I have never been so excited for breakfast. I can't wait to go to sleep tonight, just so I can wake up and make this! Elderberry Butter Glazed Buttermilk Biscuits with (homemade!) Alsatian Breakfast Sausage is a gift of cuisinal perfection from Forrest Mason of The Saucy Spork. Forrest's Alsatian Sausage features a spice blend from our friends at Boise-based Starlight Herb & Spice Company- see below for details about this fabulous company.
Not pictured: my drool-covered keyboard.
Starlight Herb & Spice Company Starlight Herb & Spice Company offers high quality herbs, spices and handcrafted spice rubs, artisan salts & peppers, and game & sausage seasonings. Unlike commercial brands, Starlight never uses any chemicals, preservatives, fillers or artificial flavorings of any kind, and their unique drying process-- which maintains the proper moisture content and preserves the plants' essential oils-- results in superior aroma, color, freshness, flavor and shelf-life.
Not pictured: my drool-covered keyboard.
Ingredients
For the Elderberry-Butter
For the Elderberry-Butter
- 1/4 cup Norm's Farms Blueberry Elderberry Preserves
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Starlight Herbs Alsatian Breakfast Sausage Seasoning
- 1 pound boneless, skinless pork shoulder (or 1.5 pounds bone-in, skin-on)
- ¼ pound fatback
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ stick unsalted butter
- 1 cup buttermilk
Servings: 8 biscuits and sausage patties
Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 90 minutes
Variation
If you don’t have a meat grinder, you can substitute a pound of ground pork plus 3 strips of finely diced bacon for the pork shoulder and fatback. You can omit the bacon or fatback for a leaner sausage. Most butchers will offer fatback for sale if you ask them. Any leftover fatback can be frozen and used later.
Directions
Active Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 90 minutes
Variation
If you don’t have a meat grinder, you can substitute a pound of ground pork plus 3 strips of finely diced bacon for the pork shoulder and fatback. You can omit the bacon or fatback for a leaner sausage. Most butchers will offer fatback for sale if you ask them. Any leftover fatback can be frozen and used later.
Directions
- Set out a stick of unsalted butter on the counter to soften.
- Meanwhile, cut the pork shoulder and fat back into one-inch cubes. Transfer to a plastic bag or wrap tightly in tin foil and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. This will aide in the grinding process.
- While the meat is in the freezer, measure out and whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) for the biscuits in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
- The butter should be soft enough to handle by now. You can either use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, a hand mixer or a fork for this step. If using a fork, you should first thin the Blueberry Elderberry Preserves with the lemon juice before adding the butter. For the electric mixers, simply combine all ingredients in the Elderberry-Butter section and whip for 1 to 2 minutes until the ingredients are combined. Spoon the butter mixture into small ramekins or a sealable container and press flat with a piece of wax paper. Set aside in fridge to be used later.
- Fit a meat grinder with the medium blade and grind the pork and fat back, using a medium bowl to catch the ground meat as it falls. Add the Alsatian Breakfast Sausage seasoning and cayenne pepper, if you are using it. Lightly toss to combine using your fingertips, doing your best to not overwork the meat. Cover and transfer to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut the ½ stick of butter from the biscuits section into small cubes. Using your fingertips, a dough cutter, or a food processor, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal with pea-sized lumps of butter. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the cup of buttermilk. Lightly stir to barely combine the ingredients and then turn the dough out onto a clean work surface. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough and knead it 4 or 5 times. Pat down into a one-inch thick round.
- Cut out biscuits using a floured 2.5-inch biscuit/cookie cutter or a wide-mouthed glass. Make sure to press-straight down as opposed to twisting to cut the biscuits. Press any scraps back together to make more biscuits. Arrange biscuits on a baking sheet so that they are barely touching. This will help them to rise in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through, or until the biscuits are golden brown.
- While the biscuits are in the oven, remove the sausage mixture from the refrigerator and divide into eight patties. Sauté patties in a large skillet over medium heat for 10-12 minutes,flipping the patties halfway. The internal temperature should reach 160 degrees.
- To serve, cut biscuits in half and fill with a sausage patty to make a sandwich. Melt half of the Elderberry-Butter and drizzle over top of the biscuits. Serve remaining whipped Elderberry-Butter with any leftover biscuits or toast.
Starlight Herb & Spice Company Starlight Herb & Spice Company offers high quality herbs, spices and handcrafted spice rubs, artisan salts & peppers, and game & sausage seasonings. Unlike commercial brands, Starlight never uses any chemicals, preservatives, fillers or artificial flavorings of any kind, and their unique drying process-- which maintains the proper moisture content and preserves the plants' essential oils-- results in superior aroma, color, freshness, flavor and shelf-life.