Boudin Sausages
By Laila IbrahimPublished on January 2, 2024
Time
4½ hours, plus 12½ hours cooling and chilling
Yield
Makes about 12 sausages
Ingredients
8 feet pork casings 2 pounds boneless pork butt roast, cut into 2-inch pieces1 onion, chopped coarse1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse1 celery rib, chopped coarse3½ tablespoons kosher salt 6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled1 tablespoon smoked paprika 1 tablespoon white pepper 2 teaspoons pepper 1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper 12 ounces chicken livers, rinsed, patted dry, and trimmed1⅓ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed9 scallions, sliced thin (1¼ cups)2 cups wood chips (optional)
Before You Begin
Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. Do not trim the pork butt; the rendered fat is used in the recipe. Pork casings are derived from the inner lining of pig intestines; they can be bought through a specialty butcher or through online retailers. We developed this recipe using Diamond Crystal kosher salt; if using Morton, decrease the salt to 2½ tablespoons. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more. You will need a meat grinder with a coarse (about ¼-inch) grinding plate and medium (about ¾-inch) sausage stuffing nozzle for this recipe. If you'd like to use wood chunks instead of wood chips when using a charcoal grill, substitute 1 medium wood chunk for the wood chip packet.
Instructions
- Place pork casings in large bowl or container in sink and flush thoroughly with cold water. Cover casings with about 2 quarts water, transfer to refrigerator, and let soak for 2 hours, changing water halfway through soaking. Drain casings and set aside.
- Meanwhile, combine pork, 4 cups water, onion, bell pepper, celery, salt, garlic, paprika, white pepper, pepper, and cayenne in large Dutch oven. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover; and simmer until pork is tender, about 2 hours. Stir in chicken livers and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Set fine-mesh strainer over large bowl. Using slotted spoon or spider skimmer, transfer pork and vegetables to rimmed baking sheet. Strain pork cooking liquid through prepared strainer and transfer any remaining solids to sheet with pork. Spread pork mixture into even layer and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Let cooking liquid settle for 5 minutes. Using wide, shallow spoon, skim off and reserve 3 tablespoons fat from surface; discard remaining fat. Measure out and reserve 3 cups cooking liquid; discard excess liquid. (Add extra water as needed to yield 3 cups.)
- Bring 2 cups reserved cooking liquid and rice to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover; and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Off heat, let sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Using meat grinder fitted with coarse grinding plate, grind pork mixture into large bowl. Gently fold in scallions, remaining 1 cup reserved cooking liquid, rice, and reserved fat until thoroughly combined.
- Fit meat grinder with medium sausage-stuffing nozzle and set clean rimmed baking sheet under nozzle. Lightly moisten nozzle and sheet with water. Slip casing onto nozzle, leaving about 5 inches of casing hanging off. Slowly load boudin filling into grinder and stuff casing to create uniformly packed sausage that is about 1 inch thick. As filling is extruded, use your nondominant hand to support sausage and gently coil it on prepared sheet. Once all filling has been stuffed into casing, remove remaining casing from nozzle.
- Tie off 1 end of filled sausage casing with double knot. Starting at knotted end of sausage, use both your hands to pinch off 5-inch-long section, then twist link several times away from you. Move on to next section of sausage and pinch again, this time twisting link toward you. Pinch remaining sausage into links, alternating twisting directions, until you reach end, then tie off with double knot. Trim off excess unfilled casing. Prick any air bubbles in sausage casing with pin, being careful not to create large holes. Refrigerate sausage, uncovered, until casing is set, about 12 hours. (Once casing is set, links can be separated, wrapped tightly in plastic, and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months; thaw frozen sausages overnight before cooking.)
- TO POACH BOUDIN SAUSAGES: Bring 3 quarts water to simmer in Dutch oven over medium heat (water temperature should be between 170 and 180 degrees). Reduce heat to medium-low; add sausages; and cook until sausages register 160 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve.TO SMOKE BOUDIN SAUSAGES USING A CHARCOAL GRILL: Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap chips in 8 by 4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in sides or bottom of packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet. Open bottom vent of charcoal grill completely. Light large chimney starter half-filled with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into steeply banked pile against side of grill. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes. Place sausages on cooler side of grill; cover (positioning lid vent over sausage); and cook until sausages register 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Serve.
- Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap chips in 8 by 4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in sides or bottom of packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet. Remove cooking grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Set grate in place; turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Turn primary burner to medium-high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner [or, if using 3-burner grill, primary burner and second burner] as needed to maintain grill temperature of 275 degrees.) Place sausages on cooler side of grill; cover; and cook until they register 160 degrees, about 25 minutes. Serve.
