Behind the Scenes: The Making of Sausage

Rupa Bhattacharya of our Super Food Nerds team visited New York City butcher shop Hudson & Charles to see how sausages are made.

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Meat and Greet

Hudson & Charles co-owner Kevin Haverty poses in front of the charming shop window.

The Sausage Making Begins

For consistency, everything (including dry spices) is measured by weight.

The Daily Grind

Meat gets fed through a coarse grinder.

Seasons of Love

Seasonings include fresh parsley: “I love parsley. When I make meatballs they’re, like, 30 percent parsley,” says charcutier Ian Halbwachs.

Cheese, Please

He also adds fresh Parmesan from the cheese case out front.

On the Case

Co-owner Jason Fox holds up a ring of yet-to-be-soaked, all-natural casings.

Mix In

Ian sets up the sausage in the large-scale stand mixer.

Flavor Station

Salt and other dry seasonings go in first, to help bind the meat.

Finishing Touch

Once the meat is bound and sticky, the wet seasonings (cheese, parsley and wine) go in.

And Now, Sausage!

Sausages get piped out onto a wet surface so they’re easy to move around.

Links at Last

Then, they’re twisted into links.

Choose Your Own Adventure

Craving certain sausage flavor combos? Hudson & Charles takes custom orders from clients and restaurants.