Maple Beef Sausage
These maple grass-fed beef patties are the perfect nutrient dense item to add to your breakfast.
From the comfort of my bed, I could hear the grain mill whirling away as the smell of sausage wafted into my bedroom. As a little girl, I would pitter-patter into the kitchen as my mom mixed up the freshly milled pancakes, my dad taking the last of the sausage patties out of the cast iron skillet. I can still taste that sausage now: the strong flavor of sage and thyme hit my tastebuds while the fat nearly melted in my mouth.
I always loved pork sausage when I was little—until it started to cause GI issues. The older I got, the more I realized that every time I ate sausage or bacon, I had heartburn, acid reflux, and a dysregulated appetite.
Though I began skipping the breakfast meats as a child, I began to get curious about pork as an adult. I quickly learned that pork can be a problematic meat, and not just for little children with heartburn. I learned there are several downsides to regularly consuming pork, aside from GI issues, including...
- Toxins are often stored in the fat tissue of pigs due to their rudimentary digestive system (in contrast to a cow’s stomach, with four parts).
- Overly processed and conventional breakfast meats have been linked to cancer.
- Pigs are often carriers of parasites and viruses.
- Most pigs are not pasture raised—most live their lives in cramped farms, on a pesticide laden diet.
If you want to learn more about the downsides of pork, check out this article written by Dr. Josh Axe.
Though I typically do not eat pork anymore, my childhood craving for breakfast sausage lives on. So, I decided to try and make breakfast sausage with beef—and my husband and I were so surprised at the results! It tastes very similar to that melt-in-your-mouth sausage from childhood.
This recipe displays my approach to cooking: healthy eating does not mean we cut out the foods we love. It means that we swap ingredients and find a way to make our comfort foods as nourishing as we can.
Ingredient Breakdown
Beef: I always strive to get the highest quality beef that I can. My favorite is grass-fed/grass-finished beef from a local farmer. You can also find grass-fed beef in your local grocery store. While conventional beef will work, you will miss the benefits of grass-fed beef: higher omega 3 fats, lower omega 6 fats, higher antioxidants, and vitamins A and E.
Also, I would recommend using 85% beef for this recipe. You can use a leaner beef, but it will not taste as much like pork sausage.
Salt: Use an unrefined mineral salt, like Redmond’s or Celtic.
Thyme and Sage: I buy these herbs dried for simplicity sake (and for my budget!).
Maple Syrup: Find a syrup that is organic and 100% maple syrup.
Egg: Look for pasture raised eggs at the grocery store if you do not have access to fresh eggs.
Flour: I always used freshly milled flour, but you can use whatever flour you like!
Ingredients
· 1 lb Grass-Fed Beef (85% lean, 15% fat)
· 1 Teaspoon Salt
· 1 Teaspoon Thyme
· 1 Teaspoon Sage
· 1 Egg
· 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
· 2 Tablespoons Flour
Instructions
1. Mix the salt, herbs, and flour together in a small bowl.
2. In a larger bowl, mix together the beef, syrup, and egg. By all means, use a spoon or fork if you would like to get in an arm workout. I usually just use my hands!
3. Sprinkle the flour mixture in and mix it well.
4. In a cast iron skillet (or pan of your choosing), drop a little bit of oil or butter to lubricate the pan. You can make the patties as large or small as you like. I typically will take a heaping tablespoon, plop it into the sizzling pan, then mash it down with a fork. The flatter you make them, the faster they will cook.
5. When the patties are nice and brown, flip them. After a few seconds, I like to press down on each patty with my spatula, to help it cook all the way through and to squeeze out any extra grease.
6. Repeat until done! Serve with eggs or pancakes, or even eat one alone for a protein-rich snack.