How To Know When Your Sausage Is Done

[MalahatTwo7]

Learning the secrets of sausages. A well-dressed bun deserves the perfectly grilled sausage

Susan Semenak, Canwest News Service Published: Thursday, July 10, 2008

MONTREAL -- How to grill the perfect sausage?

There are two schools of thought. One suggests that the sausages be poached briefly (just two or three minutes) before grilling to ensure that the insides are cooked through.

Lucie Bilodeau, of L'Ile Fromagerie & Epicerie Fine, says poaching also helps to reduce excess saltiness.

But others reject that method. Patrick Loyau, of La Boucherie du Marche, says boiling leaches the sausages of their flavours. It's what people do when they are in a hurry and want to grill over high heat. A worse sacrilege still, some hurried cooks have been known to cut the sausage in half and lay it flat on the grill.

Optimally, sausages should be grilled over a medium fire and turned regularly until they are golden brown all over.

Diehard eastern Europeans eat their sausages boiled, never grilled. But Peter Anliker, of La Bernoise, says he likes the crispy golden skin of a perfectly-grilled knackwurst on the barbecue.

The big mistake most people make, he says, is cooking them too long. No need to slash, either. That just causes the juices to escape.

But that's debatable, too. Tony Mendolia, of Slovenia Meat Products, says shallow diagonal cuts allow the sausages to "blossom" during cooking, which makes for a nice presentation. It also reduces the risk of "explosions" of hot grease while eating.

How to know when grilled sausages are ready?

As soon as they're golden, prick with a fork, recommends Pina Petraccone, of Pasta Casareccia. "If the liquid runs clear the sausage is done."

Sausage glossary

Don't know your kielbasa from your weisswurst? Here's a glossary of sausages:

ITALIAN SAUSAGE (salsiccia):

Origin: Italy

Meat: Raw pork

Flavour: Plain, seasoned with salt and pepper, and sometimes fennel seeds; or spicy, with dried red chile peppers.

How to eat: Roasted, sauteed or grilled. On a plate, with roasted red peppers and a green salad, or on a panino or ciabatta bun, garnished with marinated hot peppers.

MERGUEZ

Origin: Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria

Meat: Raw halal lamb, prepared according to Muslim dietary rules. But also with veal, beef and chicken.

Flavour: Mild to hot and spicy, with onion, cumin and cayenne pepper; sometimes with coriander or cinnamon, parsley and garlic.

How to eat: With couscous. Or tuck into a half-baguette with harissa hot red pepper paste, sliced pitted olives, diced onion and tomato.

PEPPERET

Origin: Hungary

Meat: Smoked, cooked pork

Flavours: Extra spicy, with paprika

How to eat: With sauerkraut and Dijon mustard for extra kick.

KIELBASA

Origin: Poland, Ukraine

Meat: Pork and ham, chunkily chopped, cooked and smoked. Comes in a ring.

Flavour: Mild. Major garlic.

How to eat: Boiled or grilled, with sauerkraut and potato salad. Or as is.

KNACKWURST

Origin: German

Meat: Pork and veal, finely chopped, smoked and cooked.

Flavour: Mild, a hint of cumin. Skin gets crispy and makes a crunching sound when you bite in, which is why it's called "knack" wurst.

How to Eat: With sauerkraut and Dijon mustard. On a bun or a plate.

DEBRECZINER

Origin: German-Hungarian hybrid

Meat: Smoked, cooked pork

Flavour: Mild, with sweet Hungarian paprika

How to eat: In a bun or on a plate, with roasted potatoes and sauerkraut.

TOULOUSE

Origin: Southern France

Meat: Chunky raw pork

Flavours: Mild, similar to Italian sausage

How to eat: On a bun or on its own, with mayonnaise or a garlicky aioli.

WIENER (also known as saucisse de Vienne)

Origin: Austria

Meat: Pureed veal and some pork, smoked and cooked.

Flavour: The original hot dog. Smooth, velvety taste. White pepper and a hint of nutmeg and cloves.

How to eat: On a bun with mustard, maybe a little ketchup.

WEISSWURST (also known as veal bratwurst)

Origin: Germany

Meat: Finely ground, simmered veal, lightly smoked

Flavour: Extra mild, with a taste of onion and celery.

How to eat: Boiled or barbecued. In a hollowed-out ficelle with a squirt of hot mustard, a little chopped lettuce and amber beer.

