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cumberland sausage link on mashed potatoes with gravy

Cumberland Sausage Recipe

Course Main Courses
Cuisine British, Scottish
Prep Time 45 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 6 lbs of sausages
Calories 826
Author Sausagemaker on
A traditional and very flavorful English sausage recipe that comes from the area of Cumbria.

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs pork shoulder
  • 1 lb pork belly
  • 8 oz breadcrumbs or rusk
  • 16 oz water
  • 5 Tbsp sea salt
  • 1 ½ Tbsp black pepper freshly ground
  • 2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 2 tsp white pepper
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp ground mace
  • sausage casing
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Grind the Meat:

  • Cut the pork meat into chunks (size should be according to your meat grinder instructions).
  • Once it is all cut, place into the grinder with a medium to coarse grind plate (about 5mm).

Season the Meat:

  • Put half of the ground pork in a large bowl and add the salt, but be sure to use sea salt (do not use table salt or it will be too salty). Next, add the spices.
  • Mix well and run through the meat grinder a second time.
  • Add the rest of the ground pork, and the rusk/breadcrumbs. Now add the water. 
  • Mix well, preferably with your hands, as it is easier to incorporate everything evenly. At this point, you can fry a little of the sausage to taste it. Adjust the seasonings if necessary.
  • Grind once more (optional, however, we did).

Stuff the Sausage Meat into the Casings:

  • Tie the end of a sausage casing. Using the sausage stuffing attachment, hold the casing over the end and start filling it with the machine.
  • Hold the casing on so it doesn't slide off, and gently hold the sausage as it's made so that it has a bit of a guide.
  • With a sharp, small skewer or toothpick, prick holes into the sausages.
  • Now you are ready to do one of two things: cook the sausages or freeze them. Given the large amount of sausages this recipe makes, you'll probably do what we did a little of both.

Serving:

  • After cooking (I like to fry a ring in a cast iron pan over low/medium heat so it cooks all the way through), just place the ring on top of the serving plate of potatoes.
  • Then pour a rich gravy over the top! Add a leaf or two of parsley or pea shoots for a little green, if you like.

Notes

  • Cumberland sausages are traditionally made (and sold) in long rings. They are not twisted or tied off into individual links as many other sausages are.
  • Do not grind the meat for proper Cumberland sausages, just mince the meat by hand.
  • Cooking a link in a large, cast iron pan is a really good option. You can also grill the sausages (in the oven or on a bbq). However, as noted above, cook it first, then cut into pieces to serve. Traditionally, Cumberland sausages are served on a bed of mashed potatoes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1lb | Calories: 826kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 49g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 25g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 6260mg | Potassium: 878mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 5mg
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