Cooking your sausage

chowhound

New member
I was wondering how everyone cooks their rope sausage. Oh the things I could type after that.... :wink:

Usually, if it's a Johnsonville, where the link is entirely cased, I'll grill it, but when it comes to rope I usually cut them into link size pieces, brown them in oil, then cover and reduce the heat until done. If I am fixing with onions and peppers, which I'm doing tonight, I will add them close to the beginning and uncover it towards the end to reduce the liquid. I've never cut and grilled rope sausage for some reason.... maybe I should try that soometime. Never smoked it either. I've also cooked (braised?) it in a little beer, covered, then dumped the beer and added oil to give it some color. Hmmm, maybe I should be doing that opposite? If I'm adding it to spaghetti sauce, I will brown it then add my tomato fixin's in the same saute pan and build my sauce around it. Anyway, I don't have a set in stone method, but it always seems to come out. I was wondering what the popular methods were you folks use.
 

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BamsBBQ

Ni pedo
Site Supporter
i always boil them in water,beer or some flavoring liquid, to bring out some of the fat. this reduces flare ups and is better for you anyways...

if i am smoking a brat or italian rope sausage, i dont boil first... nothing like a brat smoked with cherry wood... they are big sellers in the midwest as well when i do them that way
 

Miniman

Mini man - maxi food
Gold Site Supporter
I usually bake my sausages. If taking them onto another dish, I bake them and add them, cut them up and add to the fried onions beofre adding other things. One of my sons favourite dishes is sausage & baked bean casserole. I will post the recipe.
 

chowhound

New member
They come Cajun flavored too, Keltin :^)
I definitely need to try smoking one Jeff. Thanks for the wood recommendation.
Baked! I had an old girlfriend that used to bake them. I had forgotten all about that. They had a different kind of texture and were drier, in a good way. What do you bake them in, Ray? Do you add any liquid?
 

BamsBBQ

Ni pedo
Site Supporter
They come Cajun flavored too, Keltin :^)
I definitely need to try smoking one Jeff. Thanks for the wood recommendation.
Baked! I had an old girlfriend that used to bake them. I had forgotten all about that. They had a different kind of texture and were drier, in a good way. What do you bake them in, Ray? Do you add any liquid?

cherry wood is my favorite wood to smoke with.. i like the flavor and is not too smokey. it also gives the meat a nice smoke ring and deep red color
 

Miniman

Mini man - maxi food
Gold Site Supporter
I bake them dry, gives a chance for any excess fat to run out. It also gives a much crisper skin. I prefer the browning as well and they are more likely to be cooked through. I don't grill very often so can't do that. I have a grill plate that I can put on the cooker, but it smoke the house out a bit.
 

Love2"Q"

New member
if i am cooking for a bunch of people ..
i will par boil them first then grill ..
if its for just a few .. i put them on the grill straight up ..
as for inside ..
i take a cast iron skillet .. add water to just cover and let it boil
away .. when the liquid is gone i let them brown ..
never cooked anything like what you have there though ..
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
I was going to say, "So that's what you crazy kids are calling it today". lolololol Sorry I just had a "George Carlin" moment.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I actually get a pot they will fit in with water on a medium high but not boiling. I will drop sausage in it as long as it takes for the casing to turn a bit white. At this point I take it out and finish the cooking in either oil, grille it or into a pot of hot pasta sauce. I do this with Italian, polish but it really depends on the sausage. In the case of Brats I steam them in beer with bell peppers, onions on low heat for about 35 to 45 minutes then grille them. Sausages such as Andouille go straight into a pot of gumbo or stew of some kind. Breakfast sausage simply get fried.
 

chowhound

New member
Oh sure. Take my thread to the gutter, Susan.
Uhh, BTW, was that you gutter or mine? :brows:

This is interesting though. There's lots of rope sausage around these parts. You just cut it and cook it. Is it all broken into links where you are K and Q?
And also, I see I'm the only one that has sauteed it. Maybe that's because I never paid attention to how others were cooking it so figured that's how it was normally cooked, but it does come out well, that way.
 

chowhound

New member
I actually get a pot they will fit in with water on a medium high but not boiling. I will drop sausage in it as long as it takes for the casing to turn a bit white. At this point I take it out and finish the cooking in either oil, grille it or into a pot of hot pasta sauce. I do this with Italian, polish but it really depends on the sausage. In the case of Brats I steam them in beer with bell peppers, onions on low heat for about 35 to 45 minutes then grille them. Sausages such as Andouille go straight into a pot of gumbo or stew of some kind. Breakfast sausage simply get fried.

