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home > meats > cured meats > sausages |
Sausages
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home > meats > cured meats > sausages |
Sausages
Synonyms: snags = bangers = salsiccia = wurst = sausissons
Pronunciation: SAW-sidge
A typical sausage consists of ground meat that's combined with fat, flavorings, and preservatives, and then stuffed into a casing and twisted at intervals to make links. Pork is most commonly used, but butchers also use beef, lamb, veal, turkey, chicken, or game, and some also use fillers like oatmeal and rice to stretch the meat a bit. Casings vary too--in addition to intestines or artificial casings, butchers sometimes use stomachs, feet, skins, or they do away with casings altogether and sell the sausage in bulk. After assembling a sausage, a butcher can either sell it as fresh sausage, or else cure, dry, or precook it in some way.
Varieties:
abruzzo sausage
andouille = Cajun andouille = Louisiana andouille Pronunciation: ahn-DWEE or ann-DO-ee Notes: This is a spicy smoked Cajun sausage that's used in jambalaya and gumbo. Don't confuse it with the milder French andouille sausage. Substitutes: kielbasa
andouillette Pronunciation: ahn-dwee-YET Notes: This tripe sausage is a small version of French andouille sausage. Definitely not a party pleaser, but some people have grown accustomed to its taste. Substitutes: French andouille (larger) OR Italian sweet sausage
banger Notes: This is a mild British pork sausage.
bauerwurst = bauernwurst Pronunciation: BOW-er-wurst OR BOW-er-vurscht Notes: This is a chunky German farmer's sausage that's often grilled and served on a bun or cooked with sauerkraut.
blutwurst Notes: This is a spicy and salty German blood sausage made from pork, beef, and beef blood. Germans like to snack on it, or mix it with sauerkraut. It comes already cooked, but it's usually heated before being served. Substitutes: blood sausage
bockwurst Pronunciation: BAHK-wurst OR BAHK-vurscht Notes: This is a mild German sausage made with veal, pork, milk, and eggs, and seasoned with chives and parsley. You need to cook it before serving. Use it soon after you buy it--it's very perishable. Substitutes: bratwurst
boerewors = boeries = wors = boerewurst Notes: This is a spicy South African farmer's sausage, made with beef, pork, and pork fat, and seasoned with coriander. You need to cook it before serving.
boudin blanc = white boudin Pronunciation: boo-DAHN BLAHN Notes: This is a white sausage made of meat (pork, chicken, or veal) and rice. France produces a very delicate milk-based version, while the Cajun version includes a lot of rice as a filler, making it chewier and more flavorful. Substitutes: weisswurst OR bratwurst
boudin rouge = red boudin Pronunciation: boo-DAHN ROOZH Notes: This Cajun specialty is similar to boudin blanc, except that it also includes pork blood. Use it soon after you buy it. Substitutes: blood sausage OR boudin blanc OR blutwurst
bratwurst Notes: This is made with pork and sometimes veal, and seasoned with subtle spices. It usually needs to be cooked before eating, though some markets carry precooked bratwurst.. Substitutes: weisswurst OR boudin blanc OR bockwurst
breakfast sausage patty Notes: These pork patties are heavily seasoned. They're usually fried before serving. chaurice Pronunciation: shore-EESE Notes: This spicy pork sausage is used in jambalaya and other Creole and Cajun dishes. It's available either in links or patties, but it's hard to find outside of Louisiana. Substitutes: andouille
chipolata sausage Pronunciation: chippo-LAH-tuh Notes: These pork sausages are as small as Vienna sausages, but they're much spicier. Substitutes: Vienna sausage OR cocktail wieners
chorizo, Mexican Shopping hints: This is fresh pork mixed with lots of spices. Don't confuse Mexican chorizo, which needs to be cooked, with Spanish chorizo, which is dry-cured. To make your own: See the Homemade Chorizo recipe posted on RecipeSource.com. Substitutes: Italian hot sausage OR mild Italian sausage OR spicy breakfast sausage OR Spanish chorizo
chorizo, Spanish Shopping hints: Don't confuse Mexican chorizo, which is moist and needs to be cooked, with the Spanish version, which is dry-cured and ready-to-eat. Spanish chorizo is made from pork, and it's very hot and spicy. Substitutes: kielbasa OR pepperoni OR other dry-cured pork sausage OR linguisa (hotter) OR Mexican chorizo (This needs to be cooked)
chourico = chouriço = chaurico Pronunciation: shore-EE-so Notes: This is a heavily seasoned Portuguese pork sausage. Look for it in Portuguese markets. Substitutes: Spanish chorizo OR linguiça (milder) OR linguica (milder) OR hot Italian sausage OR garlic sausage OR pepperoni
cocktail wieners Notes: These are smaller than hot dogs, but larger than Vienna sausages. Substitutes: hot dog (cut into smaller pieces) OR Vienna sausages
cotechino Pronunciation: koh-TEH-kee-noh Notes: This is a mild and fatty Italian pork sausage. The links should be pierced before cooking to allow some of the fat to drain out. Cumberland sausage Notes: This British pork sausage is usually displayed in markets as a long coil, and it's sold by the length rather than by the link. It's often baked in the oven with cabbage and potatoes.
