Not Your Ordinary Breakfast Sausage Sandwich

THIS is a sausage sandwich to die for.

Start with pasture-raised and/or artisan quality pork, eggs, bread, and cheese.  Use the recipe below (or create your own seasoning mix) to make the sausage patties.  Then make a few batches of patties to pop in the freezer and  you will have all the convenience of those coffee shop affairs, but oh, such better flavor.

For the record, this sandwich was made with bread from Mamadou’s Artisan
Bakery, eggs from Copicut Farms, ground pork from Lilac Hedge Farm, and cheese from West River Creamery, all vendors at the Wakefield Farmers Market in Wakefield MA, USA.

Making the sandwich itself is, of course, easy enough. Cook up a sausage patty, melt some cheese on some bread, scramble up an egg, and put it all together.  For the sausage patty, you can buy pre-made patties, preferably from a local pasture-raising farm, or purchase ground pork and season it yourself.  Here is how I do it:

Breakfast Sausage Patties

To make enough for 3 lbs ground pork:

1 Tbsp powered sage
1 scant Tbsp freshly ground black pepper (or pre-ground)
2 tsp powered garlic
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp marjoram
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (or powdered nutmeg)
1/8 tsp powdered cloves
1/8 tsp fennel pollen (or powdered fennel seed)
3 Tbsp brown sugar
A few dashes of maple syrup (optional)

Mix all the spices, then mix in the brown sugar.  Use 2 Tbsp per pound of ground pork and mix in by hand thoroughly, along with the maple syrup, if using. Store any remaining seasoning mix in an airtight jar.

Form 2 ounce patties (8 per pound) and flatten on a foil-lined baking sheet to about 3 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/4-1/3″  thick.  Bake at 400 degrees (350 convection) for about 20 minutes, turning at least once. Broil at end for extra browning, if desired.

To freeze: Line a baking sheet or pan with wax paper, foil, or the like,  flatten the patties onto the sheet, and freeze.  Once frozen, peel the patties off the liner and place them in a freezer bag.  Take out as needed and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes – maybe a bit more if cooking directly from the freezer. Note: For thicker rounder patties, don’t flatten as much before cooking.  But flatten as directed for the perfect fit for a sausage and egg sandwich.

Enjoy!