Home Made Sausage, Cured, and Smoked Meats

Okay, first, no homo. While the jokes will be tempting, let's keep it to food.

So, I'm trying to make sausage for the first time next weekend, a recipe from Ruhlman's book. Has anyone else made sausage at home? Tips, pitfalls, recipes? Results?

Yeah. Actually, here's my plan in stunningly boring detail:

1) Cube pork butt Friday evening, and toss with seasonings. Refrigerate.
2) Have all grinder parts, bowl for Kitchen Aide, mixing paddle, etc., in freezer
3) Saturday, grind into Kitchen Aide bowl, which will be sitting in ice.
4) Move bowl to Kitchen Aide, insert frozen paddle, use ice cold liquid
5) Insert into stuffer and crank out the links.

I plan to have all three stations set up and reading to go, prior to taking cubed meat out of the fridge. So it'll be a quick, planned out process, keeping it all as cold as possible.

Speaking of drinking, I'm wondering what wine to pair with a spicy poblano sausage? Maybe a Syrah or Cab?

LOL.

This should be mildly spicy, not a gut grinder. Anjo chili powder and fresh Poblanos. Remember, Anjo = smoked, dried Poblano, so more flavour than heat.

Hmm. Well, I've still got a few of the 07 and 08 MEs :P

Maybe a Riesling then?

Hmmm, have two in the cellar: 2007 Adler Fels Gewürztraminer Mendocino (USA, California, North Coast, Mendocino) \t 2005 Trimbach Gewurztraminer (France, Alsace, Alsace AOC) Cellar Tracker

Ruhlman, and his charcuterie expert he co-wrote the book with, says to season after cubing. Yeah, everything is removable and washable.