Boudin sausage
By Cat, Nov 2007 (Image, right, from Wikimedia Commons)
See also: 1. Lamb, Port & Small Game Menu; 2. Sausage (About); 3. Brining Pork;
The making of sausage is a very old art; a way of preserving meat without refrigeration (using salt as the preservative), utilizing the less tender cuts of meat. It is a tasty way to eat organ meats, prized by traditional peoples for their health-giving benefits. Today we have lost these old reasons for the foods, but still find sausages delicious.
Boudin, the classic Cajun sausage, is an example of a fresh sausage, that must be cooked immediately, or frozen until ready to thaw and cook. It is made from pork and pork liver with rice.
Pork Boudin
This is a classic Cajun sausage, made primarily from pork and rice, both of which are staples in the Cajun culture. It can be made dark (Boudin Noir) with pig blood instead of meat; or white (Boudin Blanc) as in this recipe, adapted from greatcajuncooking.com and Epicurean. It is not a preserved sausage, and should be cooked immediately, or refrigerated for cooking within a few days.
The real deal uses much more organ meat (brain, liver, kidney), but most American tastes don’t go in that direction. If you can get it from a local, trusted source (pasture-fed, no hormones or antibiotics), the pork liver is a good addition. Otherwise, skip it.
This can be made:
- with sausage casings and tied into links;
- without the casings, if you intend to use it right away in a dish like Hoppin’ John.
- into deep-fried Boudin balls.
I’ve not yet tested this…
Ingredients & Equipment:
- ½ lb boneless pork, cubed
- ⅛ lb (2 oz) pork liver (optional)
- 3 cups water
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- ¼ cup scallions, chopped
- 2 – 3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (½ tsp dried)
- ¾ tsp Unrefined sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¾ tsp red pepper (cayenne)
- ¾ cup cooked rice (white or brown)
- natural casings
- Equipment
- 2-quart saucepan
- meat grinder or food processor
- sausage stuffer or pastry bag fitted with a fairly large tip
Method:
- Place water, pork and pork liver in a 2-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to medium and simmer until pork is tender.
- Remove meat from stock. Grind meat (using meat grinder or food processor).
- Add onion, scallions, garlic and seasonings to the stock; cook until onions are tender.
- Add ground meat to stock; cook over low heat until most of the water has evaporated.
- Stir in cooked rice; adjust seasonings.
- At this point, you can either make Sausages, or Boudin Balls.
- Sausages: Stuff into sausage casings; tie into 4 – 5″ links.
- To cook: Prick casings 3 – 4 times each (to prevent bursting); cook in simmering water for 12 minutes. Remove from water and serve.
- Boudin Balls: Form mixture into 2″ balls.
- To cook: deep fry, 350°F, 30 seconds to 1 minute (to a golden crust).
References:
- Great Cajun Cooking recipe: greatcajuncooking.com/recipes/recipe.php?163
