Homemade Boudin Cajun Sausage; New Orleans Memoir
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Cajun Boudin Sausage
When I think of homemade boudin sausage it brings back memories of spending time in New Orleans during Mardi Gras! Boudin is a well known cajun cuisine in Louisiana.
Cajun boudin sausage consists of pork, chicken livers, vegetables, cajun seasonings and rice. All ingredients are combined together and normally stuffed in a pork casing. I have also heard boudin can be made rolled into small balls and deep fried. They call this boudin balls.
If you ever get the chance to travel to New Orleans there are a few foods that are a MUST and one of them is cajun boudin sausage. Unless of course you make this recipe. 🙂
New Orleans Fun; Masquerade Ball
While my husband and I were in New Orleans in August 2017 we had a blast trying all the different foods we could while we were visiting there. We also dressed up in costume and attended a once in a lifetime masquerade ball!
Heading to New Orleans or a masquerade party and need a mask or two? Check out these Mardi Gras masks and paraphernalia!
Some Favorite Foods In New Orleans
Shrimp Etouffee
One evening while in New Orleans we hailed a peddler, a bike peddler that is, to take us out to dinner. That was fun! She took us to a Cajun restaurant where we started out with Bloody Mary’s (that taste similar to my favorite Bloody Mary Mix) and we had shrimp etouffee.
Shrimp etouffee is a spicy shrimp type thickened stew served over rice. It’s a true cajun meal! Oh yeah, check out my recipe here!
Willie Mae’s Scotch House; Famous Chicken
We also had to hit Willie’s Mae’s Scotch House which is well known for their fried chicken.
Willie Mae’s was featured on Diners Drive Ins and Dives by Guy Fiere as one of the Top 10 Best Food Networks in New Orleans and since we were in NOLA we just had to go there! Oh yeah, NOLA is another meaning for New Orleans Louisiana.
As soon as we pulled up, sure enough, there was a line around the building and we had about an hour wait. Yes, it was gooood chicken!
Acme Oyster House French Quarter
Home of the oysters! I don’t know if that is true but it sure seemed like it. Acme Oyster restaurant had such a fun atmosphere that even the waiters and waitresses were having fun with us! Service was fantastic and the food was wonderful!
Palace Cafe New Orleans
Another fun restaurant we went to while in New Orleans was Palace Cafe. We had another wonderful dinner and ordered flame broiled bananas fosters for dessert. It was flamed right at table side! Let’s say that was a hot item on the menu. Everyone was ordering it! Bananas Fosters isn’t necessarily a specialty of New Orleans but it sure was good!
Bananas Foster is a dessert made from bananas and vanilla ice cream topped with a butter, sugar, cinnamon, dark rum and banana liqueur sauce and ignited! Wahooo!!!
French Quarter Cafe du Monde Beignets
Ahh, beignets are a must when traveling to New Orleans! Beignets are a small sweet pastry with mounds of confectioners sugar. And a must with their Cafe du Monde chicory coffee. Careful not to wear dark clothing because you are sure to be wearing some of that sugar by the time you’re done eating. LOL!
By the way, if you can’t get to New Orleans you can make your own beignets at home with this Cafe du Monde Beignet mix.
Shrimp & Grits
Another great dish that can be found in New Orleans, Shrimp & Grits! This is actually my recipe. You should try to make it sometime. I don’t even like grits and this recipe is awesome!
Crab Hush Puppies
Don’t forget the crab hush puppies! This too is my recipe that reminds me of another fantastic flavor found in New Orleans. Yep, another one of my recipes to give a try served with Rémoulade Sauce.
So much for my trip to New Orleans. Let’s get to this recipe you dropped by for!
Cajun Boudin Sausage Recipe
First Things First; Tools Used
Before getting to the recipe I want to share with you the tools I used to make this boudin sausage.
For this recipe I used my KitchenAid stand mixer. Reason so is that I like to buy a pork shoulder for this recipe and grind my own meat. With that being said, I love my stand mixer because it has a food grinder attachment like the one below.
If you don’t have a food grinder don’t fret as you can chop the meat by hand instead. It will still taste good.
Another attachment my stand mixer has is the sausage stuffer attachment like the one pictured below. Perfect for this recipe! If you have this attachment or a sausage stuffer tool great! If not, you can always make sausage balls and deep fry them. Yum Yum!
If you have a KitchenAid stand mixer but don’t have either of these attachments and want both these tools you can purchase them separately but this is your better deal here.
Recipe For Cajun Boudin Sausage
This recipe will make at least 15 sausages give or take one or 2.
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of pork shoulder with fat sliced into 2×2 squares
- 1/2 pounds chicken livers cut in half
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 Tablespoons cajun spice
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
- water for cooking the above ingredients (retain after cooking)
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions chopped
- 2 cups instant rice uncooked
Directions:
Combine Ingredients
In a large bowl combine pork with fat, livers, celery, yellow onion, garlic, green bell pepper, cajun spice, and crushed red peppers. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. This process allows the ingredients to introduce themselves and exchange flavors. Actually, this is really just kinda like a marinade.
