The flavour is definitely…intriguing. But the following flaws prevent this batch of sausages from being all they could be:

• A little too much cumin (I suspect this may mellow a bit with age but, still, it kind of overwhelms the other flavours).
• Not enough tequila (I’d say 30% more) for the flavour to really come through (although it may simply be swamped by the cumin).
• I’m not happy with the ratio of Ancho to Chipotle to Paprika. I think I’d prefer less paprika, and more Ancho (and a little more Chipotle, too). Next time, I’ll try deriving the heat less from paprika and more from some fresh chilli.

Pictures to follow.

While the test-patty is a good indicator of rough flavour, be aware that the flavour will definitely  mature in the day or two after the sausages were made.

I love the spiciness of the toasted coriander seeds, balanced with the sweetness of the toasted fennel seeds (and just a hint of chilli, of course).

This batch is a special request for mum; unfortunately, the meat I’ve been given for this batch has been frozen, so it didn’t grind so well. I had to stop and clear the grinder a couple of times, but the overall consistency’s acceptable (just).

The flavour is great – noticeably spicy, but not overwhelming.

Changes this time include:

• Dried basil / oregano (just completely forgot to pick up fresh, and the herb garden’s not ready to harvest)
• Spices mixed by weight, pro rata for amount of pork used
• Marinating pork / fat strips in spices overnight
• Around 5% more fat than the usual recipe (mum adores fatty sausages)
• Aiming for a relatively moist sausage, to take the edge off the heat a bit

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When the meat or connective tissue is too stringy, and gets wrapped around the blade, meat reaching the cutting surface / grill is torn, instead of cut. This results in mushy mince that, when cooked, resembles paper mache. When you first notice smear, stop the grinder, remove the grill, and remove any tissue wrapped around the blade.

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This bacon came out quite well; it was cured for 8 days, and then smoked for several hours to 65C. Texture was good, as was fat-to-meat ratio. The extra curing time meant that there was less water in the bacon, which is good from a fry-up perspective.

Tip: vacuum-packing the bacon when curing ensures that the entire surface of the bacon cut is continuously in contact with the cure. It also helps to draw some initial liquid out of the meat to mix with the cure (and, thereby, kick-start the curing process). It also helps produce a drier bacon (which is more pleasant to fry).

I could have quite happily sold this bacon (if we were at the commercial stage yet).

Unfortunately, I lost the pictures of the finished product. But, trust me, it was delicious.