How to make Boudin – Cajun stuffed Blood Sausage

The Best Boudin

If you love Cajun recipes then you’re going to love Boudin. And this recipe is by far the best I’ve ever had and I’m not just saying that, either. I’m telling you that this is hands down 1st place, blue ribbon material right here. This recipe could easily compete with Dj’s, Zummo’s or your grandma and grandpa’s recipe, it’s that good!

Boudin Dressing

Once you’ve cooked the bulk of this recipe it can be served as is, turned into sausage links or rolled into Boudin Balls and deep fried. The majority of the ingredients is virtually the same for all 3 recipes, only one is served as a dressing, one get’s stuffed like sausage and the other gets dipped in an egg wash and breaded before they’re fried. They are all delicious and fun to make but today we’re going to focus on stuffing hog casings to create Links that can be smoked, grilled, baked or pan fried.

Stuffing Boudin into Casings

In order to stuff the casings, however, you’re going to need a mixer with a meat grinder and horn attachments to form the links. Another thing you’re going to need, obviously, is the casings themselves. You can purchase Hog, Lamb or edible artificial casings from your local butcher or order them online. I was fortunate enough to find Hog Casings, here locally, at my Harmon’s Grocery store. They matched the bone marrow price in the meat department, which ran about $1.29 per pound, and 1 lbs. of these Hog casings goes a long way. Plus they store in your refrigerator for up to six months if you keep them soaking in salt water.

Remember that Mardi Gras is in full swing, starting today(Fat Tuesday), so be sure to check out Crawfish Etouffee and my Homemade Jambalaya recipes.

Boudin Ingredients:

4 cups white rice, cooked
1 lbs Ground Andouille Sausage
1/2 lbs Chicken liver
1 Celery stalk, chopped
1/2 Red Onion, chopped
3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 Jalapenos, chopped
1 Bell Pepper, chopped
1/2 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
1/2 cup Scallions

2 Cups Chicken Broth
1 Cup Clam Juice
2 tbs Butter
1 tbs kosher salt
2 tbs freshly ground black pepper
1 tbs Worcestershire
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup Red Wine

Use Hog, Lamb or Artificial Casings for Stuffing the Boudin.

How to Make Italian Sausage

Easy Italian Sausage

You’re going to love learning How to Make Italian Sausage. This is, of course, a sweet and spicy recipe that can be easily adjusted to your specific tastes and, most importantly, reveals the secret to actually making it taste like sausage instead of just seasoned ground pork.

The secret lies in 3 places. First, the sausage has got to have a 2 to 1 ratio; 2 parts meat and 1 part Fat and in this particular case it’s 2 parts Pork Picnic Shoulder Muscle(which is very tender) and 1 part Bacon or Fat Back. If you’re wondering what Fat Back is, it’s just exactly what it sounds like; the Fat in the back of the pig; which is where bacon is derived from anyway so why not just use bacon. Plus, for me personally, I can’t get Fat Back where I live without ordering a minimum of 60 lbs and I’ll never make that much sausage.

The Second secret is the ingredients. This means any kind of sausage you want to make, whether it be Breakfast, Italian, or Chorizo etc., will all depend on the ingredients, or seasonings, going into the 2 to 1 ratio.

The Third thing is all about the binder. The binder is what fuses the meat and ingredients together and keeps them from falling apart. I’ve also found that it’s a big part of the the seasoning which also effects the performance in the sausage when it cooks.

For example: Most Italian Sausage recipes add a red wine and vinegar combination as a binder, which is fine, but this creates a bitter taste so you have to compensate with a sweetener, like sugar. But I have found that Corn Syrup works even better and I add Vegetable Shortening. Why the Shortening? Cooking the sausage without it leaves the meat very dry. It leaves an added quality to the sausage that improves the flavor and adds a moist tenderness to the meat when it’s done.

If you’re interested in more of my recipes with sausage in them, check out my Egg Noodle Lasagna and my Spaghetti with Meatballs.

Italian Sausage Ingredients:

2 lbs Pork shoulder Cusion Meat
1 lbs Bacon
6 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup Fresh Parsly, chopped
1 tbsp Fennel Seed
1 tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp Red Chili Flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste, approximately 1/2 tbsp of each

Binders

1/3 cup Corn Syrup
1/4 cup Vegetable Shortening

Be sure to watch the short video tutorial and I will show you exactly how to make this Italian Sausage.

Beer Bratwurst with Sauerkraut and Cheese Sauce

Cooking Beer Bratwursts

I love these Beer Bratwursts or Beer Brats! Seriously, this is something that is welcome at my barbecue any day of the week! They’re fun and delicious, so I never get any complaints. The Bratwursts themselves are first boiled in beer before they are taken to the grill, and then I make the cheese sauce out of the leftover Beer from the boil. The Sauerkraut is the Bavarian Style of making Kraut and it tops these Brats off perfectly. So you’re looking at a Beer Brat that has been boiled in beer, grilled, then topped off with a Beer Cheese sauce and Sauerkraut. Doesn’t that look Delicious!

And just so you know, I make the world’s best Onion Rings and Sweet Potato fries and I’ve got the links and recipes below!

CLICK HERE for Onion Rings
CLICK HERE for Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients:

1 pckg Bratwurst
1 bag of Hotdog Buns
2 Beers
3 cups Sauerkraut
2 tbsp Shortening
1 Onion
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp caraway seed
1 tsp Sugar
1 pckg Cream Cheese
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, mild
Salt and Pepper to taste

Just follow the instructions in the video tutorial and I’ll show you exactly how I put together the Beer Bratwurst with Sauerkraut and Cheese Sauce.