Yeah, that's me pretty much. Except for the andouille that I've never had. Yet. I have never tried "boiling" it either, but see that's popular from those that have said.
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
Just a friendly tip chowhound, never ask a foodie board how to make brats or the proper way to eat them, especially if people from Wisconsin are on the board. lol

I had never seen such arguments in the past. Almost like asking about whether to put sugar in cornbread or meat in chili. lol
 

homecook

New member
If it's Polish sausage (kielbasa) I'll boil it whole for about 20 minutes and then cut into smaller pieces and put in oven with kraut. (cuz that's how my grandmother did it)
Italian I cut up and put straight into my spaghetti sauce. If I'm using it with peppers, onions and the such I'll pan fry it whole and then cut it up. Or boil in beer then fry.
You can buy it like that here also. Most grocery stores carry it along with the butchers.

Barb
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Oh sure. Take my thread to the gutter, Susan.
Uhh, BTW, was that you gutter or mine? :brows:

This is interesting though. There's lots of rope sausage around these parts. You just cut it and cook it. Is it all broken into links where you are K and Q?
And also, I see I'm the only one that has sauteed it. Maybe that's because I never paid attention to how others were cooking it so figured that's how it was normally cooked, but it does come out well, that way.

Actually, about the only “raw” sausage like that I can get here is Italian sausage and it’s already cut into 4’ links. We can get Hickory Farms smoked sausage, but very few options for uncooked sausage, and I’ve never seen rope sausage anywhere down here. Too bad, because it looks great!
 

chowhound

New member
That's interesting, Keltin. Thanks for filling me in. If I'm down in Bamy I won't look for it (lol). Actually, the girl that used to work for me is living in Mobile now and visting up here in a week. I'll have to quiz her on the food change :^)
Rope sausage is so common around here that a lot of deer hunters turn their venison into rope sausage. My neighbor butchers and makes his own, but he cuts it into links before freezing it. He gave me an extra package to smoke for him to see what it comes out like.
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
I get it also here in Kentucky without much problem. I also make a lot of my own Italian, boudan and breakfast sausage.
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
That's interesting, Keltin. Thanks for filling me in. If I'm down in Bamy I won't look for it (lol). Actually, the girl that used to work for me is living in Mobile now and visting up here in a week. I'll have to quiz her on the food change :^)
Rope sausage is so common around here that a lot of deer hunters turn their venison into rope sausage. My neighbor butchers and makes his own, but he cuts it into links before freezing it. He gave me an extra package to smoke for him to see what it comes out like.

I was born and raised in Mobile! I used to love to go down to the docks and buy seafood fresh from the nets. Awesome!

There’s a lot if cool food I can’t seem to get here in Alabama. I’ve heard of people being able to buy Boneless Chicken Thighs. I had no idea they sold those…..I always have to bone my own.

On the flip side, I can get such lovely delicacies as Pig’s Feet, Chicken Feet, Pig’s Ears, Neck Bones, Turkey Necks……:huh:

I do buy some Pig’s Feet on occasion and cook them for the dogs, and smoked neck bones are good in beans…..but really, what is up with this???? :confused:
 

joec

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Man Keltin I always have pigs knuckles and feet smoked in the freezer for pots of beans and such. Even have smoked turkey legs in there right now. I'm living in a gourmets desert here in Kentucky. A good example is no real pizza places around here at all except the usual card board makers like Pizza Hut, Domino's and Papa John's. OK in a pinch but really not what I like. Also hard to get fresh sea food here as well though occasionally I find good stuff at Whole Foods and Kroger's but have to special order my birthday favorite Maine Lobster in a size I like 3lbs or more. I will never get a chance to eat Florida Lobster again and really think it is better than the Maine or crayfish from Louisiana which I will never step foot in again.
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Man Keltin I always have pigs knuckles and feet smoked in the freezer for pots of beans and such. Even have smoked turkey legs in there right now. I'm living in a gourmets desert here in Kentucky. A good example is no real pizza places around here at all except the usual card board makers like Pizza Hut, Domino's and Papa John's. OK in a pinch but really not what I like. Also hard to get fresh sea food here as well though occasionally I find good stuff at Whole Foods and Kroger's but have to special order my birthday favorite Maine Lobster in a size I like 3lbs or more. I will never get a chance to eat Florida Lobster again and really think it is better than the Maine or crayfish from Louisiana which I will never step foot in again.


