by 
 |
| From Nola Cuisine |
I started making my own Andouille a few years back because the stuff they sell in the grocery stores here in Michigan is a joke, you may as well break open a package of Oscar Meyer hot dogs for your Gumbo.
You know the kind I mean, basically Alpo, stuffed into a casing and injected with liquid smoke. I can’t use that garbage, so I make my own. Andouille is a cornerstone to many great New Orleans & Louisiana dishes, so you really need a good one! I would rather use a good quality Kielbasa, than a cut rate Andouille. The better the Andouille, the better the dish! Luckily, I enjoy making sausage, it is a very worth while investment of time if your finished product turns out well. Here is how I go about it.
I used a nice fatty, 5# boston butt, trimmed of tough connective tissue. Fat is good for sausage, especially Andouille. You want about 75% lean/25% fat. Here I hand chopped half of the meat into 1/4 inch pieces for texture, and ground the rest. The recipe:
Andouille Sausage Recipe
5# Pork (I prefer a Boston Butt) Trimmed of tough connective tissue and cut into 2 inch cubes.
Combine the following in a bowl:
2 tsp of Cayenne or to taste (Remember, if you make it too hot, every dish you make with it will be too hot! Start off with a little, you can add more after you taste the finished seasoning)
1 Tbsp Paprika
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Garlic
1/8 Cup Fresh Ground Black Pepper
3 Tbsp Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt
1 Tbsp Fresh Thyme leaves, chopped
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 healthy pinch Cure #1 (1 tsp. of “cure” per 5# of meat)
1/2 Cup Ice Water
Toss this mixture with the meat, making sure it is well coated. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 days.
**Note – Prague Powder#1 is used for wet curing meats, to retain color and freshness. It is a ratio of 16 oz. salt to 1 ounce sodium nitrate.
Chop half of the meat into 1/4 inch pieces and grind the other half with a coarse grinding plate. Mix the two together with:
1/8 Cup Non-Fat Powdered Milk (this is a binder)
Stuff the sausage into prepared Hog Casings (Beef middle casings if you can find them). Here is my method of Linking Sausage.
Tie each sausage link with kitchen string to make a loop for hanging. Hang uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. This step is to let the casings dry out to allow smoke absorption, very important.
I smoked this in an inexpensive upright barrel smoker, with charcoal as the heat source, and unsoaked Pecan chips for the smoke. The sausage was hung beneath the top rack, no water pan.
I smoked this at 130º F for 2 hours, then increased the heat to 165º F for another 2 1/2 hours, refreshing the wood chips as needed. The trick here, is to get as much smoke flavor into the sausage before it is actually cooked through, and too hot of a temperature will render the fat out of your sausage. I controlled the temp by the number of coals, and keeping them piled up and pushed to one side. When you spread your coals out the temperature will increase. I added more coals to reach the 165º F mark.
The internal temperature of the sausage should read 155º F on an instant read thermometer. Remove at this point and immediately spray with cold water. Hang at room temperature in front of a fan for 1 hour then refrigerate overnight, uncovered.
Portion and store in vacuum sealed packages in the freezer.
Other recipes for Sausages and Seasoning Meats at Nola Cuisine:
Here is my Latest Batch of Andouille Sausage!
Chaurice Sausage Recipe
Cornbread and Andouille Sausage Recipe
Tasso Recipe
Pickled Pork Recipe
My post about my visit to Jacob’s Andouille.
Check out Egullet’s, Eating Louisiana Andouille page, with pics from Wayne Jacob’s, and Jacob’s Andouille, in the Andouille capital, Laplace, Louisiana.
by
If you have any Dixie Beer…don’t open it!
http://gulfsails.blogspot.com/2005/11/dixie-beer-done.html
I’m giving this recipe to my brother-in-law. He loves Andouille and every Christmas they make Italian sausage. They need to try this, too.
Jill – I’m still searching for validation on Dixie’s fate, haven’t found anything but asked around at Mr. Lake’s, here is the thread:
http://www.network54.com/Forum/258202/thread/1132408858/Dixie+Beer+no+more-
For now, I’m hoping for the best, it will be another big blow for New Orleans if it is true. I recently saw a pic via Mr. Lake’s of the Dixie Brewery, post Katrina. With the exception of a few broken windows, it looks the same as ever, but who knows what’s on the inside. I only have 3 bottles left, not good.
Laurie – He will love it, I’m so happy with this batch and my new technique.
