Can you teach me about sausage?

[lindrusso]

About the time that I got interested in cooking I also stopped eating meat, so I'm a bit ignorant in this department. I've gone from not eating meat to now LOVING sausage which I used to consider, well, I won't say it.

ANYWAY, I'm confused to what to use for certain recipes. When it calls for Italian sausage that needs to be browned (hot or sweet), do they mean the kind packed like Bob Evans (covered in plastic and tied at both ends), or the kind sold as a large link (looks pre-cooked?) or the kind in links that is still raw????

Does it matter or do you have a preference?

What brands do you prefer for regular sausage or for turkey sausage? I tried a Louis Rich turkey sausage - it came frozen, wrapped in plastic - and I wasn't overjoyed, but I've never had turkey sausage, so I didn't know what to expect. It seemed so much more finely ground that regular sausage.

Can anyone help? I'm still having a hard time convincing myself that sausage can be part of a healthy diet, but I do love it so. At least chicken is an easy one to figure out...

[sneezles]

When I use sausage it's usually the raw links and I remove the casing before I brown it in the skillet. I have not used the Louis Rich in the tube but do like the Turkey Store brand. It has both breakfast and Italian. I also use Hillshire Farms brand for both and I really like their fresh Bratwurst which I marinate in a dark beer and onions. Then simmer in the liquid before grilling.

[bijoux22]

Lindrusso, I was always the take-out food queen, lots of Italian & Chinese even Prime Rib take-out, then I decided to cook again. Well, now I don't eat meat. What do you think about that? Anyway, back to your question about sausage..the very best sausage is from the meat market, not the prepackaged stuff. They have all kinds sweet & hot italian, chicken/turkey etc. It is more expensive but definately worth the trip and extra$$.

[Ralph]

I have to agree w/both Sneezles & bijoux.
I also buy the raw links & remove the casing before browning the meat. I've tried both the frozen (I think Louis Rich) & the "fresh" Turkey Store brand. I prefer Turkey Store, but I find it somewhat bland compared to the "real" stuff from the meat counter. Confession: I usually cheat when the recipe calls for turkey sausage & substitute regular sausage! I also don't find a great deal of difference between Turkey Store's sweet & hot; in fact, the hot isn't even that hot!
I only use the "pre-cooked" sausage when I need sliced sausage, such as in Jambalaya, & I'm too lazy to cook it myself!
Used in MODERATION as in most of CL's sausage recipes, regular sausage can be part of a healthy diet; just make sure your accompaniments are particularly healthful. Turkey sausage is a great substitute, but, as I said, a little bland.

[Beth H]

My husband loves sausage, so I do cook with it once or twice a month. I always buy the links at the meat counter, not the pre-packaged stuff --, then remove the casings, and cook over medium heat to crumble.

[lindrusso]

Thanks for your help on this. Now maybe I won't have to wander around the meat department looking dazed and confused. I think I'll also check our local butcher to see what he has to offer - as opposed to just the supermarket. I live in a small town, so the options tend to be a bit limited.

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by bijoux22:
Lindrusso, I was always the take-out food queen, lots of Italian & Chinese even Prime Rib take-out, then I decided to cook again. Well, now I don't eat meat. What do you think about that?

Even after I started putting meat back in my diet, it took me a quite a while before I would cook it at home. I still try to use a fork and knife to cut it so I don't have to touch it at all. I tried making meatballs with a meatballer but I finally had to give in and use my hands - it wasn't quite as bad as I had imagined, but I still try to get my husband to do as much as possible. So, I'm still squeamish! Once I was at the grocery store and saw this strange looking thing at the meat counter - it turned out to be a skinned rabbit carcass - I thought I'd die. And right below that were the pig ears. I guess it's a good thing my husband doesn't hunt - I'd never survive!

[venus]

Have any of you ever tried making your own sausage? It's very easy if you have a food processor and you can make it very low fat, since you control the amount of fat that you add to the meat. I made my own sausage last winter and the second batch (after my terrible attempt with the first) turned out very well. You can freeze it in balls and thaw it out a small amount at a time.

[Beth]

I bought some Turkey Store brand sausage links (the small breakfast type) and we had them with waffles last weekend (this board and the first cooler weather had me on a wffle kick). We liked them, and I thought they were better than other similar products I had tried (I don't buy them often, so I don't remember brands). Of course, my 4 yr old liked the fact that, sliced, they just fit into the holes of the waffles.

I have found the meat counter and some packaged varieties to have a lot of fat, so I stick with ones where I can get fat content (I have never given up meat entirely, but I have gotten to where I can't choke down a hot dog or sausage if I don't know it's fat-free or nearly so). Since my main use for Italian sausage is pizza, I usually buy lean ground turkey and season it myslef with Penzey's Italian Sausage Seasoning, precook and freeze for instant use. For smoked sausage, I buy Hillshire Farms turkey blend (the lowest fat version) or Healthy Choice.

[debg]

I love the spicy turkey sausage in pasta sauces or substituted for any kind of sausage, well maybe not breakfast!

Also LOVE Adelaides (spelling?) chicken/apple sausage (we find it at CostCo.) my hubby & I BBQ and with some rice in the cooker, it's the easiest, yummiest, quickest dinner! NOTE* We've tried the chicken apple sausages at Trader Joes and gave them 2 thumbs down compared to the other ones!

[Gwenniver]

Is the cooking time listed for the Dracula's Revenge recipe long enough for uncooked sausage, or would you all use cooked sausage for that one (brown, then bake for 15 minutes at 450, I think). My husband actually said this one sounded "yummy", so I'll definitely be making it. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[bijoux22]

Lindrusso, YUK - skinned rabbit carcass, the picture in my mind is awlful enough - I can't imagine buying or cooking it. The store must have some very daring & brave customers!

Gwenniver, to "lighten up" sausage, I have boiled it first then added it to the other ingredients or put it in the fry pan for browning. It removes some of the fat, just check out the water after boiling.

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by Gwenniver:
Is the cooking time listed for the Dracula's Revenge recipe long enough for uncooked sausage, or would you all use cooked sausage for that one (brown, then bake for 15 minutes at 450, I think). My husband actually said this one sounded "yummy", so I'll definitely be making it. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif


I followed the recipe using raw sausage and it was fine. The browning pretty much cooks it all the way.

[iqueen]

I have recently discovered Gerhard's Chicken Sausages. They have several "flavors" including Fresh Herb, Sun-Dried Tomatoe, Andouille, etc. I saute them in a little olive oil and add them to pasta dishes. My SO wants me to try the Shrimp Orzo from 3/00 issue using this sausage instead of the shrimp. Sounds good to me.

[Shelly]

I like the Turkey Store fresh sausage, but I agree with Ralph about the blandness. Real Italian sausage is spicier, but has SO much fat that I almost never buy it. I also like the Hillshire Farms turkey blend that someone else mentioned. As a matter of fact, I added some of that to the Spanish Lentil Soup from Oct. 2000 CL. The soup was somewhat bland, and the sausage added a nice flavor to it. I also remove casings when I use fresh sausage because trying to slice raw sausage is a messy endeavor! Sometimes I will brown it and then rinse with hot water in a colander. This reduces the fat quite a bit, I'm told. You can also cook the sausages whole in a frying pan. I follow the directions on the packaging; takes about 15-20 minutes. Occasionally I get in a hurry and if they aren't quite done I slice them lengthwise after they've cooked for several minutes. They are pretty tasty cooked that way too!

[This message has been edited by Shelly (edited 10-04-2000).]