Andouille sausage

Recently I picked up some Usinger's andouille sausageand last night I grilled it for dinner. It's already fully cooked when it leaves the factory but I still put a nice light char on them to make sure they were nice and hot all the way through.


Those of you who have access to authentic andouille (Kenny 13, I hope you're reading this), what kind of texture and flavor is it supposed to have? I like the Usinger's product but it seemed to be a lot like a kielbasa or smoked sausage that had some heat added, and to be honest I was hoping for something a little more unique.

Brad

Kenny will know better than I, but it doesnt remind of smoked sausage flavor. Hard to describe, but there is nothing like it.

Whatever they called those... they sure looked good. Some Mister Mustard and a side of slaw please!

Looking at the pre-grilled picture you have there, it's lighter in color than any andouille I've ever seen. All the anduille I've ever had was pretty firm in texture. Words are escaping me right now as far as trying to describe the flavor, but like QJuju said - it really doesn't remind you of a smoked sausage flavor. It has a pretty strong flavor.

I've never taken andouille and cooked it just to eat like that on a bun or anything. It really gets used more sliced or chopped up as an ingredient in gumbo, jambalaya, red beans & rice, etc. It's great for adding flavor to those dishes. That's not to say that you did anything wrong.

I was not that impressed with Usinger's andouille sausage, If you have a chance Brad try Johnson's sausage shop in Rio has a great andouille sausage, just call a head and see if they have some since it goes fast (or did the last time I got some)

I love theirs since it is more a "Spicey Smoked Sausage" the way andouille sausage should be. I had 15# made from my venison scraps last December, I will have that made this year too

Trollby wrote:

I was not that impressed with Usinger's andouille sausage, If you have a chance Brad try Johnson's sausage shop in Rio has a great andouille sausage, just call a head and see if they have some since it goes fast (or did the last time I got some)

I love theirs since it is more a "Spicey Smoked Sausage" the way andouille sausage should be. I had 15# made from my venison scraps last December, I will have that made this year too

I think spicy smoked sausage is a pretty good description of the flavor, but it's also more than just heat. There are really bold flavors there besides the heat, but it's kind of hard to describe or even compare to any other type of sausage I've ever had.

Kenny 13 wrote:

Trollby wrote:

I was not that impressed with Usinger's andouille sausage, If you have a chance Brad try Johnson's sausage shop in Rio has a great andouille sausage, just call a head and see if they have some since it goes fast (or did the last time I got some)

I love theirs since it is more a "Spicey Smoked Sausage" the way andouille sausage should be. I had 15# made from my venison scraps last December, I will have that made this year too

I think spicy smoked sausage is a pretty good description of the flavor, but it's also more than just heat. There are really bold flavors there besides the heat, but it's kind of hard to describe or even compare to any other type of sausage I've ever had.

That is why I did not say "Hot Smoked Sausage"

The mix of spices gives heat but it needs to blend with the meat, The best I have had has course ground meat not the fine stuff that is like a paste inside the casings before cooked or smoked

Looks great, Bradley! Only Andouille I've ever had was the "Savoie" brand. I'm no conneiseur, but it tastes great to me. I still have some in my freezer that I'm saving for jambalaya.

Trollby wrote:

That is why I did not say "Hot Smoked Sausage"

The mix of spices gives heat but it needs to blend with the meat, The best I have had has course ground meat not the fine stuff that is like a paste inside the casings before cooked or smoked

Definitely on the coarse ground meat.

Wayne Jocbs smokehouse in LaPlace La, not far from Kenny makes great andouille .
The andouille I'm used to almost has chunks of meat mixed in.
Very heavy smoked.
I cook with a lot but prefer , smoked sausage , brats etc for just eating.

lostarrow wrote:

Wayne Jocbs smokehouse in LaPlace La, not far from Kenny makes great andouille .
The andouille I'm used to almost has chunks of meat mixed in.
Very heavy smoked.
I cook with a lot but prefer , smoked sausage , brats etc for just eating.

I've never had anything from Wayne Jacobs smokehouse, but I've heard good reviews. And you are correct about the chunks of meat mixed in, and that really helps it get that texture.

Traditional Louisiana Andouille is course ground leaving large chunks of meat and fat visable in the sausage. Also it is traditionally smoked with hickory and sugar cane stalks. After sugar cane is proccessed for its juice the left over is like saw dust and is called bagass. It imparts a unique flavor to the sausage. The course texture lends to long simmering like Gumbo. Local Louisiana favorites are Savoies, Richards, and Veron's. The two metioned above from Laplace (the Andouille capital of the world) are also great.