Your website is a godsend! I just introduced Andouille-less gumbo to some Italian friends of mine at a pre-Mardi Gras party this weekend. In Italy there’s no way to find Andouille so an actual recipe for it is precious! I’ll be making it as soon as the gumbo leftovers disappear from my fridge.
Can you tell me decent source on the web for Andouille and Tasso? Thanks
You should at least offer a ‘print icon’ just for the recipe. Who needs all 5 pages of an entire web site for an Andouille Sausage Recipe? Sounds good.
Come on M.Coleman, I provided a free recipe and website, surely you can figure out how to print it! 🙂 Just highlight the text you want, copy and paste into a word document, print.
Outstanding! Made it here in Virginia this last weekend – When I tasted it, it was just like Christmas! And now, I can have it anytime! Thanks from the bottom of my heart.
I would like to buy 5lb of your Andouille Sausage. Please contact me on how I can order it.
Thank you,
Jerry
I just stumbled onto your website tonight.You are awesome! I would love to try your sausage! Do you sell them? I would love to try them. Please let me know . Melissa Gotsill mgotsill1@cox.net
Interesting andouille recipe. I’m in South Louisiana, and my paternal grandmother made andouille all of her adult life. She only used hand-chopped meat, and she never ever put garlic in it. My uncle used her recipe in his butcher shop and probably sold two tons of andouille every year for 40 years. He never used garlic either. He always smoked his andouille over corn cobs and chopped sugar cane stalks. He had customers across the United States.
Thanks for the very good & informative site you have, I am making pickled pork following your recipe. My homesickness is a little more at ease now…
What a great source for quality sausage recipes. I can hardly wait to try the andouille. Do you have any recipes for a kosher like salami and or Sopersata. Thanks Mike
Andouille is a MUST for Cajun gumbo and also red-beans and other dishes. Thanks so much for the recipe.
This is very close to Chef John Folse’s recipe. He uses 2 Tb of cayenne, and twice the garlic and cracked black pepper. He doesn’t use paprika or Prague powder. The rest is essentially the same. I just made my first batch yesterday and everyone loved it. I didn’t dry it out before smoking it in my FE100, but I will next time. I used alder chips. Fantastic.
In Michigan eh? I’m in the south-east. I’m just starting to get into making sausage, have been making my own italian sweet/hot, summer sausage and bratwurst for awhile but they certainly could be more refined. I’d love to actually make salami’s/etc, and will deffinitely try this anduille for some gumbo. Thank you much.
btw, I meant I was in the S-E of michigan. heh.
do you have a hog head chesse recipe
do you have hog head chesse recipe
After scouring the interweb for decent looking Andouille recipes, I stumbled upon yours. I have made it a couple of times now (substituing a some venisone or elk for 1/3 of the pork) it is fantastic. Always the best one I make.
I have an old chop-rite grinder and it looks like they use a 1/4″ hole for their sausages. Does that seem about right?
Got this link from the meat smokinf forum. Grinded up the batch tonight.
It tastes pretty good right after mixing. The thyme seems a bit strong. Do you think it will mellow a bit after the two day rest and a good smoking? Not too worried. A great experiment and I will still enjoy the heck out of it.
Thanks.
Tried your recipe, came out fantastic!!
Been sausage making for years your spice mix was perfect, didn’t have middles used beff rounds, smoked with hickory and sugar cane.
PS
**Note – Prague Powder#1 is used for wet curing meats, to retain color and freshness. It is a ratio of 16 oz. salt to 1 ounce sodium nitrate.
Prauge powder #1 has sodium nitrite
Prauge powder#2 has sodium nitrate.
#2 is for dry curing over long periods, like dry salami, cured meats that arent cooked but are ready to eat.
Thanks for the site and info.
Mark
GREAT recipe. Ive been making sausages for me and all my neighbors for years. I usually make about 75-100 lbs at a time and usually make a few different varieties. I made some recently straight pork grind with real maple syrup and nutmeg and a sweet italian seasoning that I put in sheep casings to make small link breakfast sausages WOW they were great too. I’m makin another batch of Andoulille this weekend. I use it in what we call a lowcountry boil or beaufort boil. WOW talk about good ole southern dishes Yall should look this one up basically potatoes and corn on the cob boiled with crab boil in a small satchel add the andouilleand boil until all done. Remove the corn potato sausage mix and put n a container to remain hot then add several pounds of fresh shrimp into the remaining liquer. Cokk the shrimp util they turn bright red (only a few minutes) then remove the shrimp and cool off right away with cool water. ( this keeps shrimp from overcooking) You can leave the heads on the shrimp if you want a “suck the head” type of dinner ,but, I head my shrimp before cooking. Good luck Yall. I fed about 50+ people on my=daughters birthday and they all came back for more. Happy eats..
