Homemade Irish Style Pork Sausages (Irish Breakfast Sausage)

Irish Style Pork Sausages are delicious, savory and worth every ounce of effort. Tender pork loin, is combined with bacon fat and rusk, then dried sage and fresh onion are added to give these Sausages a traditional feel. These Irish Sausages are as Irish as can be.

Technically this is an Irish Style Pork Sausage recipe because I am using American pork (I’m in the States) but the ingredients and method of preparation are no different than if I were in the Emerald Isle itself. This recipe recreates a butcher’s pork sausage.

These are Pork and bacon Sausages making them an ideal Irish breakfast Sausage. Fat provides flavor and moisture to the Sausages. These are Pork Sausages, so pork fat is added. I chose to use smoked bacon fat, therefore meeting the pork fat requirement and adding flavor. A package of bacon ends and pieces is ideal for this recipe. This ends up being a cheaper than buying bacon strips.

Hempler’s bacon, locally owned and operated in Washington State offer this 2lb (almost 1 kilo) of bacon ends and pieces. Separate out the meat and use it for any recipe that calls for bacon bits. Use the fat pieces for this recipe.

Styles of Irish Sausages

Irish Sausages have graced the plates of many, young and old, over the years.

This Irish Pork Sausage recipe can be made into different dishes besides as a traditional Sausage:

Bacon Sausages are the quintessential breakfast sausage. Use the fat (and meat if desired) of bacon, preferably smoked bacon for added flavor.
Mini Pork Sausages are often served at parties. They are smaller in diameter, around 25mm compared with 34 mm for a typical Irish Sausage. They are shorter in length too, measuring 11 mm shorter than a typical Irish Sausage. Mini Pork Sausages are often referred to as Chipolatas or Chipolata Sausages. Technically, Chipolata sausages must contain onion, obtaining their name from the Italian word for onion ‘cippola.‘ Use this onion containing Sausage meat to make Chipolatas.
Skinless Pork Sausages are another option using this sausage meat recipe. Form the sausages, by hand, into links. If preferred make sausage patties too.
Sage and Onion Stuffing recipe. Add some of this Homemade Irish Pork Sausage meat to your favorite sage and onion stuffing for something different!
Go one step further, and use his sage and onion sausage stuffing to make little balls. Sage and Onion Sausage Meat Stuffing Balls are often added to a roasting chicken or turkey and cooked in the meat juices. They are a delicious and unexpected side dish to a roasted dinner.
Keeping with the sage and onion theme, use this Pork Sausage meat to make Sage and Onion Sausage Rolls. Lay out sheets of ready made defrosted frozen pastry and line the sausage meat along each sheet. Brush beaten egg around the edges, fold the pastry over to enclose the sausage meat. Close the pastry seams, then cut into ‘rolls’ about 2-3 inches long. Brush with egg and oven bake until golden brown.

Irish Sausages vs British Sausages

Irish and British sausages are very much alike in taste, texture and presentation. However, there are subtle differences between them .

Pork based Irish Style Sausages use pork from non castrated Irish pigs. This improves the flavor and leanness of the meat. I cover this in my Back Bacon recipe.

Irish Pork Sausages may include eggs to help bind the meat together with the other ingredients.

Irish Sausages use rusk as a binder, to absorb the fat. Wheat flour, oil and salt combine to form a dough. Cookies (biscuits in UK) formed from this dough, are overbaked in the oven to dry them. Rusk is formed when the overdried cookies get ground to a very fine texture. This is often times referred to as ‘pinhead’ rusk. Use rusk because it is much drier than breadcrumbs.

British Bangers are made from the Pork from castrated British male pigs. They are eggless and use breadcrumbs (less absorbent than rusk) as their binder.

So, why are Irish sausages so good? I believe the answer is in the usage of rusk. Being drier, it absorbs more of the fat. The fat provides moisture and flavor, so its retention in the sausage is paramount.

Irish Sausage Brands

Denny’s is the oldest and best known company for producing Irish Sausages and bacon. Henry Denny started the company back in 1789 in County Waterford.

Cookstown Pork Sausages have been around for about 75 years, made in the town of Cookstown in County Tyrone.

Clonakilty Sausages are just some of the products made by the Clonakilty company in west Cork.

Hodgins only specialize in Sausages! The company produces a large variety of types and flavors, and are located in County Cork.

Mallons and Kearns Sausages are made by Mallon Foods in Monaghan, in the Province of Ulster.

O’Neills are known not only for their Sausages, but also their dry cured bacon, are based in County Wexford, Ireland.

Irish Sausages are so popular that many supermarkets make their own generic brands.

Casing

Irish Sausages, like most Sausages include an outer cover of casing. Casing is a shell that encloses the Sausage meat. Here’s a few questions and answers about casing:

What is Sausage casing made out of? The connective tissue that lies beneath the mucous membrane of animal intestines becomes Sausage casing. The most commonly used animal intestines are beef, sheep and pig. They offer varying widths for making Sausages. Additional types of casings include:
- Cellulose – these make a thinner Sausage, ideal for breakfast links. They derive from a polysaccharide found in wood, straw and cotton. Peel cellulose casings off before eating because they are inedible.
- Collagen -made from the collagen found in cow or pig hides, bones, and tendons. These casings come in edible and non-edible versions.
- Fibrous, plastic and vegetarian casings are also available but are not suitable for these Irish Sausages.
Are you supposed to eat Sausage casing? Natural animal casings made from intestines are edible. Some collagen casings are edible, otherwise the other types of casings (cellulose, fibrous, plastic and vegetarian are inedible.)
Do you have to soak casings before use? Some casings require a 30 minute pre soak. Instructions will be on the packaging alerting you to this, or your local butcher could tell you.
Can Sausage be made without casing? Yes, simply form the Sausage meat into a log / link shape by rolling it between your hands. Alternatively, use a cookie cutter to make form round patties.
Can you use pig’s intestines for Sausage casing. Pig’s (hog’s) intestines offer an ideal diameter for Sausages. They are safe to consume.

