Swedish Potato Sausage

Cut beef and pork into medium size chunks. (It should not be too lean because the fat in it soaks up the potato starch). Leave potatoes whole. Put these ingredients in a large pan. Then add seasoning and mix. Add onions and mix. Then grind everything at once. Stuff in casings (or make in patties or use as a meat loaf - very good!)

Leo says that he puts the sausage in a skillet with water to cover, brings it to a boil, and then turns the heat to a simmer and covers it. The sausage will be cooked after 20 minutes of simmering.

- Barb (Girvan) Horak

Christmas Potato Sausage Story

This is a nice family sausage making story by Don Wall, one of our readers and contributors that I thought was really unique, and shows the creativity and resourcefulness that our parents, grandparents and great grandparents, and even furher back used to survive. Iit has followed us into this age, although we have different challenges. I think that there is nothing wrong with sharing Swedish recipes in a German forum as we are very close in many of our dishes. I do not doubt that meat was extended with potatoes by many Germans

 My Dad and I use to make Swedish Potato Sausage around Christmas. My dad's mom used to use a cow's horn for a sausage stuffer.  She would put the beef casing on the horn and force the sausage mix into the horn with her thumb.  Very labor intensive.  As the casing became fuller, she would stretch it out.  It was not until the early 1960s that I found a cast iron sausage stuffer at an antique shop that doubled as a grape/apple press.

 It is about as big around as a 1 gallon jug with a crank and bevel gear operation on the pressing plates.   Still have it in the basement.  Believe is was made in a foundry in Geneva, Ill.  The first time my grandma watched us make sausage with it, she could not believe how fast it filled the casings.

Here is another recipe for Potato Sausage that uses raw potatoes.

SWEDISH POTATO SAUSAGE

Sausage casings
2 lbs. ground beef, lean
2 lbs. ground pork, lean (can use 1/2 ham)
2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 med. onions
2 tbsp. canning salt
1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. white pepper
1/2 c. water or ham stock

Grind with coarse grinder and mix all ingredients.
Put through a smaller plate (such as 3/8 in. and put into sausage casings.

Stuff in pork casings. (Can make into patties also)
If storing more than 2 days, freeze it.

Here is a nice link to a sausage dictionary. I printed this out for my sausage notebook.
http://www.foodsubs.com/MeatcureSausage.html