CHOURICO (chorizo in Spanish)

Origin: Portugal

Meat: Pork

Flavour: Spicy to very spicy, with smoked paprika and hot red pepper.

How to eat: Grilled on a plate, with roasted peppers, a green salad and a Portuguese bun.

DOMACE

Origin: Slovenia

Meat: Pork, ground very chunky, then smoked lightly and cooked.

Flavour: Old-fashioned farmer's sausage. Garlic.

How to eat: With potatoes and a tomato salad.

MAKANEK

Origin: Lebanon

Meat: Beef, uncooked

Flavour: Mild, with pine nuts and apple.

How to eat: A breakfast sausage, but also eaten grilled or sauteed, served as an appetizer. Nice with a glass of anise-flavoured arak.

Times Colonist 2008

Now that y'all have got your minds OUT OF the gutter, when's lunch? :D:D

[doughesson]

I was going to mention not to cut them or poke them until you are eating the suckers but was beaten to it.

"...cut the sausage in half...."
DRAW AND QUARTER THE HEATHENS THAT DO THAT!

walks off mumbling under his breath:"Infidel dogs.Followers of the false Prophet"



[B][COLOR=BLUE]Learning the secrets of sausages. A well-dressed bun deserves the perfectly grilled sausage

A worse sacrilege still, some hurried cooks have been known to cut the sausage in half and lay it flat on the grill.
The big mistake most people make, he says, is cooking them too long. No need to slash, either. That just causes the juices to escape.


Now that y'all have got your minds OUT OF the gutter, when's lunch? :D:D

[MarcusKspn]

And damn what Hank Hill says, real brats are grilled over charcoal!!!

[volfirie]

EBRECZINER

Great sausage. Heat in water, but doesn't need boiling, just heating as it's pre-cooked. Just serve on a plate with a good, reasonably hot mustard - mild English does the job. Bread (Vienna) and some sauerkraut if you like. Wash down with anything you like. Oh, and be tough, pick it up and bite the thing, no need for a knife/fork! (Use a fork for the cabbage, otherwise it's messy...) Potatoes? Potato-salad is best, shave them though, don't cut them into cubes.

Mmmm. Must buy some tomorrow.

[edge1317]

I wouldn't trust it too much, kielbasa does not only come in ring form. In fact, I wouldn't consider any kielbasa I've tried in a ring as kielbasa, it tastes more like bologne! Do yourself a favor if you want to try real kielbasa find someone polish or find a good butcher. Also wrong is they are not mildly flavoured they are VERY spicy (not hot, but heavy on the taste of spices).

But that's debatable, too. Tony Mendolia, of Slovenia Meat Products, says shallow diagonal cuts allow the sausages to "blossom" during cooking, which makes for a nice presentation. It also reduces the risk of "explosions" of hot grease while eating.

It isn't debatable, just don't. That is why you eat some sausage with bread.

[Halligan84]

Try putting a pan of beer on the grill and throw the brats in that. Let them cook almost through and finish on the grill. Excellent.

[Dickey]

Ok, I need to interject something.

Being from Wisconsin, the sausage and cheese capital of the world, Let me give you some pointers.

1. Never, ever, ever, never, never, poke, cut, slice, pierce, tamper with, or otherwise alter the outer casing of a sausage. This helps the meat cook and keeps the flavor. If you ever do such a terrible thing it makes it dry and it's only good for compost. The juices are what makes a sausage a sausage. If you are worried about eating "all that fat" or getting grease all over, then get a salad.

2. Always have a supply of emergency charcoal and lighter fluid handy for the unexpected gathering or the sudden urge for said sausage.

3. Charcoal and only charcoal. Open pit or flame is acceptable too. Gas grilling is for emergencies only in a pinch, when lighter fluid or charcoal supplies are depleated, if this is the case, see #2.

4. Any and all dressings are acceptable as long as the sausage itself is unmolested. I prefer a bun, if buns are gone then a slice of bread. If bread is gone then I use my fingers and bite into it such as our good friend volfirie states. "Beer and Brat" mustard is preferred, however any and all regional condiments are perfectly acceptable, again, as long as the sausage itself is unmolested.

5. Grilling is perfectly legal year round, regardless of season. Some people put their grills away for the winter. Shame on you. There is no particular season for sausage.

