Andouille Sausage - Try number 1

[uncle eddie]

I made my first sausage ever, venison sticks, last weekend so I jumped head first into the reason I wanted to make sausage in the first place...to make my own Andouille sausage. I love a good andouille! I had a hard time finding recipe's (apparently Andouille recipes are closely held secrets) and the recipe's I found all were pretty much the same...lots of cayenne and black pepper plus pepper flakes...lots of garlic and a little thyme and paprika. Here is the recipe I used for 5 lbs of pork butt:

2 tsp of Cayenne
1 Tbsp. Paprika
1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Garlic
1 Tbsp. Black Pepper
3 Tbsp. Salt
1 Tbsp. dried Thyme leaves – I am going with dried Thyme – not fresh!
1 Tbsp. Crushed Red Pepper (pizza peppers)
#1 Cure as recommended by weight

It was a lot more "pepper" flavor than I wanted. I will probably halve all the "peppers" next go-around...but it still was pretty good, just too spicy for the wife. I did 2 grinds - just guessing half fine grind and half coarse grind to get the right chunkiness...I guessed wrong. It was too fine for my liking. This didn't affect the taste, just the appearance. Next time I will try 3/4 coarse grind and 1/4 fine grind.

SOMETHING NEW - I discovered stuffing 1" casings is much easier and much, much faster than stuffing sticks.

I dried it at 130F for about 2 hours, cold smoked it for about 4 hours at 140F -150F (slowly raised the temp) and finished it at 165F. Total time in my MES40 was 8 hours or so. The smoke flavor was just about perfect. I was out of pecan so I used hickory in my AMNPS.

I was pleased, overall, with my first attempt at andouille sausage. It was close enough to what I wanted. I think my recipe tweaks will get me to where it needs to be (IMHO).

Here are the pics.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

That sure looks good. I love Andouille, but the only kind readily available around me is Johnsonville and it's not what I'd consider good Andouille, but what do I know? Anyway, I had a friend bring me some from a local sausage maker in Cajun country, Thibodaux, La., once that was spectacular. Just can't find anything around here that comes close....

 

[gmc2003]

Looks really good Eddie, and it sounds like your on your way to perfecting the taste to your liking.

Point for sure
Chris

 

[olaf]

Looks like I have another recipe to try. there is no great andouille sausage up here, too far north. My problem sometimes is making large batches what you have there looks pretty tasty.

 

[chopsaw]

Looks good . I'd say you're on the way to making it how you like it . I used the Andouille mix from TSM . It's good .
I have made the Andouille recipe from Len Poli , the first one in the list . It's a good one too .
I use NFDM in mine . Just helps the texture in my opinion .
I would get yourself a gram scale and go by weight . It really does make a difference .
Nice work !

 

[DRKsmoking]

I was pleased, overall, with my first attempt at andouille sausage. It was close enough to what I wanted. I think my recipe tweaks will get me to where it needs to be (IMHO

Looks great from here, its all about taste and making it your own. Nice job. Someday i will try to make sausages. Just learning to control my smoker better first

David

 

[uncle eddie]

That sure looks good. I love Andouille, but the only kind readily available around me is Johnsonville and it's not what I'd consider good Andouille, but what do I know? Anyway, I had a friend bring me some from a local sausage maker in Cajun country, Thibodaux, La., once that was spectacular. Just can't find anything around here that comes close....

The best store-bought andouille that I have found is by Aidelle's. It is sold here in local grocery stores and Walmart. It is about $5 - $6 for 4 links.

 

[uncle eddie]

Thanks gmc2003 , olaf , DRKsmoking

Looks good . I'd say you're on the way to making it how you like it . I used the Andouille mix from TSM . It's good .
I have made the Andouille recipe from Len Poli , the first one in the list . It's a good one too .
I use NFDM in mine . Just helps the texture in my opinion .
I would get yourself a gram scale and go by weight . It really does make a difference .
Nice work !

chopsaw - I will definitely look them up! Great idea about the scale - which I already have.

 

[chopsaw]

Weigh out a tbls of salt when you get time . Just curious .

 

[uncle eddie]

Weigh out a tbls of salt when you get time . Just curious .

1 level tbls of table salt weighs 14 gms or 1/2 oz

 

[SmokyMose]

Nice sausage, eddie!
Andouille is probably my favorite, but the Mrs. doesn't care for it so I don't make it much. I'm about due for more....
I like the recipe from Nola Cuisine.
I got lazy and now just grind it all through a course plate instead of making it partly "chunky".

 

[smokerjim]

Looks excellant! Never had it myself but it sure does sound good. Might have to give it a try.

 

[uncle eddie]

Nice sausage, eddie!
Andouille is probably my favorite, but the Mrs. doesn't care for it so I don't make it much. I'm about due for more....
I like the recipe from Nola Cuisine.
I got lazy and now just grind it all through a course plate instead of making it partly "chunky".

The Nola Cuisine recipe is pretty much the recipe I used except I cut back on the black pepper...but thanks for pointing out this website. It looks interesting.

 

[chopsaw]

1 level tbls of table salt weighs 14 gms or 1/2 oz

I started using Marianski's amounts for salt if I'm making from scratch . It's the right amount for my taste . He's 18 g for 2.2 pounds of meat . Some are less . You're real close , but that gives you an example of weight vs measure . That doesn't take into account that you measured exactly the same over 3 Tbls . Make sense ? Also , if mixing from scratch I used kosher salt or pickling salt . ( by weight )
Table salt can add off flavor .

 

[Brokenhandle]

Looks good from here also! Sounds like you're well on your way to perfecting it. And with some of the pointers you got should help also. Nice job!

Ryan

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I started using Marianski's amounts for salt if I'm making from scratch . It's the right amount for my taste . He's 18 g for 2.2 pounds of meat . Some are less . You're real close , but that gives you an example of weight vs measure . That doesn't take into account that you measured exactly the same over 3 Tbls . Make sense ? Also , if mixing from scratch I used kosher salt or pickling salt . ( by weight )
Table salt can add off flavor .

Kosher salt and pickling salt aren't iodized whereas most table salt is....

 

[chopsaw]

Kosher salt and pickling salt aren't iodized whereas most table salt is....

Thats why I don't use it for sausage.

 

[uncle eddie]

I used Kosher salt in the sausage...when chopsaw asked the weight question, I used table salt

 

[uncle eddie]

It has been 2 days now and the flavors have really started to bloom. The thyme is much more noticeable and about perfect intensity...the peppers are melded nicely but I still plan to use 2/3 or maybe half the "peppers" for the next batch. I will probably increase the garlic and paprika a bit as well. The smoke flavor is all the way through the sausage now as well.

foamheart suggested double-smoking the andouille...something he learned from Bearcarver , he said. I think this must be explored further!