Andouille Sausage
This artisan Andouille sausage is a cornerstone of Cajun cuisine, bringing a deep, double-smoked profile to your kitchen. The process begins by seasoning whole pork shoulder chunks with a robust blend of garlic, cayenne, mace, and ground bay leaf before a preliminary cold smoke over pecan or oak. Once ground and emulsified with cold red wine for a "sticky" bind, the mixture is stuffed into natural casings and hot-smoked until perfectly bronzed. An immediate ice-water plunge "blooms" the color and locks in the snap, resulting in a firm, spicy link that adds authentic soul to any dish.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Cut the pork into 1-inch chunks. Place them in a large chilled bowl.
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In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the 1 level tsp Pink Curing Salt #1 with all the dry spices.
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Season the Chunks: Toss the pork chunks with this dry spice-and-cure mixture until every surface is coated.
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Refrigerate the seasoned chunks for at least 4 hours (up to 12) to allow the cure to begin working.
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Spread the chilled, seasoned chunks on a smoking mat or rack. Cold smoke (keeping the smoker under 90ยฐF) for 2โ3 hours. Using a heavy wood like pecan or oak provides a traditional deep base for andouille.
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Place the smoked chunks in the freezer for about 45 minutes until they are firm and "crunchy" on the outside. This prevents the fat from "smearing" during the grind.
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Run the chilled chunks through a coarse grinding plate.
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Add the minced garlic and the cold red wine to the ground meat.
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Mix the meat, garlic, and wine vigorously either by hand or in a mixer for about 3 minutes. Look for a "sticky" texture where the meat clings to your hand; this ensures the wine is fully emulsified and the sausage won't be crumbly.
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Stuff the mixture into hog casings, twisting into 6-inch links.
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Hang the links or place them on racks in a cool, breezy spot (or in a 120ยฐF smoker with no smoke) for 45โ60 minutes. The casings should feel like dry parchment paper.
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Increase the smoker temperature to 225ยฐF. Smoke the links until the internal temperature hits 160ยฐF.
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Immediately plunge the sausages into an ice-water bath for 5โ10 minutes to stop the cooking and "bloom" the color.
Note
I recommend you vacuum seal these sausages in 1-2 links at a time as it's rare to use a lot of this sausage at a time. Sausage can be sliced and seared as needed.
