Ok I really just did this post to show off the superior smoke permeation in those sausages. I mean it almost got all the way to the center.
Anyway sausage is one of the great meats that can be tossed on while grilling something else and it works for smoking too. Below is the basic recipe for the ones in the photo but any spicy blend of sausage will smoke really well. Also any sausage made with gamier meats such as duck and venison would benefit from smoking. I find a normal sized link will take two hours to smoke and will need to be flipped once. It will go well in numerous dishes. For those looking for how to make sausage go here. For how to set up a smoker here.
Spicy Brats
- 6 lbs pork shoulder diced
- 2 ½ tbsp sea salt
- 4 tbsp fresh oregano chopped fine
- 2 tbsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp fresh cayenne powder
- 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar mixed with ½ cup red wine
Mix pork with all spices cover and let sit overnight in a refrigerator. Grind meat, add binding liquid and pack sausage links. Freeze until ready to cook.
Well done! I love making sausages. Have you tried Boerewors from South Africa?
No I haven’t, but I’m going to see if I haven’t overlooked a recipe for it in my Charcuterie book. http://www.amazon.com/Charcuterie-Craft-Salting-Smoking-Curing/dp/0393058298/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1308973199&sr=8-1
Wow! Looks awesome.
I’ve never made a sausage. How bad is that? I have made breakfast sausage meat because it doesn’t exist in Australia so I make it and freeze it in small rolls just for me when I’m homesick but REAL sausages.. wowza.
It’s a lot of work, but not an excruciating amount. It will really gross out your wife the first time she watches you make it!
I love brats and I love mustard and these look awesome. I actually tried rabbit and rattlesnake sausages this week – proving that spicy sausages of any kind are delicious :)!
Wow, what a combo. My wife wants me to get more adventurous with sausage, but she’s thinking duck or lamb!
Rattlesnake? Wow! Where do you find something like that? A smoke duck sounds amazing!
They look amazing. Making my own brats is not one I’ve tried yet.
I love a good brat.. okay maybe that didn’t sound right but you know what I meant lol. Love the recipe. Simplistic, easy and I can’t wait to try it.
Ok, now that I have got over the shock from realising that you (thankfully) are not putting small badly behaved children into your smoker, I am seriously impressed. Had a look at your sausage making post, wow! My dad ran a butcher´s shop for a while (not sure why, it was a whim!) and he made sausages too. Nothing like home made. As a lot of Big Man´s family make their own chorizo, morcilla etc will have to pay attention when they next do it and also see if I can borrow the equipment as I fancy giving this a go.
Who doesn’t enjoy a smoked sausage – well done on making your own, they look fabulous!
🙂 Mandy
It may be groos to watch but it sure ooks ike it would be worth the agony after the first taste!
Casings can be hard to find – do you buy them locally, or have a mail-order source?
I buy them at a place called Hogg’s Meat Market. (http://hoggsmeatmarket.com/) I’m sure other butchers carry them, well actually, I think they were one of the only ones I found when I started.
They were easy to get back when I started in the grocery biz in the 80’s – most supermarkets had them or would get them for you. These days, not so much… The last store I worked at lost their source about 8 years ago. Unless you were willing to buy 25 or 50 lbs at a time, that is…
Beautiful smoke job!
Your sausage recipe sounds wonderful, with or without the smoke — although I’d prefer the smoked. Have you tried hanging your sausages to cure them? I’m told my family did it years ago with great success.
My dream kitchen has a drying room for that, but I haven’t tried it. Haven’t tried to make bacon either.
Wow, you really are an impressive chef. This is fantastic! Is there anything you can’t do 🙂
Yum! Will definitely grill these over the Fourth!
I bet you get the best sausage in Chicago.
I forwarded your recipe to my son’s father-in-law who is a great sausage maker in Hardy Virginia.
I am hopeful he makes them when we gather together again!
If he does, let me know how he likes them.
Mmmmm….I have some brats in the fridge. Now I’m hungry for them. These look awesome!
Homemade brats! Very impressive. Did you make the mustard-like sauce in the picture, too?
Nope that’s a product called Hell on the Red, hot mustard made in Texas. We picked it up at a Little Rock Drug Emporium, most likely because the label says “telephone” where the telephone number should be. Chutney and Spice is inspiring me to make mustard though. (http://www.chutneyandspice.com/)
Awesome. Thanks!
I’ve just started making my own sausages – this recipe is a keeper!
I think you’re using the same book, if I recall right.
Greg, when are you opening your bed and breakfast? My husband and I will gladly be your first guests. Please make those for our first dinner there. I won’t watch. It would gross me out too. 😉 Can’t wait to meet Katherine…and you of course.
Ha, thanks Geni!
Ha? Does that mean no? Or…still considering?
I think Katherine’s thought about it, off in the future. She’d get to handle the business and marketing stuff, I’d get the fun stuff. Cooking!
Awesome job! When my grandpa was alive we use to help him make homemade Italian sausage and then he’d freeze them. I’ll have to ask my mom what she did with the meat grinder. I’ve been wanting to get my sister’s together to make some of the tradition foods we use to eat as kids but everyone is too busy. Your blog motivates me to stay intouch with my Italian roots and make food from scratch, just like my grandpa did! 🙂
That’s so nice, how’d you ever guess I had Italian roots.:)
I wasn’t sure if you were Italian or not but after the last couple of posts, garlic, zucchini and then homemade brats/sausage kind of gave it away! lol.
Ha, you could also look at all the vowels in my last name when my e-mail pops up in your comments. Third generation.
I never paid attention to the email address, i’ll pay more attention next time. I’m first generation, unfortunately my mom was never one to keep up with food traditions.
I’ve been a vegetarian for 13+ years, and don’t miss meat . . . and your smoked brats still look good! 😀
Aww, thanks. I love my veggies too.
These look ~ WOW…. You make it sound so easy….RaeDi
You make your own sausage? Good god man, is there anything you can’t do? 🙂
Fly a plane, sing falsetto, pitch a fastball… to name a few.
Wow can I order one of these from you 🙂
I always wanted to make my own sausages as the sausages here in NZ lack some taste.
Is there anything you cannot do?! Wow. I would so mess this one up : )
What do you stuff the mix into. What are the links you speak of… Incredible effort mister
Intestines. You can buy fake intestines, but they don’t work as well.
Beautiful. Nice choice of condiment also, I’m a big fan of mustard.
We absolutely love brats on the grill. In fact, I am planning to have them for some friends tomorrow night. I will try your way. Thanks.
Great, let me know how they turn out!
Brats are my favorite–we cook ours with beer. 🙂 They remind me of summertime laying by the pool at my house. And don’t even get me started on the smell. Ommmm
Sausage making is something I really want to try. Yours look great!
I wanted to get into sausage making too but all the reviews for sausage makers on Amazon seemed very negative (bits of metal coming off in the meat for example)… got any recommendations?
Yikes, I use my KitchenAid attachment. No loose metal there.
KitchenAid huh? I’ll check it out, thanks a lot 🙂
That is great you made your own sausage!! Those brats look awesome!! And, lucky for us, we just happen to have some horseradish brats in the fridge we picked up at the farmer’s market this weekend. Looks like we have a reason to use the new smoker tomorrow evening!
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Oh, for a smoker (heck, I’d settle for a bbq) to get that smoke permeation! Looks SO good!
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I have been smoking various sausages (including btratwurst) for years, and I have never seen the need to “flip” any sausage once during the smoking process.
Looks nicer with an even smoke instead of grill marks. Alternately they could be hung inside the smoke chamber as well.