farinheiras Notes: This Portuguese "flour sausage" is hard to find in the United States.
French andouille sausage Pronunciation: ahn-DWEE Notes: Don't confuse this with Cajun andouille, which is much spicier. Substitutes: andouillette (smaller)
goetta Notes: This is Cincinnati's answer to scrapple. It's a mixture of oatmeal and sausage that's fried. Substitutes: scrapple
grützewurst = grutzewurst haggis Pronunciation: HAG-iss Notes: This large Scottish sausage is made by stuffing a sheep's stomach with the animal's heart, lungs, and liver, and then adding oatmeal, onion, fat, and seasonings. It's usually steamed before serving.
hot dog = wiener = weiner (a common misspelling) = frankfurter = frank = tube steak = wienerwurst = griddle Notes: An American staple, hot dogs are mild, smoked, and usually skinless sausages that are traditionally served in a bun with relish and mustard. They've declined in popularity in recent years because they're relatively high in fat and sodium. This decline was hastened in late 1998 when several people died after being exposed to Listeria, a deadly bacterium which was traced to some improperly prepared hot dogs and deli meats. Substitutes: Vienna sausage OR bockwurst OR banger Links: See the USDA fact sheet on hot dogs.
Italian sausage Notes: This is a pork sausage that's often added to pasta sauces. Varieties include sweet Italian sausage = mild Italian sausage, which is flavored with garlic and fennel seed, and hot Italian sausage, which also has a shake or two of crushed chile peppers. It's sold either as links or in bulk. Cook thoroughly before serving.
kielbasa = kolbasa = kolbasz = Polish sausage = knublewurst = Polnische wurst Pronunciation: kill-BAH-suh or keel-BAH-suh or (in Poland) KEHW-bah-sah Notes: Kielbasy are smoked Polish sausages made with pork and/or beef and flavored with garlic, pimento, and cloves. They come already cooked, but most people heat them before serving. Substitutes: andouille OR Spanish chorizo OR linguica
kishke = kishka = kiske = kiska = kiszka = der·ma = stuffed derma Pronunciation: KISH-kah Notes: This Jewish specialty consists of beef intestines stuffed with matzo meal, onion, and suet.
knackwurst = knockwurst = knoblauch Pronunciation: NAK-worst OR NAK-vursht Notes: These smoked beef sausages are seasoned with lots of garlic. They should be cooked before eating, and they're often served like hot dogs or smothered in sauerkraut. Substitutes: hot dogs
kolbasz Notes: This Hungarian sausage is similar to Polish kielbasa, except that it has paprika added to it. Substitutes: kielbasa
landjager = landjaeger Notes: The name means "hunter," perhaps because this smoked beef sausage needs no refrigeration and is handy to take on hunts. Look for thin flat sticks in German delis. Substitutes: pepperoni OR salami
lap cheong = lap chong = lap chung = lop chong = Chinese dried sausages = Chinese sausage Notes: These pork sausages look and feel like pepperoni, but they're much sweeter. Substitutes: chorizo OR salami OR ham (diced)
linguica = linguiça Pronunciation: lin-gwee-SAH Notes: This is a fairly spicy Portuguese smoked garlic sausage. You need to cook it before serving it. Substitutes: linguisa OR kielbasa OR Spanish chorizo OR andouille linguisa Substitutes: kielbasa OR pepperoni OR chorizo (milder)
longanisa = longaniza Substitutes: kielbasa
loukanika Pronunciation: loo-KAH-nih-kah Notes: This spicy Greek sausage is made with lamb, pork, and orange rind. Cook it before serving.
