If you love sausage but often wonder what’s in it, you’re not alone. Sausage is one of the most divine meat creations on the planet. Plus, you can make it anyway you choose from beef and pork to chicken and turkey. The encased meat of our dreams isn’t as difficult to make from scratch as it seems though. With a little know-how, you can create your own links for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or anytime in between.

1. Get in the grind

You can get a grinder attachment for your KitchenAid if you have one. If not, a food processor will do nicely.

2. Check out your casing

The casings are important for keeping your sausages intact. Hog casings are quite good and sturdy, but you’ll still need to check them for holes or tears. If all looks good, soak them until you’re ready to start filling them up.

3. Add seasonings

The first time you make homemade sausage, you might want to follow a tried and true recipe. But once you’re comfortable with the process, you can experiment with different seasonings and flavors. Coriander, caraway, rosemary, and marjoram are just a few examples. Salt should be added as well.

4. Grind it

Put a bowl under the grinder to catch the meat and seasonings mixture. It will look like noodles made from meat. Your meat should always be very cold when you start this process because it help keep it consistent.

5. Stuff it

Mix your sausage up by hand and create large balls. Stuff those balls into the sausage stuffer and really push down to get the excess air out. Then get your casings out of the water. It takes a little practice to get the sausages uniformly into the casings but after you do it a few times, they’ll look professional. Give them a twist at the end of each sausage, depending on the length you want.

That’s not too hard, is it? If you’re planning to grill them though, there are a few things to keep in mind to avoid charring them beyond recognition on the outside and having them raw inside. Sausages need patience and slow and low is the name of the game. Medium is always best when it comes to heat, though you can pre-start them in a pan filled with water or even better, beer, to ensure they get cooked through.

If you do it that way, you can cook them for 6 to 7 minutes to get them mostly cooked and then pop them on the grill. Or just leave them simmering in beer. However you choose to cook your homemade sausage though, one important thing to remember is that you must let them rest about 5 minutes, just like any other meat. This way, you’ll have delicious, juicy, homemade sausages that will satisfy your soul!