Andouille Sausage

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 20

Best Season: Spring, Summer

Description

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

5 lbs pork shoulder (1-inch cubes)
2 ¾ tbsp finely minced garlic
1 ½ tbsp salt
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
¾ tsp cayenne
¾ tsp chili powder
Scant 1/8 tsp mace
Scant 1/8 tsp allspice
½ tsp dried thyme
¾ tbsp paprika
¼ tsp ground bay leaf
¼ tsp sage
1 level tsp Pink Curing Salt #1
¾ cup cold red wine

Instructions

1
Cut the pork into 1-inch chunks. Place them in a large chilled bowl.
2
In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the 1 level tsp Pink Curing Salt #1 with all the dry spices.
3
Season the Chunks: Toss the pork chunks with this dry spice-and-cure mixture until every surface is coated.
4
Refrigerate the seasoned chunks for at least 4 hours (up to 12) to allow the cure to begin working.
5
Spread the chilled, seasoned chunks on a smoking mat or rack. Cold smoke (keeping the smoker under 90°F) for 2–3 hours. Using a heavy wood like pecan or oak provides a traditional deep base for andouille.
6
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.
7
Run the chilled chunks through a coarse grinding plate.
8
Add the minced garlic and the cold red wine to the ground meat.
9
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.
10
Stuff the mixture into hog casings, twisting into 6-inch links.
11
Hang the links or place them on racks in a cool, breezy spot (or in a 120°F smoker with no smoke) for 45–60 minutes. The casings should feel like dry parchment paper.
12
Increase the smoker temperature to 225°F. Smoke the links until the internal temperature hits 160°F.
13
Immediately plunge the sausages into an ice-water bath for 5–10 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.

Read it online: https://brinnerbites.com/recipe/andouille-sausage/