6. The beverage of choice with a sausage is beer, any brand as long as it is cold. Plan B can be any other alchololic beverage so long as it is not a "fufu" drink that has any sort of paraphernalia in it besides a straw.

7. It is acceptable to boil your sausage prior to grilling for added flavor and to ensure the meat is cooked throughout. The sausage may only be boiled in a brine of beer and chopped onions, any brand or quality of beer is fine, no other options are allowed.

8. At least in Wisconsin, it is a requirement to ask for help if you are momentarily confused or swayed by an outside party to cook your sausage other than described above. You may refer to the following links for help in this situation.

http://www.pimsmultimedia.com/johnsonville/docs/How_to_Grill_Brats.pdf
www.bratwurstpages.com
www.beercook.com

You may also contact me in and emergency situation.

:D:D:p :p

[hwoods]

Boy, am I ever Suprised........... You didn't mention:


www.johnsonville.com


And, more importantly :


www3.Johnsonville.com/bigtastegrill/



:D :D :D :D :D :D

[MalahatTwo7]

5. Grilling is perfectly legal year round, regardless of season. Some people put their grills away for the winter. Shame on you. There is no particular season for sausage.


Which is why I have been known to be standing on the balcony of my condo (in Calgary, AB) in the middle of a snow storm, wearing mukluks, arctic mittens and parka, with a near frozen beer in my hand, and the wonderful smell of steaks wafting through the air.

During one such event, I heard a car pull into the parking lot below and two doors close. A few minutes later I hear a man's voice say "Hey, do you smell steak?"

A female voice answered, "Yes I do too."

Since they were just below me, I leaned over the rail, and could just make out two figures in the blowing snow, and hollered down, "Yep, just me."

I got the "Man you are crazy" look and words, to which I answered, "Ya 1/2 frozen beer tends to do that to a guy." :D:D

[volfirie]

5. Grilling is perfectly legal year round, regardless of season. Some people put their grills away for the winter. Shame on you. There is no particular season for sausage.

Not always! When we have a Total Fire Ban (TFB) on a bad day in summer:

Total Fire Ban:
Yes Barbeques that are fixed appliances, fired by gas or electricity, and built into permanent structures of brick, stone or concrete provided that:
the area 3 metres around the barbeque is cleared of flammable material; and
you have either a hose connected to a water supply or a vessel with at least 10 litres of water; and
an adult is there at all times when the fire is alight.

Yes Gas or electric fired portable barbeques provided that:
the barbeque is located within 20 metres of a dwelling (portable places of residence such as mobile homes, caravans or tents are not dwellings in accordance with the CFA Act); and
the area 3 metres around the barbeque is cleared of flammable material; and
you have either a hose connected to a water supply or a vessel with at least 10 litres of water; and
an adult is there at all times when the fire is alight.


No Campfires, fires for warmth or personal comfort, and solid and liquid fuel barbeques and ovens are banned during TFBs.
So on a TFB, if it's a real BBQ grill, nope. Big fine if you do.

Still, it's the middle of winter, I'm inside, and about to use my gas stove to cook some 'bangers and mash' for dinner. :D

[Dickey]

Hey Harve, the first link was for Johnsonville. I hate going through Sheboygan Falls, WI cuz the whole damn town smells like a brat!

Volifire, I wonder if you work the angle of maybe calling it "training" when you light your grill during a fire ban? Nah, maybe that would be a poor example.:D

I have been spotted several times outside grilling in my parka and gloves. Just takes a bit longer for the charcoal to get ready in the winter!

Cute story....I may burn in hell for this. I once lived behind a very large Catholic church and school that had something going on all the time, people were always there. People would park in front of my house and along the side street (I had a corner lot) I had a buddy over and we just got some huge sirloin steaks and tossed them on the grill and had a couple of beers. I was outside flipping steaks during Lent services and boy did I get the dirty looks from people coming back to their cars!!!!!! :D:D:D:D (Lutheran here, carnivore 100%)

[doughesson]

That's why God created bribes for the crew responding to"Smoke blowing across the road"calls while everyone else on the department hangs back until the call is founded or not.
The guys in the first brush Jeep(tm)take a few bites,"sternly" warn the offender not to put it out and never do it again and advise Central that the call is unfounded.
Like Officer Mitchell told Jeff Foxworthy's party,"And we don't want to have to come back out here."

