Homemade Andouille Sausage Recipe | Club Foody

Andouille sausage… a real food staple in Louisiana

If you are a “foody”, at one point you’ll want to try making homemade sausages. I don’t blame you because it’s fun to make your own…

New Orleans is definitely on my bucket list. Live Jazz, history, great bars, amazing joie de vivre, and incredible Creole & Cajun cuisine… what’s not to like about the “Big Easy”! Its food is an amazing blend of different cultures combined. This is what makes Creole/Cajun cuisine so interestingly delicious!

Many common ingredients are utilized in these two styles such as gumbo file, okra, chili peppers, catfish, duck and alligator, just to name a few. Last year I shared my North African Merguez with you and today it’s my Homemade Andouille Sausage, a very popular Louisiana food item.

Andouille sausage is spicy and enhances any recipe you use it in. As I mentioned earlier, making homemade sausages is awesome because you can add your own intensity of spiciness and create some new flavors but here’s one important thing to keep in mind… increase the amount of spices. Don’t be shy when it comes to seasoning as the meat will absorb a lot of the flavor from the spices, making them less spicy than you originally thought.

Now let’s talk about Prague Powder #1 also known as Insta Cure #1 or Pink Curing Salt. This is important to add when making sausages for many reasons. It helps to preserve the meat and prevents the possibility of botulism. It helps keep a nice color and also improves the flavor.

The component of curing salt is 6.25% sodium nitrite and 93.75% salt. The simple reason why this particular salt is so “pink” is to not be confused with table salt. If sodium nitrite is overly consumed even in small quantities, it can kill an average-sized adult. Adding a teaspoon per 5 pounds of meat is fine but beyond that, it can be very dangerous. I am not trying to alarm you with the risk of using this salt but I definitely want you to be aware of its powerful effect and repercussion if too much is consumed.

In this video, I won’t be showing you all the steps of the sausage making process. I have a tutorial video where I explain the tools used and a few tips to successfully make your own sausage. If you’re new to this, I highly suggest you take a moment and watch the video on How to Make Homemade Sausage.

I also have another video recipe that you should definitely check out and it is my Creole Seasoning Mix. This is a blend I use often for my Cajun/Creole recipes and the taste is phenomenal! It’s quite “zippy” but the beauty of it is when you cook your recipe, it mellows down and brings a wonderful bouquet of flavors… give it a try!

Now as mentioned in the Andouille Sausage video, here are some quick reference points on how to dry, smoke, and cook you sausage.

– To dry out sausages: Place them on a wire rack or hang them on a laundry drying rack for 2 hours. Depending on the humidity and if you are using a fan, the drying time may vary. You’ll know they’re ready when they are dry to the touch.
– To smoke sausages: Use wood chips of your choice and place them in a smoker or BBQ. If you are using the BBQ to smoke the sausages, place them on indirect heat source and bring the temperature to around 160ºF. Smoke them for 3-4 hours. Keep in mind that if you use mesquite or hickory wood chips, you might want to reduce the smoking time by an hour because of their strong flavor.
– To cook sausages on the stove: Add a little bit of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook them for 12 to 14 minutes flipping them every 2 minutes.
– To cook sausages on the BBQ: Grill the sausages at around 300ºF for 10 to 12 minutes, flipping them as well every 2 minutes.

Last but not least, if you have 2 lbs. of meat, you should be able to make about 8 sausages (1/4 lb. each) and it’s good for 4 people. Five pounds of meat will make 20 sausages therefore 10 servings. Also if there’s any leftover casings which there probably will be, put them in a container, add plenty of salt, close the lid and transfer to the refrigerator. They will keep for a long, long, long time!

As much as it may sound overwhelming, after you’ve made your first batch of homemade sausages, you’ll see how easy it really is. With summer around the corner, this is the perfect time to give them a try. Just experiment along the way and have fun making your Andouille Sausages.
Bon Appétit!

Here are a few scrumptious pork recipes you definitely want to try…
– Sweet & Sour Pineapple Pork
– Zucchini Pork Penne
– Asian Sesame Pork Chops
– Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin
– Pulled Pork Enchiladas
– Chinese 5 Spice Spare Ribs
and for even more pork recipes, click on this link… Recipe Category – Pork

For ingredient amounts and much more, visit http://clubfoody.com/recipe/homemade-andouille-sausage/