Description

Sausage recipe based on Taste of Home’s Homemade Breakfast Sausage Patties.

The sandwich itself is inspired by the one deliciously shown on Vindulge.

Ingredients

For the sausage:

3/4 C buttermilk
2 1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 tsp rubbed sage
1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
1 1/2 tsp ground pepper
3/4 tsp dried marjoram
3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
2 1/2 lb ground pork

For the sandwiches:

8 English muffins
8 slices sharp cheddar cheese
8 eggs
8 strips thick-cut bacon, each cut in half to make 16 smaller strips

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Instructions

Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. You want to grill the patties, but not scorch them.

Make the sausage

Combine the pork seasonings, buttermilk, and syrup in a large bowl. Mix it thoroughly by hand or with a mixer until the mixture self adheres and becomes tacky and somewhat fibrous. Make sure the pork stays cold—below 45°F (7°C)—to create a better fat emulsion.
Form your patties. Make sure they are no thicker than 1/2-inch. They will shrink in radius while cooking and will become thicker.

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Cook and assemble the sandwiches

With your griddle or skillet on the grill (see note below if it won’t fit on the grill while the sausage cooks), cook the bacon. Cook it to your preference—I like mine just crispy, still with a little chew. Remove the bacon to a plate and pour off some of the excess bacon grease.
Put the patties on the grill over direct heat. Let them cook for a couple of minutes and then flip them. Keep flipping them regularly to help them cook evenly and to avoid burning the outsides.

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Check the sausage patties’ internal temperature with your Thermapen as you cook. Once you get up to about 150°F (66°C), flip the patties one last time and add your cheese.

Temping the sausage — Time to add cheese and finish cooking

Fry the eggs in the remaining bacon grease until the whites are set and the yolks are runny. Remove them to a plate.

Toast the cut face of the buns on the griddle.

When the patties reach 160°F (71°C) and the cheese is melty, remove them from heat.
Assemble your sandwiches and dig in! (Cutting it to reveal a delectable cross-section is optional)

Notes

If your grill is big enough to accommodate a skillet or griddle while still leaving room for grilling, you can cook everything at once. If not, I suggest cooking the bacon on the griddle first, which only takes a couple minutes. Then, cook the sausage on the grill.
When the sausage is done, remove it from the grill and cover it on a plate. Then put the griddle back on and fry the eggs in the last bit of bacon fat. When the eggs are done, toast the buns on the same griddle before assembling everything.