Big EZ…
Thanks! My Chef and I will be doing our second run of Andouille next week. We toned down the heat in the first batch but will raise the bar this time. I also made a slight variation of you Praline Sweet Potato dish that I served for Christmas dinner, great reviews all around.
Cheers, Tom
My concern about the Bradley smoker is that the inside temp would not reach 155 degrees as you stated in your original recipe. Thanks
The Prague Powder #1 (aka Pink Salt, Curing Salt #1, DC Salt #1, etc…), I don’t think it is proper to say “a good healthy pinch” as an amount. There is a specific amount that you are supposed to add per lb of meat. Too much and the nitrite could be unhealthy for you. Too little, it will not properly cure the meat and could lead to botulism. As you say, it does help retain color, but it’s primary purpose is to prevent botulism during the smoking process. Botulism can grow in the low light/low oxygen environment of a smoker when the meat temp (when smoking at 100-175F) stays in the range of 40-140F for too long. The correct amount for your 10 lb. batch is 12 grams of Cure #1.
Meat that hasn’t been cured should be cooked/smoked at higher temps (e.g. 250F) so it passes through the danger zone range more quickly. This is why when smoking a ribs, pork butt, or brisket, it is done at the higher temps.
This is a great recipie. I’ve made my own also w/ venison. And I also made it ‘fresh’ style, like hamburger meat. It was really a good twist. I used it in my jambalaya.
My son lives in Jesuit Bend and is looking to buy Prague powder #1, hopefully on the West Bank of New Orleans. Do you have any help you can give me? I’d appreciate any help. Thanks!! 🙂
Moved to Australia last year, no Andouille here. So made homemade sausage the last few days for the first time, using this recipe. I don’t think I had 25% fat, and used the default KitchenAid grinding plate, but it turned out great. I’d reduce the salt content, the links were very salty but were otherwise fabulous. Haven’t even smoked them yet.
Andouille should be made with pork tripe and chittlings as well as pork butt.
This is a teriffic site, have made your Parasol’s RB Po’boy, and have been cooking Gumbos, Jambalayas etc. here in Wisconsin since ’78. What I lovw, is you have the real recipies you can’t find anyplace else.
As you may already know, Dixie is being brewed in Monroe, Wis. under contract to the Jos. Huber brewing co. It is readily available at larger liquor stores,and always occupies a place in my refrigerator. keep the good stuff coming.
James Lombard
I made and smoked this last week and like Jim above I used a more “exact” measurement for the Prauge powder. The sausage turned out great and your recipe for the chicken and anduille sausage jambalaya was just as good.
side note I hade to use apple chips for the smoking instead of the hickory because I was out. Turned out pretty good.
Since the Non-Fat Powdered Milk is a binder, will it change the flavor any if I were to use soy flour? I typically use the soy flour as a binder in my sausages and summer sausage /salami recipes – this recipe really sounds great and I am looking forward to stuffing some casings within the next couple of weeks. I see where you “chopped” half the meat…heavier texture?
Another question regaring the Prague Powder#1 – Is this essentially the same as Morton Quick Cure? I do not know if you are familiar with Morton’s product or not. Here is a link if you wish to compare.
Thanks much for providing your super recipes – my family and I love the Cajun cuisine!
Ron
Oops …forgot the Morton link…http://www.mortonsalt.com/products/meatcuring/tenderquick.html
You don’t need to put any drying agents or binding agents in your Andouille. If it is stuffed and smoked properly it will hold together and keep for a long time. Drying or curing salts along with binders will affect the taste and the natural flavors won’t shine. Andouille ingredients: Pork, Salt, Red pepper, black pepper, garlic. Sorry I can’t give amounts it is a secret recipe. What really gives the andouille its flavor is the grind and casing. Don’t believe me visit Wayne Jacob’s next time. Smoke sausage and andouille are the same recipes, just different grinds and casings. Andouille 3/4 inch, smoke sausage 3/16 inch.
