Chef John Folse’s Smoked Andouille Sausage

5 pounds pork butt

1/2 pound pork fat

2 Tablespoons salt

1/4 cup cracked black peppercorns

2 Tablespoons cayenne pepper

1/2 cup minced garlic

1 teaspoon dried thyme

6 to 8 feet beef middle casing, see butcher or specialty shop

Cube pork butt into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Using a meat grinder with four 1/4-inch holes in the grinding plate, grind pork and pork fat. If you do not have a grinding plate this size, hand-cut pork butt into 1/4-inch square pieces. Place ground pork in a large mixing bowl and blend in all remaining ingredients except casing. 

Once well blended, stuff meat into casings in 1-foot links, using the sausage attachment on meat grinder. Tie both ends of sausage securely with heavy-gauge twine. In a home-style smoker, slowly smoke andouille to a temperature of 175 degrees. The sausage should smoke over a 4- to 5-hour period. The andouille may be frozen and used for seasoning gumbos, beans or pastas and can also be grilled as an hors d’oeuvre.

Chef John Folse, White Oak Plantation, LA

 

Smoked Sausage

3 pounds ground pork butt

1/2 pound pork fat

1 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced red bell peppers

1/2 cup minced garlic

1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 Tablespoon paprika for color

Salt and black pepper to taste

1/2 cup ice water

10 feet sausage casing (32–35mm) for stuffing

Blend together meat, fat, vegetables and paprika. When thoroughly mixed, add salt and pepper. Pour in ice water to keep fat congealed and to add moisture. Cook a small piece of mixed sausage and taste for flavor. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Stuff mixture into casing and twist into 6-inch links. Smoke sausages in a home-style smoker with pecan wood flavoring until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Sausages keep 3 to 4 days in refrigerator or up to 6 months frozen. 

NOTE: 32–35mm natural hog casings may be purchased from any butcher shop or specialty sausage market.

Chef John Folse, White Oak Plantation, LA

 

Hog’s Head Cheese

1 hog’s head, halved

4 pounds Boston butt

4 pig’s feet

3 large onions, quartered

4 stalks celery, quartered

1 head garlic, halved

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

 

Directions for making stock:  

Place all ingredients in a large stockpot. Cover ingredients with 6 inches of cold water. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook 3 1/2 hours or until meat is tender and falling from bones. Using a ladle, skim off the foam that rises to the top of the pot during the cooking process. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. When meat is tender, remove, strain and reserve poaching liquid. Bone meat and grind using the chili blade of your meat grinder. Set aside.

 

Ingredients for Cheese:

4 packages unflavored gelatin

cooked ground pork (see above)

reserved poaching liquid (see above)

2 cups minced onions

2 cups minced celery

2 cups minced red bell peppers

1/4 cup minced garlic

salt and black pepper to taste

granulated garlic 

OR Creole seasoning to taste

Louisiana hot sauce to taste

2 cups sliced green onions

1 cup chopped parsley

 

Directions for making cheese:

Once the poaching liquid has been strained and allowed to sit for 1–2 hours, oil will form on top. Using a ladle, carefully remove all oil from the surface of the liquid. Dissolve gelatin in 1 cup of cooled poaching liquid then set aside. 

Place cooked ground pork, onions, celery, bell peppers and minced garlic in a large pot. Cover ingredients with reserved stock by 1/2-inch then bring to a rolling boil. Reduce to simmer and allow to cook 25 to 30 minutes. 

While cooking, add stock as necessary to retain volume. Season to taste with salt, pepper, granulated garlic or Creole seasoning and hot sauce. Remove from heat, stir in green onions, parsley and dissolved gelatin. Allow to cool slightly. Ladle the cheese into 5 (4”x 9”) loaf pans, cover with clear wrap and refrigerate overnight. 

Chef John Folse, White Oak Plantation, LA