Oh yeah, smoked neck bones are great in beans….haven’t tried the knuckles yet. Haven’t tried the Turkey Legs yet either. How are they?

Same here on the Pizza. We do have a Little Cesar’s that just opened. Back in the day. They were great back in the day and made square pizzas, and you always got 2-for-1 (Pizza, Pizza). But they disappeared for a while. Now the new one seems to have changed as all they advertise are round pies. Haven’t been there yet to find out for sure.

Luckily, there is a Greek family that just opened a Gyro shop, and that is incredible!

I used to know a few guys here that will take an old refrigeration truck, run down to Mobile and hit the docks for tons of fresh seafood. They pack it in dry ice and then drive it back that same day and sell it. Great deals on dock fresh seafood. Not bad. I need to look those guys up again.
 

Maverick2272

Stewed Monkey
Super Site Supporter
With what you pictured, Fred, I would love to smoke that first then cut up and eat. If it is brats they get boiled in beer and onion then finished on the grill.
For Polish or Kielbasa, I also will cut em up into slices and saute them for use in stir fries and spaghetti.
All of them are good on the grill no matter which way I do em! If I had a smoker I would boil up the brats in beer and onion then smoke em to finish them. One thing, though, anytime I do them on the grill I like to really char the outside of em... can't help myself!
 

Wart

Banned
In an iron pan with green and red peppers, onion, garlic, mushrooms, and what ever else on hand that seems suitable.

Sometimes a light fry on the sausage before adding the rest, sometimes I'll cook the vegetables down some before adding the sausage. Either way I like cooking the moisture out of the vegetables so the fluid is greasy.

Eaten by putting on a 'hogie' bun, preferably a fresh baked one.
 

Deadly Sushi

Formerly The Giant Mojito
I boil it and poke the fat out while its boiling. You should see all of that liquid fat pour out! YUK! Then I grill em for a few minutes.

I get more of a meat flavor and not grease, plus a nice char going on too. And its still tender!
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
I live in an ethnic melting pot with a lot of old world butchers. I can buy just about any kind of sausage you can think of. I have seen chicken sausage, too.

When Andy was living he use to make his own lamb sausage. He would have to remove every last bit of fat and substitute schmaltz or the lamb fat would go rancid.

It really does depend where you live and what is available.
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
Yepsk, that is one of many areas in town where one can buy wonderful ethnic eats.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
different sausages, different methods.

homey's got the kielbasa right. boil, then bake with a mix of potato rounds, sauerkraut, and butter sweated onions.

the sweet and hot italian sausage for tomato sauce gets browned in a frying pan in a little evoo, as a whole piece or whole links. two points: try not to break the skin while browning, and it shouldn't be cooked all the way through. then, using a shears and tongs, cut the sausage into chunks directly into the pot o' sauce. you want every bit of those drippings in the sauce. then, deglaze the pan with some red wine if the fond from browning the sausage hasn't burned, and add that as well.

sausage for sausage and peppers can be grilled, griddled, or pan fried. again, not cooked all the way through, trying not to break the skin. then it's nestled into some evoo sauteed onions and peppers, and covered to finish cooking.

as far as brats go, i like mine grilled, then into the beer bath with onions to finish, but served with seperately grilled onions.

black and white puddings are usually just pan fried. the bigger ones are then sliced into pucks, and refried to crisp the sides.

in one of my favourite cook books, "eat this; it'll make you feel better", dom delouise's mom swore that sausages should never be covered when cooking so that they steam, causing them to get tough. i've found if you use good sausage with thinner casing, it doesn't matter.

also, i tend to like more coarsely ground meat in my sausage. it shows how much filler is being used.
 
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