One of the many new shops to pop up in East Hills is the
Louise Earl Butcher, but what makes this neighborhood business stand out is its workshop-themed classes that it offers from time to time.
For its upcoming Sunday workshop on sausage making, attendees will have a chance to learn how to make sausage from scratch. And if you are like me, then finally you’ll be able to justify purchasing the meat grinding and sausage making attachments for your KitchenAid mixer.
But it is not necessary to have such tools since this hands-on experience in a spacious butcher’s kitchen will showcase how to grind your meat, season your pork mixture, and sort casings for stuffing.
The class will learn how to make an Oaxacan chorizo and a craft beer sausage.
If you are unfamiliar with Oaxacan chorizo, it is a Mexican sausage very deep in color with a delicious complex and tangy flavor infused with lots of chili.
Don’t be afraid of the spice because what you are creating is a wonderfully smoky richness that makes chorizo a perfect sausage to serve with your eggs and toast in the morning. Personally, I enjoy tossing in sautéed onions to the final steps of cooking chorizo.
Whereas the Oaxacan Chorizo will be prepared as the loose variety (think ground), the craft beer sausage is going to be a stuffed variety made with beer from one of the local breweries. (The butcher has not decided yet but if one is concerned about gluten, it is best to alert the butcher in advance of this workshop.)
The best part is that after you have learned how to make sausage you will be departing the shop with approximately 2 pounds of the sausage that you made at this community-building event that is organized around the concept that slowing down to make sausage shouldn’t be intimidating.
As of press time, this popular event has now sold out, but the next chance to learn how to make sausage will be May 7. If you are someone who cannot wait, please contact the butcher to be added to a list just in case any openings should appear for Sunday’s event.
Cost is $50 per person, call the shop at (616) 930-3602 to make reservations.