to smoke boudin sausages using a gas grill
Time
4½ hours, plus 12½ hours cooling and chillingYield
Makes about 12 sausagesIngredients
8 feet pork casings
2 pounds boneless pork butt roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
1 celery rib, chopped coarse
3½ tablespoons kosher salt
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 teaspoons pepper
1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
12 ounces chicken livers, rinsed, patted dry, and trimmed
1⅓ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
9 scallions, sliced thin (1¼ cups)
2 cups wood chips (optional)
Ingredients
8 feet pork casings
2 pounds boneless pork butt roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
1 celery rib, chopped coarse
3½ tablespoons kosher salt
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 teaspoons pepper
1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
12 ounces chicken livers, rinsed, patted dry, and trimmed
1⅓ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
9 scallions, sliced thin (1¼ cups)
2 cups wood chips (optional)
Ingredients
8 feet pork casings
2 pounds boneless pork butt roast, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped coarse
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped coarse
1 celery rib, chopped coarse
3½ tablespoons kosher salt
6 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon white pepper
2 teaspoons pepper
1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
12 ounces chicken livers, rinsed, patted dry, and trimmed
1⅓ cups long-grain white rice, rinsed
9 scallions, sliced thin (1¼ cups)
2 cups wood chips (optional)
Why This Recipe Works
Boudin is a deliciously assertive sausage that celebrates the big flavors of Cajun country. The mix of generously seasoned braised pork, chicken livers, rice, and the Cajun trinity (onions, bell peppers, and celery) tells a history of resourcefulness and nose-to-tail cooking. Boudin is unique in the sense that it's fully cooked before getting stuffed in the casings, making it a particularly spreadable sausage that is commonly poached or smoked. Figuring out the preferred ratios of pork to rice and pork to chicken livers were the main hurdles. We settled on 2 pounds of pork to 1⅓ cups of raw long-grain white rice and 12 ounces of chicken livers to get a balanced yet incredibly flavorful and spreadable sausage filling. Then we had to figure out the right seasonings to highlight boudin's deliciously assertive qualities. Smoked paprika and three types of pepper (white, black, and cayenne) did the trick. Boudin is sold in food markets and gas stations all over Louisiana and is often eaten on the go! It also spreads beautifully on top of crackers. There are many ways to enjoy this truly one-of-a-kind sausage.
Before You Begin
Pork butt roast is often labeled Boston butt in the supermarket. Do not trim the pork butt; the rendered fat is used in the recipe. Pork casings are derived from the inner lining of pig intestines; they can be bought through a specialty butcher or through online retailers. We developed this recipe using Diamond Crystal kosher salt; if using Morton, decrease the salt to 2½ tablespoons. Use a Dutch oven that holds 6 quarts or more. You will need a meat grinder with a coarse (about ¼-inch) grinding plate and medium (about ¾-inch) sausage stuffing nozzle for this recipe. If you'd like to use wood chunks instead of wood chips when using a charcoal grill, substitute 1 medium wood chunk for the wood chip packet.
Instructions
- Place pork casings in large bowl or container in sink and flush thoroughly with cold water. Cover casings with about 2 quarts water, transfer to refrigerator, and let soak for 2 hours, changing water halfway through soaking. Drain casings and set aside.
- Meanwhile, combine pork, 4 cups water, onion, bell pepper, celery, salt, garlic, paprika, white pepper, pepper, and cayenne in large Dutch oven. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover; and simmer until pork is tender, about 2 hours. Stir in chicken livers and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Set fine-mesh strainer over large bowl. Using slotted spoon or spider skimmer, transfer pork and vegetables to rimmed baking sheet. Strain pork cooking liquid through prepared strainer and transfer any remaining solids to sheet with pork. Spread pork mixture into even layer and let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
- Let cooking liquid settle for 5 minutes. Using wide, shallow spoon, skim off and reserve 3 tablespoons fat from surface; discard remaining fat. Measure out and reserve 3 cups cooking liquid; discard excess liquid. (Add extra water as needed to yield 3 cups.)
- Bring 2 cups reserved cooking liquid and rice to boil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover; and simmer until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes. Off heat, let sit, covered, for 10 minutes.
- Using meat grinder fitted with coarse grinding plate, grind pork mixture into large bowl. Gently fold in scallions, remaining 1 cup reserved cooking liquid, rice, and reserved fat until thoroughly combined.
- Fit meat grinder with medium sausage-stuffing nozzle and set clean rimmed baking sheet under nozzle. Lightly moisten nozzle and sheet with water. Slip casing onto nozzle, leaving about 5 inches of casing hanging off. Slowly load boudin filling into grinder and stuff casing to create uniformly packed sausage that is about 1 inch thick. As filling is extruded, use your nondominant hand to support sausage and gently coil it on prepared sheet. Once all filling has been stuffed into casing, remove remaining casing from nozzle.
- Tie off 1 end of filled sausage casing with double knot. Starting at knotted end of sausage, use both your hands to pinch off 5-inch-long section, then twist link several times away from you. Move on to next section of sausage and pinch again, this time twisting link toward you. Pinch remaining sausage into links, alternating twisting directions, until you reach end, then tie off with double knot. Trim off excess unfilled casing. Prick any air bubbles in sausage casing with pin, being careful not to create large holes. Refrigerate sausage, uncovered, until casing is set, about 12 hours. (Once casing is set, links can be separated, wrapped tightly in plastic, and refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months; thaw frozen sausages overnight before cooking.)
- TO POACH BOUDIN SAUSAGES: Bring 3 quarts water to simmer in Dutch oven over medium heat (water temperature should be between 170 and 180 degrees). Reduce heat to medium-low; add sausages; and cook until sausages register 160 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve.TO SMOKE BOUDIN SAUSAGES USING A CHARCOAL GRILL: Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap chips in 8 by 4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in sides or bottom of packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet. Open bottom vent of charcoal grill completely. Light large chimney starter half-filled with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour into steeply banked pile against side of grill. Place wood chip packet on coals. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 5 minutes. Place sausages on cooler side of grill; cover (positioning lid vent over sausage); and cook until sausages register 160 degrees, about 20 minutes. Serve.
- Using large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil, wrap chips in 8 by 4½-inch foil packet. (Make sure chips do not poke holes in sides or bottom of packet.) Cut 2 evenly spaced 2-inch slits in top of packet. Remove cooking grate and place wood chip packet directly on primary burner. Set grate in place; turn all burners to high; cover; and heat grill until hot and wood chips are smoking, about 15 minutes. Turn primary burner to medium-high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner [or, if using 3-burner grill, primary burner and second burner] as needed to maintain grill temperature of 275 degrees.) Place sausages on cooler side of grill; cover; and cook until they register 160 degrees, about 25 minutes. Serve.
to smoke boudin sausages using a gas grill
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