# Help me appreciate sausages **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 18, 2014, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033 "2014-06-18T02:56:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/21 "2014-06-18T17:46:18Z")
Andouille (/ænˈduːi/ an-doo-ee in US English; French pronunciation: ​[ɑ̃nduj]) is a smoked sausage made using pork, originating in France. It has been brought on the German Coast of Louisiana by the German immigrants and Acadian exiles that would merge to create much of Cajun culture. This stuff is good! I add it to my vegetable beef soup for a little extra zing. ---
**Author:** ![SeldomSeen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ba0ec/32.png) [@SeldomSeen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeldomSeen)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/22 "2014-06-18T18:44:37Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > I find pan cooked sausages end up tough, but oven cooked sausages are lovely and moist. For fresh (uncooked) sausages, especially bratwurst, I like to steam them to a “just done” state and then toss them in the pan or on the grill for a quick light browning. Steaming plumps them up, cooks them through, but leaves the juices inside the casing for that tender moist quality. Never tried the oven thing, but it sounds like it works about the same way. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/23 "2014-06-18T19:03:07Z")
To me, if you don’t like all them different bits in your sausage, you’re kind of missing the point. Like boudin for example, great stuff but don’t ruin it by asking what’s in them! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/24 "2014-06-18T19:07:36Z")
_reads thread titles, inhales sharply_ > [@LC\_Strawhouse](#): > > Get your mind out of the gutter … Oh goddammit. ---
**Author:** ![Kimballkid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b5a626/32.png) [@Kimballkid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimballkid)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/25 "2014-06-18T20:24:45Z")
When I was a kid, we used to get sausages made by the local locker plant. I never appreciated them then because they weren’t ‘store bought’, but I’d really like to have some now. They weren’t really all that bad. ---
**Author:** ![MrSquishy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9e5f3/32.png) [@MrSquishy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrSquishy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/26 "2014-06-18T20:48:35Z")
> [@MikeF](#): > > Andouille (/ænˈduːi/ an-doo-ee in US English; French pronunciation: ​[ɑ̃nduj]) is a smoked sausage made using pork, originating in France. It has been brought on the German Coast of Louisiana by the German immigrants and Acadian exiles that would merge to create much of Cajun culture. > > This stuff is good! I add it to my vegetable beef soup for a little extra zing. You might want to be careful you don’t get it confused with [Andouillette](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andouillette) though. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/27 "2014-06-18T21:13:55Z")
In my mind you have to split sausage into its major categories. Fresh(bratwurst, breakfast sausage) Raw meat, in nearly all cases designed to be cooked. National and grocery store brands have preservatives to give more life, but still not very long. Butcher made might have a very short shelf life do to lack of preservatives(other than salt) Preserved-Cured(Salami, Andouille), maybe cooked, maybe smoked, maybe even fermented. Can be eaten cold or used in cooking. long shelf life typically. Pre-cooked. (hot dogs, most kielbasa) Meat is cooked and some people eat cold(although some people say listeria is a threat). Usually heated to temp, but cooking through is not-applicable. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/28 "2014-06-18T21:39:59Z")
Italian sausage is the best, but it’s not all created equal, of course. The best I’ve had was out Boston way, as each butcher has his own recipe for sweet, mild and hot Italian. Grill it and serve with onions and bell peppers that have been sauteed in butter. Shit, gotta go wipe my chin. . . ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/29 "2014-06-18T22:08:27Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Italian sausage is the best, but it’s not all created equal, of course. The best I’ve had was out Boston way, as each butcher has his own recipe for sweet, mild and hot Italian. Grill it and serve with onions and bell peppers that have been sauteed in butter. Shit, gotta go wipe my chin. . . What’s up with Italian sausage anyway? If I go to a nice Italian restaurant the sausage filling is fine ground. which is awesome. But if I go to a grocery store, the Italian sausage is _course_ ground. Which is still good but not awesome. I want that stuff like the restaurants have. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/30 "2014-06-18T22:28:16Z")
