Breakfast Sausage Patties

I’d been making muffins for breakfast on the weekends, and I noticed the Engineer being less than enthused. I needed to shake things up and pique his interest again, and breakfast sausage was just the thing. I had a recipe from Bon Appétit that I’d been meaning to try, so this was as good an opportunity as any. We rarely have meat for breakfast at home, but we figured that once in a while is fine. Plus, you know exactly what goes into these sausage patties! They are pleasantly salty, with a touch of sweetness like proper breakfast sausage ought to have, and are nicely spiced. I served these with eggs, and if you want to go whole hog (ha!), throw in potatoes and toast.

1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp. light brown sugar
1½ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. crushed fennel seeds
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (I only used a pinch of Korean pepper)
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. garlic powder
¼ tsp. smoked paprika
1 lb. ground pork shoulder (Boston butt)

Mix sage, thyme, brown sugar, salt, fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika in a medium bowl. Add pork and work spice mixture into meat with your hands until it's very well blended.

Scoop out ¼-cupfuls of mixture and flatten into about ¼"-thick patties (they will plump slightly when cooled). Griddle sausage over medium-high heat until browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook 2 minutes more, until cooked through.