I don’t know if my link will show, but you inspired me to make my own for a seafood gumbo. Nine hours of smoking and here’s the result:
Thanks for the recipe!
I was looking for a recipe for Andouille sausage, and came across you web site. I’m from Reserve La, but was raised in Pa. Love LOVE LOVE gumbo, and lots of other good food, and I cook a lot of southern food for my family. Any way I was getting my sausage from Don”s Country Store in Reserve, up until 9/11 Now I’m having a problem getting it sent to Pa. Pluse the postage almost kills me. So I have a farmer that is willing to make it for me so I was looking for the recipe to give him, and thats how I found your site. It looks so goooooooood it makes my mouth water. It looks almost like the Andouills I was getting from Don’s store. Just wanted to say thank you for putting it out there. Christmas as long as I can remember always had Gumbo, and hopefully this year we’ll have some good sausage made close to home. Thank’s again
Donna Cortez/Reiner
Thanks for the post. I’ll have to try some of your smoking techniques the next time I make a batch of andouille. Also, instead of powdered milk as a binder, try using file powder.
Thank you for your comments ,Scott.See above.To get out of the danger zone it needs to go from 40 to 140 degrees in 4 hrs.Such as fridge to smoker.A pinch is too vague to be safe.For ground meat it is one level tsp.for 5# of meat.Or you have the risk of Botulism.It also needs 24hrs to let the cure work before smoking.Or use Sodium Erythorbate to be able to stuff and smoke.It is a cure accelerator.I use a modified version of this recipe and it is Damn Good.Just don’t want to see anybody get hurt.And I am talking about cure #1 Instacure #1 or Prague Powder#1 same thing.
I really can’t believe you would post such a recipe with out giving exact amounts of cure!!
1 healthy pinch of Prague Powder#1 …what is that? Do you really understand the importance of adding cure when making and smoking sausage?
Hopefully you will read this and than edit your recipe so no one gets Clostridium Botulinum poisoning.
http://www.susanminor.org/forums/showthread.php?736-Curing-Salts
I just made a 30lbof Andouille sausage following this recipe (more or less) except I added the spices after the curing process was over. It is a terrific recipe! I also used some beef fat in addition to the pork shoulder, because I happen to have some grass-fed beef kidney fat that cubes nicely and adds a depth of flavor to the andouille.
This sounds delicious! Different from the Normandie version which has many parts of intestine in it. But these things are good, such as boudin, too, which normally Americans dislike – but every country in europe eats this. You would like where I live, in the south, where the sanglier (wild boar) are thought to be a pest. In the autumn there is a lot of shooting in the mountains. Only the men are invited, they go for many days to shoot the wild boar and the chamois, then they make sausage, and smoke them in the caves, and when they have done this, finally, they invite the women to a giant barbeque to eat some of the meat fresh, and drink the new wine. You know France invented the barbeque from this custom – the name means “barb à queue”, which means “beard to ass” (because they eat all of the wild pig.)
AWESOME RECIPE!!!! Please don’t mind the chooches knocking your recipe!!! Let them kiss you a$$!!!!!!
I’d prefer my meat without the nitrates, which has been identified as the true culprit in our heart disease epidemic, rather than red meat. So I’m looking forward to the Cure-free version, thank you very much. What’s the point in making your own sausage if it’s just filled with the same crap as storebout? My 2 cents is anticipating the next version.
I don’t have an upright smoker so I’ll have to improvise racks inside my smoker. Sounds good. I’ll have to give this recipe a try.
All I can say is WOW! I usually place an order with Jacob’s every fall but I made this last week and it’s very close. The flavor is right on, I think I just need to smoke it a bit longer next time because it wasn’t as smoky as theirs. Everyone who has tried it loves it. I used a Weber Kettle Grill with a Smokenator attachment. I was able to keep the temp pretty low by using very few briquettes to keep the pecan chunks smoking. Thanks for sharing this!!
Amande: What you said about “barb à queue” is utter nonsense. “Barb à queue” doesn’t mean “beard-to-ass”, nor did the French invent barbeque. “Barbeque” comes from “barabicu” or “barbacoa”, which originated with indigenous Caribbean people.
Prague powder #1 is 96% table salt and 6% saltpeter (Sodium Nitrite). Saltpeter can be ordered from your pharmacist or from me for a fraction of the cost. $17 for one pound of Prague will cost you about $5 to make it your self.
http://www.chefrichperry.com