Chevalatta Italian Ring Sausage: Flavorful Traditional Recipe

What is Chevalatta?

Chevalatta is an Italian spiral sausage filled with pecorino or parmesan, garlic, salt, basil, and parsley. Because it’s often packed into sheep casings, the bite is softer than a pork link—creamy, tender, and ideal with bitter greens like broccoli rabe. It grills beautifully and works equally well as an appetizer, sandwich filling, or main course.

Making Chevalatta

This guide focuses on building the sausage from scratch: the right meat-to-fat ratio, salt percentage, and seasonings to achieve an authentic Italian ring. I’ll also cover the basics of grinding, stuffing into sheep casings, and grilling the finished rings. If you want that classic New York summer-sausage flavor, follow the steps below.

Ingredients

• 5 lbs pork (Boston butt) — target about 75–80% lean, 20–25% fat
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup chopped basil
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 35 g kosher salt (about 2 tbsp) — aim for 1–2% of meat weight
• 3/4 cup pecorino romano (or parmesan)
• Sheep casings

Choosing Your Pork

The meat-to-fat ratio is crucial for a juicy, well-textured sausage. Aim for roughly 70–80% lean meat with 20–30% hard fat. Hard pork fat (rather than soft, jelly-like fat) grinds and binds better. If you’re unsure, ask your butcher to trim and prepare a Boston butt and to include the right proportion of fat—many will do the cutting for you.

Some cooks favor 80/20 for a leaner result, but remember that sausage benefits from fat. It’s common to end up with a little more fat than planned, which usually improves flavor and texture.

Grinding the Pork

Cut the pork into 1–2 inch cubes so it feeds easily into your grinder. Chill the meat and grinder parts on a metal tray in the freezer for about 15 minutes before grinding—cold meat and equipment give a cleaner grind and prevent the fat from smearing.

Use the finer grinding plate for chevalatta to get a cohesive texture. Work in batches and collect the ground meat in a large bowl kept cold.

Seasoning the Pork

Salt is the most important seasoning—use approximately 1–2% of the total meat weight for balanced flavor and proper binding. After grinding, mix in the salt, pecorino, minced garlic, chopped parsley and basil, and the olive oil. Combine thoroughly by hand until evenly incorporated, then cover and refrigerate overnight to let the flavors meld.

Stuffing the Sausage

An hour before stuffing, rinse sheep casings thoroughly in warm water to remove excess salt and allow them to soak for 30–60 minutes. Rinse both inside and out and keep them in a bowl so they don’t slide down the drain.

Fit your stuffer with the smallest funnel plate, lightly oil the funnel and the casing, and thread the casing onto the stuffer. Feed the prepared meat into the stuffer on a low speed so the filling moves steadily and without air pockets. Shape the sausage into a ring as you go; knot the ends when finished. You’ll typically get several rings from this batch. Wrap them and refrigerate overnight for a better texture and flavor.

Grilling Italian Sausage Ring

Preheat the grill to high so the grates are very hot. Place the sausage on the grill, then lower the heat to medium to prevent charring while the interior cooks. Grill each side about 4 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C). Let rest 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Brushing the sausage with a little olive oil before grilling helps with browning.

What to Serve Chevalatta With

• Sauteed or roasted greens such as broccoli rabe
• Steamed or grilled vegetables—artichokes or Brussels sprouts
• Marinated eggplant and onions, or served on a crusty roll as a sandwich
• Simple pasta—lemon pasta with spinach, garlicky cauliflower pasta, or mushroom risotto
• As an appetizer alongside fritters, salads, or slider sandwiches at a BBQ
• Use leftover sausage to stuff Italian sausage bread or add to baked dishes

FAQs About the Recipe

Italian Ring Sausage (Chevalatta)