Sausages aren’t regarded as part of the fine dining experience—if anything, it’s a minor player in soup or pasta. That’s a shame because they’re an uncomplicated way to deliver flavor. You might wonder where the hate comes from. They are made with cheap cuts and the meat that didn’t sell at yesterday’s market. But I think it’s their shape that makes them low-brow. They stand out on a plate like a dick-pic scrawled hastily on the bathroom wall. Incidentally, you won’t find those at a Michelin-place either but I’m not running Le Bernardín, so I have no problem either way.
I started making sausages because I was looking for kielbasa bianca and I wasn’t impressed with the Hillshire Farms option at the local store—food that has a half-life longer than radium is not for me. It’s a traditional polish sausage used to make tasty hangover soup, Źurek. It’s also a great example of how uncomplicated sausage can be. With little effort, sausage can easily convey big bursts of flavor into whatever you serve it with.
My kielbasa started with pork shoulder—thanks to my butcher, it needed some fat to make up for being on the lean side—I can’t imagine why, but he’s passionate about lean meat. I used tallow left over from beef stock. (See note 1) To get the traditional flavor, I added minced marjoram leaves and pepper, then salt to taste. (Note 2)
You can skip the marjoram and go on with whatever flavors your heart calls for. There are several polish types of kielbasa, various Italian sausages and bratwurst to name a few. Those have all been done and this is supposed to be about exploring new flavors so get creative and express yourself. As you do, just try to stay away from things that break up the texture. (Note 3)
To make the filling, grind the meat and fat. (Note 4) Make sure the mixture is about 30% fat. Add flavor in the form of minced seasonings and/or precooked ingredients. Mincing it all down ensures that it mixes evenly throughout. Season with salt and fry a small portion to taste, repeat until it’s right. Refrigerate overnight, or at least two hours. Rinse the casings several times, cover them with cold water and refrigerate alongside the mixture. (Note 5) Stuff the sausages while the mixture is cold. It doesn’t take long to get used to making uniform sausage links but try not to overstuff them.
To cook the sausage, prick the casings and cover them in cold water in a deep stockpot. Poach them until they reach an internal temperature of 70C/160F. (Note 6) It’s good practice to bring the water to a boil first and then down to a simmer to quickly kill any surface bacteria. Before serving, briefly throw them on the grill or under the broiler—or in a convection oven at high heat to give them some texture.
- Some people swear that you can do sausage with as low as 15% fat. If you’re going to go that low you might as well not bother. It’s not appetizing. I’m with the majority on 30%.
- You have to be ready with a nonstick pan to cook a small amount of the sausage to taste it. You’ve been warned.
- The following should be obvious, but don’t add anything that cooks slower than the meat—like raw chunks of veg or fruit, it won’t work out for you.
- Grinding up the meat can be done in many ways, you don’t need a dedicated meat grinder. Try using a food processor. Cut the meat into chunks, throw it into the freezer on a sheet pan for twenty minutes and then pulse several times until it’s ground.
- Sausage casings, also known as pig intestines, come in a foul-tasting brine solution to make them keep. You want to wash that out thoroughly.
- Do we need to go over poaching here? Look it up if you’re not sure. At 85C/185F it might take 30 minutes depending on how think your links are.
