery and cold here in New York City. We’ve been smothered in snow and whipped by the wind, and if I’m going to make it through these final days of winter I need to fortify myself in the morning. And that means eating a hearty breakfast of eggs and sausage.

Texans like their breakfast sausage to come in the form of patties, not links (though we seldom say “patty” as it’s just assumed when you have sausage in the morning that’s what it’ll be). And while nothing beats homemade breakfast sausage, in today’s fast-paced world most people buy their breakfast sausage at the store. And if you’re in Texas, you’re buying Owens.

That familiar tube of early-morning carnivorous joy is a staple in most Texans’ households. And since you can’t find it very easily outside the state, it soon becomes one of the things a homesick Texan misses the most.

Sure, Owens doesn’t have a lock on the breakfast-sausage market, but it’s the unique combination of spices and perfect pork-to-fat ratio that fries up probably the most delicious sausage this side of homemade. Trust me, I’ve tried the other brands and their flavor just does not compete.

Breakfast sausage | Homesick Texan

My grandfather had told me that when he was a boy, his job on hog butchering day was to make the sausage. “Was it as good as Owens?” I asked. “It was better!” he said. I realized that if I wanted a proper breakfast sausage, I’d have to make it myself so I asked him how he did it. Surprisingly, making breakfast sausage doesn’t require much—just good fresh ingredients and a skillet.

While making your own sausage may sound like a daunting task, breakfast sausage is a cinch: you don’t have to work with casing and there’s no aging involved. Instead, it’s just a simple mixture of ground pork and spices, ready to be formed into patties and cooked immediately.

Breakfast sausage may just be one of the most versatile meats to have on hand. Of course, you can fry it up and serve it with eggs. Or you can place some in a biscuit for a tasty breakfast sandwich. You can crumble it into cream gravy, throw it into breakfast tacos or I’ve even been known to use it on top of my pizza.

Breakfast sausage | Homesick Texan
So while this recipe isn’t Owens’ exact recipe, I dare say it’s just as good if not better because it’s homemade. And once you get the hang of making it, you may never eat store-bought breakfast sausage again.

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4.93 from 28 votes

Breakfast sausage

Servings 2 pounds
Author Lisa Fain

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground pork
  • 1 tablespoon sage
  • 2 teaspoons marjoram
  • 2 teaspoons thyme
  • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  • With your hands or a spoon, mix together all the ingredients.
  • Heat up a skillet on medium heat and cook a small spoonful of the sausage a couple of minutes on each side. Taste and adjust seasonings.
  • Once you’re satisfied with the flavor balance, to cook form into patties and fry 6 minutes on each side. The uncooked sausage will keep in the refrigerator for a week. It can also be frozen uncooked for 3 months.

Notes

The spice measurements are not an exact science, so feel free to experiment.

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113 Comments

  1. Christina says:

    All I can say is thank you! I'm living in Australia and was so missing having sausage. This was an amazing recipe.

  2. Sew Adorable says:

    I am Texan living in the UK and i miss Owens sausage <3 we have it when we go visit my family in Texas. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe I am going to give this a go 🙂

  3. Anonymous says:

    Howdy!! I stumbled across your blog some time ago and this was the first recipe I tried back then. I love sharing food with friends and I was told these were the best breakfast sausages they had ever had 🙂 Since then I have stopped by now and then to look up specific recipes and today as I was poring over your entry about Gingerbread pancakes (had not ever heard of such a thing and I can't wait to try 'em!!) I thought to visit your FAQs and you are just the cutest thing! Your writing is eloquent and stories delightful! And that's just the gravy on all the goodness of your recipes. Thank you for sharing. I don't know why I haven't followed your blog but I am starting today. Oh, my name is Jen and I reside in Texas Hill Country originally from Northern California so your blog has taught me so much about the culture and variety of Texas Cuisine and I very much enjoy and appreciate such enlightenment! So thank you, THANK YOU!!

  4. I live in Australia and am originally from the states. They don't have breakfast sausage here. I made this recipe and it came out just like how I remember it. It was so nice to finally have it again! An excellent recipe!

  5. missingtx78 says:

    Man o man! I haven't had breakfast sausage in a "coon's age"! That is about to be rectified! Back home I used to buy my sausage from Paul's Meat market in Bacliff, it was a father/ son enterprise founded by the father & on my last trip home I finally made it from Round Rock to Bacliff & the meat market was no more. Now I can make my own, his sausage was so fine and so lean, you could, just wipe the cast iron skillet or griddle. Thank you from the bottom of my li'l ol' heart…Blessings & love to all of ya'll DP Texans out there! Man, I live for for my one or two Texas trips a year for my "Texas fix".