5. Grilling is perfectly legal year round, regardless of season. Some people put their grills away for the winter. Shame on you. There is no particular season for sausage.

Not always! When we have a Total Fire Ban (TFB) on a bad day in summer:
Still, it's the middle of winter, I'm inside, and about to use my gas stove to cook some 'bangers and mash' for dinner. :D

[MalahatTwo7]

No Campfires, fires for warmth or personal comfort, and solid and liquid fuel barbeques and ovens are banned during TFBs.

Well, I guess I won't be moving to the Land of Oz anytime soon then. Cuz I use my bbq WAAAAAYY more than I would ever use the oven in the house. Ovens are for BAKING only! LOL :D:D

[voyager9]

Well, I guess I won't be moving to the Land of Oz anytime soon then. Cuz I use my bbq WAAAAAYY more than I would ever use the oven in the house. Ovens are for BAKING only! LOL :D:D

Sounds like you can still run the BBQ, just gotta pull and charge the preconnect first... or do it next to the pool.

[voyager9]

4. Any and all dressings are acceptable as long as the sausage itself is unmolested.

Must... .Keep.. Mind... Out of... Gutter... :p

[MalahatTwo7]

Sounds like you can still run the BBQ, just gotta pull and charge the preconnect first... or do it next to the pool.

Or perhaps IN THE POOL, whist balancing yourself and the bbq on some sort of floatation device? :D Although, knowing firefighters... I can see a disaster in the making there, because YOU KNOW that beer will come into play in this scenario. :D

[voyager9]

Or perhaps IN THE POOL, whist balancing yourself and the bbq on some sort of floatation device? :D Although, knowing firefighters... I can see a disaster in the making there, because YOU KNOW that beer will come into play in this scenario. :D

Unfortunately, beer cannot be used to satisfy the requirement:
you have either a hose connected to a water supply or a vessel with at least 10 litres of water; and


And I imagine you mean "ON" the pool. Unless you have one of those new fancy schmancy underwater grills..

"Get on the plane" -- "F you, I'm getting in the plane, let Evel Knievel get on the plane".

[MalahatTwo7]

Well the thought I was having involved something like a large table, set in the water, which of course is the pool, right. So in this case you are surrounded by an excess of 10 litres of water (kiddy wading pools DO NOT count! :D ) Which is also where the potential disaster involving alcoholic beverages comes into play as well.... balancing on the table whist trying to flip burgers or steaks or maybe your sausage.... :eek:

[firecat1]

OK, all this talk about grilling out, now I'm hungry. What's for supper tonight?

[superchef]

I had a witty thought to add, but in the heat of the moment, I lost it which is probably a good thing. :D

[hwoods]

Hey Harve, the first link was for Johnsonville. I hate going through Sheboygan Falls, WI cuz the whole damn town smells like a brat!


Yeah, my bad. Tell you what though, That Tractor-Trailer Grill is a Beast. We had them at our State Fire Convention several years ago, and it was an immense hit...............:) :)

[rhvfd1214]

http://www.polksmeat.com/index.cfm


I guess everybody has a local favorite.. Polk's is one of the best one's I've found. It is coincidence that they are from Mississippi. I discovered their products at Sam's Club, and have been a consumer every since.. For spicy, try the Cajun style. ;)

[Dickey]

Yeah, my bad. Tell you what though, That Tractor-Trailer Grill is a Beast. We had them at our State Fire Convention several years ago, and it was an immense hit...............:) :)

I know, those things are awesome!! A full semi tractor trailer (52 footer!) is nothing but grill. Last I knew, they had a fleet of 7 that travel around to events like that across the country and Canada.

I want to rent one for a party sometime..........:D

[Dickey]

Must... .Keep.. Mind... Out of... Gutter... :p

Oh my, didn't even realize what I said there. :D

[tomlaumann]

All of this grilling talk brings back a story of a friend of mind who at one time lived in an upper flat in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. One fine evening he decided to grill out on the second floor porch on the back side of the flat. Needless to say he liked a smoky taste to his food and had a good deal of smoke hanging in the air on that windless night. This came to the attention of a concerned neighbor called 911 thinking the flat was on fire. From my friends report it wasn’t that bad, but Milwaukee’s bravest showed up and wanted to put this “fire” out. After a little discussion he modified his grilling technique that night. I still do not know if my friend was embellishing, but it’s a good story.