Andouille sausage was developed in the Americas, in the early 18th century before the territory that would become Louisiana had changed hands between France and the United States. In addition to French and Cajun culinary influences, andouille sausage draws on the foodways of 18th century German settlers in the future Louisiana territory. LaPlace, Louisiana, on the banks of the Mississippi River, is known as the “Andouille Capital of the World.”
Versions of this spicy sausage are made Old-World-style in France and Germany today, but the Cajun preparation has evolved a long way from those roots. Cajun-style andouille sausage can be made with a variety of meats, including wild game. Pecan and hickory woods are most ideal for the smoking process.
Recipe Servings: 20
+ 1 hour resting
Ingredients
- 1 cup onion, diced
- 1 Tbsp lard or peanut oil
- 3½ lbs venison, pork, beef or other meat
- 1½ lbs pork belly or fatty shoulder
- 3 Tbsp kosher salt
- 1 heaping tsp instacure no. 1
- ⅓ cup dry milk (optional)
- 3 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
- 2 tsp cayenne
- 2 Tbsp sweet paprika
- ½ tsp clove
- ¼ tsp allspice
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp powdered mustard
- ½ cup red wine or beer, chilled
- Hog casings
Directions
- In a small sauté pan, heat the lard or peanut oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook over medium heat until they are soft, translucent, and slightly browned on the edges. Remove the onions from the pan and set aside to cool.
- Prepare about 10–15 feet of casings (typically three lengths), submerging them in warm water.
- Prepare your meat, removing as much silver skin as possible, and cutting into 1–2-inch chunks.
- In a large dish, combine the salt, Instacure, dry milk, garlic, cayenne, paprika, clove, allspice, thyme and powdered mustard, and toss with the meat chunks to thoroughly coat.
- Place all in a container and freeze, covered, for 30 minutes–1 hour, until the mixture has reached a temperature of 35°F or colder.
- Grind the onions, meat, and fat through the coarse die or appropriate food mixer, or hand-mince the meat, placing the mixture in a large bowl. Keep the mixture cold, around 30°F, re-freezing as needed.
- Add the chilled red wine or beer to the bowl and mix with a mixer on the lowest setting for 90 seconds to 2 minutes, or with very clean hands for 2 minutes, until the texture resembles a thick batter.
- Prepare a sausage stuffer, loading in the meat and fat mixture. Rinse the casings with warm water, checking for holes. Thread an entire casing on the stuffer and slowly fill, coiling the filled casing as it is produced, completely filling all of the casings.
- To form the individual links, tie off one end of a casing. Then compress the sausage inside it to fill the end link, and pinch off a single link with one hand.
- With the other hand, shape a second link next to the end sausage, and flip the second link over, creating the first sausage. Gently compress the meat in the forming sausages, and flip the second link over and over several times to tighten.
- Moving down the coil, repeat the process, reversing the motion of spins in the casing each time until all of the casings and filling are used. Tie off end links and repeat the process with additional casings.
- Hang the sausages for 1–2 hours at room temperature or overnight with temperatures below 45°F. With a large, sterilized needle, pierce any air bubbles in the hanging links.
- Smoke the sausages for at least 3–4 hours, hot-smoking to an internal temperature of 155°F.
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