medisterpoelse sausage Notes: This is a Danish pork sausage. Cook it before serving.
merguez sausage = mirkâs Notes: This North African lamb sausage is seasoned with garlic and hot spices. It's often used in couscous dishes.
mettwurst = metts Pronunciation: MET-wurst OR MET-vursht Notes: At least two kinds of sausages answer to the name mettwurst. People in Cincinnati use the name to describe a kielbasa-like sausage that's made with beef and pork, seasoned with pepper and coriander, and smoked. They like to grill it and serve it on a bun. Elsewhere, mettwurst is soft like liverwurst and ready to eat. It's usually spread on crackers and bread. Substitutes: kielbasa (for Cincinnati's mettwurst) OR bratwurst (for Cincinnati's mettwurst) OR teewurst (for spreadable mettwurst)
morcelas Notes: This is the Portuguese version of blood sausage.
morcilla Notes: This is Spain salty version of blood sausage, usually made with onion or rice as a filler. Substitutes: boudin rouge
pepperoni Notes: This spicy sausage is made with beef and pork. It's hard and chewy, and makes a terrific topping for pizza. You don't need to cook it before eating. Substitutes: salami OR lap cheong (sweeter) OR Spanish chorizo OR Canadian bacon (Works well as a pizza topping.)
pickled pork = pickle meat = Creole pickled pork Notes: Louisiana cooks like to add this to bean dishes. It's hard to find outside of Louisiana, but it's fairly easy to make from scratch. Substitutes: ham hocks OR smoked ham OR tasso
pinkelwurst Notes: This German sausage is made with beef and/or pork, onions, oat groats, and bacon. It's often served with potatoes.
potato korv Notes: This is a Swedish pork sausage. Cook it before serving.
Romagnolo sausage
Salpicao = Salpicão
scrapple Notes: A Pennsylvania Dutch specialty, this is a mixture of sausage and cornmeal. It's often slowly fried and served with eggs and grits. Substitutes: goetta OR bacon (as a side dish to eggs)
smoked bratwurst Notes: This is a smoked variation of German bratwurst. Substitutes: bratwurst
sobrasade = sobrassade
sujuk = soujouk = yershig Notes: This is a spicy Lebanese beef sausage. Look for it in Middle Eastern markets. Substitutes: pepperoni OR salami
tocino Notes: Tocino is Spanish for bacon, but in the Philippines, it refers to cured pork that's been marinated in a sweet red sauce. Look for it in Asian markets.
Toulouse sausage Pronunciation: too-LOOZ Notes: This exquisite French sausage is usually made with pork, smoked bacon, wine, and garlic. It's a great sausage for a cassoulet. Cook it before serving. Substitutes: kielbasa (works well in a cassoulet) OR Italian sweet sausage
Tuscan sausage
Vienna sausage = Vienna-style frankfurter Notes: These small, squat hot dogs come in cans. They're often used to make hors d'oeuvres. Substitutes: cocktail wieners OR hot dog (Cut into smaller pieces if you like)
weisswurst = weißwürste = white sausage Pronunciation: WICE-wurst OR VICE-vurscht Notes: These are mildly seasoned German veal sausages, very light in color. Germans like to eat them with potato salad during Oktoberfest. Cook before eating. Substitutes: bockwurst OR bratwurst OR boudin blanc
Copyright © 1996 - 2005 Lori Alden
