BAYOU TECHE PORK AND YAM BREAKFAST SAUSAGE

PREP TIME: 1 Hour
YIELDS: 25-30 (3-ounce) Patties

Normally, pork is served with fruit or fruit-flavored sauces to enhance the taste. In this recipe, cubed yams are added to pork sausage prior to cooking to create tremendous flavor and presentation.

INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds ground pork
1 (15-ounce) can Bruce’s or Allen’s Yams, drained
2 tsps. Dried thyme
1 tbsp. Cayenne pepper
1 tbsp. Black pepper
2 tbsp. Salt
1 1/2 tbsps. Rubbed sage
1 1/2 tbsps. Granulated garlic
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 1/2 tsps. Nutmeg
1 cup iced water
hog casing (optional)

METHOD:
Dice yams into 1/4-inch cubes then place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and freeze for later use. Freezing the yams will guarantee a solid cube that will be visible in the finished sausage. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for yams. Using your hands, mix meat well, turning and pushing for 10-15 minutes to ensure proper blending. Gently fold in the frozen yams. Roll the sausage into 3-inch patties or stuff into hog casing and tie off into 6-inch links. Cook in the same method as any other breakfast sausage or grill the links over charcoal.