Might I recommend the [sausage episode of Good Eats](http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/good-eats/7-series/sausage-a-beautiful-grind.html#!) as a starting point? It includes how to make two sausage staples - breakfast and Italian - and covers some of the concepts behind it all. I would really recommend starting there to see what all the options are. That said, I’ve always felt like sausages are _supposed to_ use the by products of animals. I know I’m in the minority, but they just seem like the perfect way to use a higher percentage of the animal, while still getting some benefit from the better cuts of the animal. Waste not, want not and all that. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/31 "2014-06-18T22:43:06Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > What’s up with Italian sausage anyway? > > If I go to a nice Italian restaurant the sausage filling is fine ground. which is awesome. > > But if I go to a grocery store, the Italian sausage is _course_ ground. Which is still good but not awesome. > > I want that stuff like the restaurants have. A good Italian restaurant probably grinds their own and takes more care than a large grocery chain would or a t least has a special provider. If you have a good Italian grocer near by he’ll probably have 5 or 6 different fresh Italian sausages. Just go in and tell him you want something with a fine grind, if you want fennel, hot or mild, etc., and he’ll probably have one on hand you’ll like. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/32 "2014-06-18T23:30:29Z")
I really really need to make it to a sausage restaurant in downtown LA my husband and I have been meaning to hit up. This thread makes me hungry. Anyway, I would definitely start with bratwurst. They are an… accessible sausage. They are mild enough that most people can appreciate them, with enough flavor that they don’t just bore you to pieces, and not so weird that it’s hard to eat. If you find that there are some sausages you just cannot stand, it’s probably one of teh seasonings. My father hated sage, for example. I cannot understand someone hating sage because sage is heavenly, but be that as it may, because of his hatred for sage, virtually all breakfast sausages were verboten. I still hold a grudge. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2014, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/33 "2014-06-18T23:45:30Z")
Chorizo. Messy, spicy, greasy…and absolutely delicious. Also, Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage on a biscuit is a little slice of Heaven. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/34 "2014-06-19T02:47:20Z")
How do they make “emulsified” sausages? (I.e., all-one-color-and-texture-inside, like hot dogs or Vienna sausages but unlike most kinds of breakfast sausage.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/35 "2014-06-19T02:48:31Z")
How do they make “emulsified” sausages? (I.e., all-one-color-and-smooth-texture-inside, like hot dogs but unlike most kinds of breakfast sausage.) ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/36 "2014-06-19T03:18:21Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > How do they make “emulsified” sausages? (I.e., all-one-color-and-smooth-texture-inside, like hot dogs but unlike most kinds of breakfast sausage.) Essentially they get the right meat/fat ratio, keep it really cold, and just grind the crap out of it until it literally emulsifies. You can do it at home with a food processor and a stand mixer (see Ruhlman and Polcyn’s “Charcuterie” for the details). > **[Cooked-Emulsified Sausages](https://www.meatsandsausages.com/sausage-types/emulsified-sausage)** > > Emulsified sausages are cooked sausages that have been finely comminuted to the consistency of a fine paste ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/37 "2014-06-19T04:51:21Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > Mmm…sausage. Lots of great suggestions here. > > When it comes to cooking them, I never do them in a pan (on the stove top) any more, i always put them in the oven, turning once. I find pan cooked sausages end up tough, but oven cooked sausages are lovely and moist. Just turn down the heat on the stove top and cook them slowly, turning frequently, and never pierce the skin with a fork or let it burst. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/38 "2014-06-19T05:05:37Z")
> [@stui\_magpie](#): > > Got to love a snag. Saturday morning sausage in white bread with tomato sauce at Bunnings. Yum. Reminds me of a day not too long ago when (in my job as a telefundraiser) I rang a lady who assured me that she ‘DOES HER BIT’ for charity…'cos she buys a snag at Bunnings every Saturday! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/39 "2014-06-19T13:58:51Z")
> [@Typo\_Negative](#): > > Chorizo. Messy, spicy, greasy…and absolutely delicious. Mmm… Chorizo! The spicier, the better. (Even the Mexican place I get them from in town doesn’t make them spicy enough. For the OP, chorizo is not sausage-shaped when you eat it. You take it out of the casing and cook it like ground beef. Great wrapped in a flour tortilla with fried potatoes (and eggs). Speaking of ‘loose’ sausage, let’s not forget haggis! Turns out I _do_ have a can of it in the cupboard! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2014, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033/40 "2014-06-19T14:29:59Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Mmm… Chorizo! The spicier, the better. (Even the Mexican place I get them from in town doesn’t make them spicy enough. For the OP, chorizo is not sausage-shaped when you eat it. You take it out of the casing and cook it like ground beef. Great wrapped in a flour tortilla with fried potatoes (and eggs). > > Speaking of ‘loose’ sausage, let’s not forget haggis! Turns out I _do_ have a can of it in the cupboard! 🙂 I ordered some of [this Spanish chorizo](http://www.tienda.com/food/products/cz-50-2.html?site=1) to add to paella. I highly recommend it. Not as hot as you may like it, but very flavorful. They also sell a slicing (cured) chorizo that is good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-appreciate-sausages/691033.md?page=3)