Irish Pork Sausage Ingredients

So, what is Irish Sausage made of? Here’s the ingredients:

Fresh pork: preferably lean. Pork loin works best. Remove all silverskin. (see how to in this recipe).
Fat: saturated animal fat. I used smoked bacon fat.
Binder: rusk is traditional. Use breadcrumbs or oats as an alternative.
Onion: fresh, white or yellow.
Flavoring: dried fresh sage (or commercially produced dried sage), black peppercorns and large salt crystals.

How to Make Irish Pork Sausages

Add the dried sage leaves, salt crystals and black peppercorns into a spice grinder.

Grind to produce a fine powder. The salt helps the sage leaves to become pulverized.

Set up a chilled meat grinder and cut the chilled pork loin into strips.

Grind the pork using a fine grinder plate. Collect the meat in a large bowl.

Add the chilled bacon fat to the meat grinder and finely grind.

Then add the onions. Peeled and cut into pieces to fit into the meat grinder.

The rusk is added to the meat grinder.

Add the ground dried sage and seasoning to the bowl.

Fill a Sausage stuffer with the Sausage meat and place the casing of your choice over the nozzle of your stuffer. Tie a knot in the open end of the casing. Prink small holes in the casing, close to the knot, to allow trapped air to escape.

Continue to stuff the casing. When the Sausage filling runs out, tie the other end of the casing. Twist the long sausage every 3-4 inches / 8cms. Twists made should alternate between clockwise and anti-clockwise. Refrigerate the Sausage links on a sheet pan. This helps to reinforce the twists in the casing.

Cooking Irish Banger Sausages

There are various ways to cook Irish Pork Sausages. Sausages with casings need to be pricked before cooking:

Air Fryer Pork Sausages: no need to preheat the air fryer. Air fry at 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C for about 8-10 minutes until they are golden brown.
Pan fry: Shallow fry Irish Pork Sausages on the stovetop using a high temp oil. Lard was used in the old days. The oil should not surround the Sausages.
Boiling Pork Sausages: boil thick (wide diameter) sausages in casing in a little water. Just cover the sausages with water, prick the casing and bring the water to a boil. Lower to a simmer and allow all the water to evaporate. Use the fat from the Sausages to fry them. Add more fat if the Sausages appear to be sticking. Cook to golden brown until the internal temperature of 145 degrees F.
Oven roast is an option but sausages are not commonly oven roasted. Place in a pre heated 400 degrees F / 200 degrees C. oven for about 15-25 minutes until the sausage skin is golden brown and when the internal temperature of the Sausages reach 145 degrees F.
Grill /BBQ: Place Sausages on a preheated gas or charcoal grill (term used in the U.S) / BBQ (term used in the U.K.) and grill until cooked.
Do not microwave Sausages. The internal temperature of the Sausages cannot be evenly achieved. The sausages will also not acquire their lovely golden color.

Recipes for Pork Sausages Irish Style

The most obvious use for Irish Pork Sausages is in an Ulster Fry. It makes up one of the Ulster Fry meats.

The second most popular way to use these Pork Sausages is when making homemade Sausage rolls, a favorite snack in Ireland and the UK.

Form Pork Sausage patties and add them to a Breakfast burger, sandwich or burrito.

Use sliced Sausages in stews, soups and in Dublin Coddle.

Sprinkle cooked Sausage meat over scrambled eggs, pasta dishes and baked (jacket) potatoes.

My favorite way to eat an Irish Style Pork Sausage is with homemade Back Bacon and Black Pudding all served with a fried egg on top in a Belfast Bap.

A Tip From Me

When grinding meat, put the meat grinder, along with any metal attachments, in the deep freeze (chest freezer if you have one) overnight. This will ‘freeze’ the grinder and help grind the meat easily. Semi freeze or chill any meat and fat before grinding. Chill the onion and rusk in the refrigerator too. Having everything cold will ease the grinding process and prevent the meat from looking like paste.

Got Questions?

I’ve got answers – hopefully!

Can you air fry sausages?

Yes, refer to the ‘Cooking Irish Sausages’ section above for all the details!

Are bangers English or Irish?

The term ‘banger’ is English. It originated at the time of World War 1. When meat rations forced the military to add water to the meat in Sausage production, the Sausages would explode or ‘bang’ when they were cooked. By the time WW2 came around, the term ‘banger’ to describe a sausage was common place. Although an English term, the word has crossed the Irish Sea and can be heard, at times, being used in Ireland.

What other seasonings can I use to flavor the Sausages?

Really any seasoning of your choice. Season ground Pork Sausage meat with curry powder, fennel seeds, garlic, chili powder, sun-dried tomatoes, apple, cheese, caramelized onion, even Guinness!

Can you reheat cooked sausages?

Yes, use the air fryer, stovetop frying pan, oven, grill / BBQ or microwave to reheat sausages. Test the internal temperature using a digital thermometer, it must reach 165 degrees F / 74 degrees C.