How do you cook your sausages?

epicuric

epicuric

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Ok, we've nailed bacon, how about sausages? You know when you visit a food fair, and those artisan sausage producers are frying up tasting samples in skillets on gas burners? They manage to get them nice and crispy, whilst remaining soft and juicy at the same time. I have never managed to achieve that at home. I've a feeling it may be down to the casings, natural vs. artificial, but I'm not sure. Any ideas? Otherwise, I may have to visit my favourite bacon supplier today, who also makes sausages :)
 
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Burt Blank said:
Lard, lard is an extremely versatile fat: It doesn't smoke at high temperatures, so it's perfect for high heat cooking or frying. Have you visited the Ludlow food festival ? the sausage trail is a must do. http://www.ludlowfoodfestival.co.uk/whats-on-at-ludlow-food-festival/PiDDAS1kBwJkjBQ
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Never cooked with lard. Quick search shows its smoking point 40 deg lower than veg oil, so not sure. I've a feeling the solution lies in lower, slower cooking and natural casings, but this is pure guesswork. Field trials called for!
 
That is a broad question. We use sausage (variety) in many dishes. I use our homemade andouille either in bulk (not smoked and raw) for burgers and fatties and the smoked in gumbo, red beans and just sauteed slices straight up with Creole mustard as an appy. I love Italian sausage grilled with onions, peppers and giardiniera as a sandwich on a hoagie roll. There are so many uses and ways to use sausage in dishes, it just blows my mind trying to think of them.
 
There are so many kinds of sausages, and they all get different techniques around here.

Bratwurst frequently start in a big pot of sauerkraut (with wine or beer), then browned on the outdoor grill.

Kielbasa, that either gets grilled or cut into slices and flash-fried.

Breakfast links, I used to start in a little water, cook them dry, then brown in the same pan, but lately, I've been doing them under the broiler.

Breakfast patties, in a medium-hot skillet with a bacon press, about four minutes a side. Perfect.
 
CraigC said:
That is a broad question.
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I think the OP is referring to British Bangers rather than denser German style or Andouille. However, British bangers vary greatly these days. Some are very meaty and some are perhaps more traditional and contain more breadcrumbs. Personally, I prefer the latter and often find the cheaper sausages suit me better for traditional 'bangers and mash' or for a full English.

I cook them in the halogen oven (which is the main oven I use these days). I cook for around 20 minutes, turning a few times. They come out beautifully plump and succulent but seem to wrinkle a bit after serving up.
 
Like bacon, it seems people want to toss sausage in a scorching hot pan and hear that sizzle. I start lower. If I am using my outdoor grill, I cook indirectly, with the coals/fire on one part of the grill, and the sausages on another. The casing slowly browns and gets a nice "pop," and the meat cooks through but stays moist.

In a pan, I just keep the heat lower, and let it cook at its own pace.

If I want a bit more "char" on my casing, I use a kitchen torch.

CD
 
After purchasing some good sausages yesterday I decided some extensive research was necessary before breakfast. Several UK newspapers had done articles on cooking the perfect sausage, and I also found a few niche sausage making sites and some interesting blogs by experienced butchers. Ironically, one of the most interesting was a blog written by a US butcher of 30 years experience - not where I was expecting to find the definitive word on cooking the British Banger. By the way, my findings were restricted to the traditional British pork breakfast sausage, purely because this is the one I eat 90% of the time. They probably don't apply to other types of sausage. Anyway:

Ingredients: Pork shoulder and belly, approximately 80:20 ratio, but adjusted to achieve a 20-30% fat content, no more, no less. Rusk (breadcrumbs) 5% by volume, to soak up the fat when cooking. Lightly seasoned and nothing weird added.

Cooking: Non-stick pan with a very minimal coating of butter/duck or goose fat/lard (for Burt Blank was on the right track), but never oil. Low to moderate heat for 15-30 mins depending on thickness, turning frequently. No grilling or oven baking because this dries them out (and anyone who mentions 'microwave' will be banished to the Cycling thread for the rest of the week.) There it is, and it really does work.
45337
 
I have to admit to putting them in the airfryer here most of the time, really due to lack of energy at the moment.
If I have the energy to cook a decent sausage, I start off with a neutral oil and when they are crispy on the outside I switch to a lower heat with a scoop of butter. Makes them shiny and really tasty and juicy.
 
Seriously, it depends on the type of sausage and what I have in mind.

I want to chop up andouille for Cajun or Creole sorts of recipes. Chorizo I'd add to paellas or to stews. Of course there are times I want to eat them and not be bothered with an intensive recipe - maybe grill outdoors, or pan fry sliced in either half, or in disks.

I make homemade breakfast sausage. As I've yet to stuff this into links (I plan to do that sort of thing down the road), I simply pan fry it in with or next to my breakfast eggs, and perhaps a veggie or two.

I've taken brats (pre-cooked) and slit them nearly in half, and added cheese, then baked them in the oven. Sometimes chopped onion will also be added. I'll use mustard as a condiment and eat them that way. (No bread necessary.) Most German sausages end up with mustard or horseradish, but not always. I like with sauerkraut, too.

Lamb marquez is so wonderful and hard to find I typically just cut into good chunks and pan fry.

I know I use other methods. Depends on what the sausage is, and my mood.
 
When I cook Brats (fresh), I simmer them in beer with some sliced onions. Then onto the backyard grill for some color and snap. The simmered onions become a condiment, along with some mustard.

CD
 
caseydog said:
It never occurred to me. I'll have to give it a try, next time.

CD
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I do mine with German-style sauerkraut, where you pour off the liquid and replace it with wine (or beer), apples, onions, brown sugar, and juniper berries, etc. and sometimes I'll toss some quartered potatoes in.
 
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