Andouille Sausage Recipe

Chill and cube

Cut the pork shoulder and fatback into 1-inch cubes and place them in the refrigerator or freezer for 30–45 minutes until very cold but not frozen solid. Cold meat grinds and binds better.

While meat chills, rinse the hog casings inside and out under cool running water. Soak them in a bowl of warm water for 30 minutes to an hour. Run water through the length of each casing to remove any salt, then keep them in cool water until stuffing.

In a small bowl combine kosher salt, ground black pepper, smoked paprika, dried thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, white pepper, brown sugar, and mustard. Mix thoroughly to create an even seasoning blend.

If using liquid smoke, add it to the ice water and stir so it disperses evenly when added to the meat during grinding/mixing.

Set up a medium plate grinder with a 3/8-inch (coarse) plate. Keep the work area and grinder parts cold. Feed half of the chilled pork and some fatback through the grinder, then the remainder, working quickly to maintain temperature. If you prefer a finer texture, grind a second time.

Transfer the ground meat to a large chilled mixing bowl. Sprinkle the seasoning blend evenly over the meat. Add the ice water (with liquid smoke if used) gradually while mixing. Mix by hand or with a paddle on low speed until mixture becomes tacky and cohesive (2–4 minutes). Taste a small fried patty for seasoning and adjust salt or heat if necessary.

Fit a sausage stuffer with an appropriate sized funnel and slide a length of casing onto the tube, leaving a 6-inch tail. Tie a knot at the end of the casing.

Fill the stuffer with the sausage mix, and while holding the casing, start stuffing on low pressure so the meat fills without large air pockets. Aim for sausages about 1–1.5 inches in diameter. To achieve classic andouille links, twist into 6–8 inch links, twisting alternate links in opposite directions to keep them from unwinding.

Prick any visible air pockets with a sterilized needle and press out trapped air. Tie off the end of the casing when finished.

Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer (not boiling) and maintain temperature at 175–185°F (80–85°C). Add the sausages in batches and poach for 20–25 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 155–160°F (68–71°C). Do not boil, which can burst casings.

Remove sausages to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to develop flavor and firm the texture.

If you want a smoked andouille, cold-smoke or hot-smoke the poached sausages. For hot-smoking, preheat smoker to 200–225°F (95–110°C). Smoke sausages with hickory or pecan wood for 1.5–3 hours until they reach 160–165°F (71–74°C) and have a deep smoky color. For cold-smoking, follow safe cold-smoking procedures to keep product out of danger zone.

After smoking, cool sausages on a rack and refrigerate. Smoked andouille keeps well in the fridge 5–7 days or frozen for several months.

To serve immediately, slice links into rounds or leave whole. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, and sear sausage until browned and heated through, about 2–3 minutes per side for whole links or 1–2 minutes per side for slices.

Use in gumbo, jambalaya, po' boys, pasta, or as a grilled sausage. Adjust seasoning in future batches based on taste of test fry.