• Salsiccie di Lucania
• Makes 6 Servings | Region: Basilicata | Book: Molto Italiano (Ecco 2005)
• It’s worth the trouble to make sausages at home because you can personalize the spice blend to create something unique to your kitchen.
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped
• 1 ounce ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 ounces pancetta, finely chopped
• 2 ½ pounds pork shoulder, run through the medium holes of the butcher’s grinder
• 8 ounces pork fatback, run through the same grinder
• ½ cup light-bodied red wine
• 2 teaspoons hot red pepper flakes
• 2 ½ teaspoons coarse sea salt
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, pancetta, pork, fatback, wine, red pepper flakes, and salt and mix well. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for several hours to allow the flavors to develop.

Shape the sausage mixture into large egg shapes about 3 inches by 2 inches.

In a 10- to 12-inch heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Sauté the sausages until dark golden brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Serve immediately, with braised bitter greens, such as escarole or broccoli rabe, if desired.