When it comes to breakfast on the autoimmune paleo protocol, your options can feel limited without eggs. I know I struggled in the beginning without my lovely orange-yolked local pasture-raised eggs.
I love bacon, but having it every day with breakfast can get old. I also love my egg-free plantain pancakes, but I feel better when I don't eat a ton of carbs every day, so I only made them about once, maybe twice a week. I would also use the easy strategy of eating whatever leftover meat from lunch or supper that I had on hand, but sometimes that felt like a drag and got boring.
The sausages I was used to eating for breakfast were a no-no because they had red pepper flakes. I knew I needed to come up with my own recipe for sausage patties with AIP-compliant ingredients!
I have always loved the flavor combination of maple syrup and sage, so I wanted that to be the base of my recipe. I also wanted to include ginger to give them a little heat, since I couldn't use any hot peppers. I wanted to use my smoked sea salt to give them some more depth and character. I knew they needed onion and garlic to counterbalance the sweetness of the maple syrup. And I threw in a few other complementary seasonings for good measure :-)
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have on my autoimmune paleo healing journey!
Side rant: This is how most of the meat that I've consumed in the past 4 years has looked: NOT FOR SALE or NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION printed in big, scary letters prominently on the packaging. This is because my small, local, pasture-based farmers don't slaughter their animals in USDA-inspected facilities. Many states have laws prohibiting labeling meat packaged in non-USDA-inspected facilities as for sale for human consumption. Don't let it frighten you!
The pork pictured here came from the whole pig I purchased from my neighbor farmer who lives about a mile away. I got to see his farm before committing to the purchase, and even got to meet my pig before slaughter. After seeing his methods, how happy his animals are, and his permaculture system that works with the land, it seems so silly to see such a warning on this delicious meat.
Support your local food producers when you can! :-)
Smoky Maple Sage Breakfast Sausage (autoimmune paleo)
An exciting smoky, spicy, and sweet breakfast sausage for the autoimmune paleo protocol, seasoned with maple, sage, and ginger!
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 6-10 minutes
Total time: 11-15 minutes
Yield: 6-8 patties
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork (preferably from pasture-raised or organic pigs)
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup, grade B
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked salt
- 1 tsp rubbed dalmatian sage
- 1/4 tsp marjoram
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 3/4 to 1 tsp powdered ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- about 1 Tbsp bacon grease or lard, for frying
Cooking Directions
- In a small bowl, mix together dry ingredients (smoked salt, sage, marjoram, thyme, ginger, cinnamon, and garlic and onion powders). Use a fork to mix uniformly.
- In a large bowl, add pork and drizzle maple syrup and sprinkle seasoning mixture on top. You may use your hands to incorporate spices and syrup evenly into the meat, or you can use a dough blender/cutter.
- Separate seasoned meat into 6 or 8 small patties by pinching off a section of meat, rolling it into a ball between your hands, and then pressing flat.
- Heat fat of choice over medium heat in a large frying pan or skillet for 2-3 minutes.
- Fry pre-formed patties until internal temp reaches 160F, about 3-5 minutes per side. Cook longer if you prefer a crunchier exterior (like me!)
- Serve and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also double or triple this recipe and freeze the leftovers. Reheat frozen patties by baking in a 350F oven until warmed through.
Recommended Ingredients
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