Boudin Sausage Recipes

LOUISIANA BOUDIN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Chop the meats, liver and fat into chunks that will fit in the grinder. Mix the meats, liver and fat with the onion, celery, poblano peppers and garlic, then the salt, curing salt (if using) and either the Cajun seasonings or the spice mix you made from this recipe. Put it all in a lidded container and set in the fridge at least an hour, and up to a day.
• Put the contents of the container into a large pot and pour in enough water to cover everything by an inch or two. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until everything is tender, at least 90 minutes and up to 3 hours. Strain the cooking liquid (you'll need it later) and spread the meat, fat and veggies out on a sheet pan to cool.
• When everything is cool enough to handle, grind it through the coarse die (6.5 mm) on your grinder. You can also hand chop everything.
• Put your meat mix into a large bowl and add the cooked rice, parsley and green onions. Mix well, and add up to 4 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Mix this for 3 to 5 minutes so you make a more cohesive mixture to stuff into a casing. You now have boudin.
• You can just shape the mixture into balls and fry them (they're awesome), or use your boudin as stuffing for something else, like a turkey. Or you can case it. Stuff the boudin into hog casings, and while you're doing it, get a large pot of salted water hot -- not simmering, just steaming. You want the water to be about 165ºF to 170ºF. Poach the links for 10 minutes, then serve. If you are not serving them right away, no need to poach the links yet.
• Boudin does not keep well, so eat it all within a couple days. It does freeze reasonably well, however.

BOUDIN SAUSAGE BALLS

Steps:

• To make the boudin sausage, in a large saucepan, combine the pork butt, pork liver, water, onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the pork and liver are tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from the heat and drain, reserving the broth.
• Using a meat grinder with a 1/4-inch die or in a food processor, grind the pork mixture, 1/2 cup parsley, and 1/2 cup green onions. Turn the mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in the rice, remaining salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, to make a smooth, firm paste, and mix thoroughly. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
• In a large pot, preheat the vegetable oil to 360 degrees F.
• In a shallow bowl, combine the flour with 1 tablespoon of Essence. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the water and 1 teaspoon of Essence to make an egg wash. In a third bowl, season the bread crumbs with the remaining tablespoon of Essence.
• Shape the pork and rice mixture into balls the size of walnuts. Dredge the pork balls first in the flour, then dip in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the balls in the seasoned bread crumbs, turning to coat evenly.
• Using a slotted spoon, slide the balls in batches into the oil and fry, turning, until golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season lightly with Essence.
• To serve, place several boudin balls on a plate and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with Creole Tartar Sauce on the side.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Put the egg, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and green onions in a food processor and puree for 15 seconds. With the processor running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Add the cayenne, mustard, and salt and pulse once or twice to blend.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until well chilled before serving, 1 hour.

BOUDIN BLANC

Steps:

• Roughly chop chicken and ham and place in a food processor. Process until well combined and finely chopped. Set aside.
• Combine bread cubes and milk in pan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture turns into a paste. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Add mushrooms, shallots, and lemon juice. Cook and stir until mushrooms are soft and all liquid has evaporated, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Combine chicken-ham mixture, bread mixture, and mushroom mixture in a large bowl. Add egg yolks, creme fraiche, almond meal, sherry, paprika, cayenne, thyme, salt, and pepper; mix well with your hands until well combined.
• Beat egg whites with an electric mixer in a large bowl until stiff, then gently fold into sausage mixture. Fold in parsley and truffle shavings. Cover mixture and chill for 1 hour.
• Soak hog casing in cold water for about 30 minutes. Place the wide end of a sausage stuffing funnel up against the sink tap and run cold water through the inside of the casing.
• Using a medium sausage stuffing funnel attachment, place the casing on the outside of the tube. Start passing the meat mixture through the funnel, stopping as it just starts to come out the other end. Tie the casing into a knot at the end, then continue passing the meat mixture through the funnel, supporting the sausage with your other hand. Once the meat mixture is finished, tie the other end of the casing into a knot.
• Twist the casing at regular intervals to create individual links, alternating between twisting in opposite directions.
• Heat a large pot of water until lukewarm. Add sausages, chile pepper, and bay leaf; bring to just below simmering over low heat. Water temperature should be about 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Keep sausages in the simmering water for 40 minutes. Drain well, then run sausages under cold water to stop the cooking.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add sausages and brown for about 7 minutes per side.

CAJUN BOUDIN

Steps:

• Combine the pork shoulder, liver, and 4 cups of water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the pork cubes are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Bring the rice and 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.
• Once the pork is tender, remove from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and allow to cool a bit. While the pork is cooling, stir the green onion, chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, parsley, cilantro, and garlic into the simmering pork broth. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onion is tender. Meanwhile, grind the meat using the coarse plate of a meat grinder. Stir the ground meat into the vegetable mixture, and cook, stirring frequently until the water has nearly evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, and set aside to cool.
• While the meat mixture is cooling, rinse the sausage casings inside and out with plenty of warm water. Keep the casings in a bowl of warm water until ready to stuff. Once the sausage mixture is cool enough to handle, stuff into the prepared casings using a sausage stuffer. Prick the sausage with a needle every 4 to 6 inches.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to keep the water at a very gentle simmer. Add the sausage and cook gently until the sausage is hot on the inside, firm to the touch, and has plumped, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

CAJUN STYLE BOUDIN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• To prepare casings: Let casings soak in cool water about five minutes to remove salt on outer surface (no longer, or they will become too tender to stuff) and flush salt from the inside by placing one end on faucet nozzle and turn on cold tap water (if you see holes or water leaking, cut and discard).
• Remove casing from faucet and gently squeeze out water; cover rinsed casings and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Mix all ingredients very well in a large bowl (you're looking for a moist but not runny mixture).
• Fill the casings with the mixture and make links by twisting the sausage where you wish the links to be.
• Four inches is a good size for a regular serving, smaller links may be made for appetizer servings.
• Place the sausage in large saucepan or dutch oven in a single layer; cover and heat over high heat to a low simmer.
• Reduce heat to maintain low simmer (sausages may burst if cooked at too high a heat) until the sausage is heated through, approximately 15 minutes.
• Drain and let rest for about 15 minutes before slicing; serve while warm.