Simmer Ingredients
Put the above in a large stock pot, add enough water to cover the meat and simmer over medium heat for 3 hours or until pork if fork tender.
Drain
Using a colander inside a large bowl drain meat and vegetables from water but keep the seasoned water for later use.
Grind or Cut Meat
This next step is for grinding the meat. If you don’t have a meat grinder you can chop the meat by hand.
First, allow meat to cool and setup KitchenAid or meat grinder and prepare about 4 or 5 natural hog casings by rinsing in warm water.
When rinsing the casing rinse the insides too by opening one of the ends and placing it near the opening of the faucet allowing water to run on the inside of the casing. I find my casings at the local butcher. If you are unable to find them these are the natural hog casing I use.
Grind or chop meat and vegetables into a bowl.
When all done grinding or chopping add green onions, parsley, 3 cups of the liquid reserve to the meat to add some natural flavor, mix together and then add uncooked instant rice.
Cover and set aside for about 15 minutes to allow rice to absorb some of the juices. If meat mixture is still too wet after 15 minutes you can add 1/2 cup more of instant rice.
Prepare Sausage Stuffer Attachment; Make Sausages
Place 1 entire casing on the end of the stuffer tubing. Insert meat into the grinder. While holding onto the tubing and casing turn grinder to setting 4 and allow meat to flow through machine into the casing. You are now making sausage!
You can do this one of two ways: 1) fill casing to desired length, cut casing about 3-4 inches from end and tie knot on both ends or 2) fill one entire casing, tie ends and make divided sections. Even though #1 is more time consuming I prefer that method.
TIP: Fill meat into casing loose but not too loose because when you steam the boudin it will plump up and you don’t want your casing to rip or tear.
Steam Boudin
Place boudin sausage in a large steamer and steam each sausage for about 15 minutes. Watch them begin to plump as soon as you put them in a hot steamer. WOW!
Bake If Desired
After steaming the boudin is ready to serve. The casing will be tough but if you want to crisp up the casing place the boudin in a large pot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 or until desired brownness.
Careful not to cook it to long as the sausage may blowup. If it does, that is okay as it will still taste fantastic, it just won’t look pretty.
How To Eat Cajun Boudin Sausage
That is a good question! How to eat boudin! You can eat it with the skin on or off. There are several ways to eat boudin:
- Hold it in your hand and gently peel the skin down removing it as you eat it. Similar to how you would peel a banana.
- Slice it down the middle and eat the center with a fork.
- Cut it into pieces leaving the skin on.
However you decide to eat it I do hope you enjoy it and this recipe!
Boudin needs to be eaten within a day or two. Use a FoodSaver, Vac/Seal for freshness and place in the freezer. Can be frozen up to 3 months.
I AM EXCITED YOU ARE VIEWING JETT’S FOR MAKING HOMEMADE BOUDIN CAJUN SAUSAGE AND WOULD LOVE TO HEAR HOW IT TURNS OUT SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO MAKE IT!
***Please come back and share your comments and tell my readers how you like this recipe.***
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Homemade Boudin Cajun Sausage; New Orleans Memoir
Boudin sausage consists of pork, chicken livers, vegetables, cajun seasonings, and rice. All ingredients combined together and stuffed in a pork casing.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds pork shoulder with fat sliced into 2×2 squares
- 1/2 pound chicken livers cut in half
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- 3 Tablespoons cajun spice
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
- water for cooking the above ingredients (retain after cooking)
- 1 cup fresh parsley chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions chopped
- 2 cups instant rice uncooked
Instructions
-
Combine Ingredients
In a large bowl combine pork with fat, livers, celery, yellow onion, garlic, green bell pepper, cajun spice, and crushed red peppers. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. This process allows the ingredients to introduce themselves and exchange flavors. Actually, this is really just kinda like a marinade.
-
Simmer Ingredients
Put the above in a large stock pot, add enough water to cover the meat and simmer over medium heat for 3 hours or until pork if fork tender.
-
Drain
Using a colander inside a large bowl drain meat and vegetables from water but keep the seasoned water for later use.
-
Grind or Cut Meat
This next step is for grinding the meat. If you don’t have a meat grinder you can chop the meat by hand.
First, allow meat to cool and setup KitchenAid or meat grinder and prepare about 4 or 5 natural hog casings by rinsing in warm water.
When rinsing the casing rinse the insides too by opening one of the ends and placing it near the opening of the faucet allowing water to run on the inside of the casing. I find my casings at the local butcher. If you are unable to find them these are the natural hog casing I use.
Grind or chop meat and vegetables into a bowl.
When all done grinding or chopping add green onions, parsley, 3 cups of the liquid reserve to the meat to add some natural flavor, mix together and then add uncooked instant rice.
Cover and set aside for about 15 minutes to allow rice to absorb some of the juices. If meat mixture is still too wet after 15 minutes you can add 1/2 cup more of instant rice.
-
Prepare Sausage Stuffer Attachment; Make Sausages
Place 1 entire casing on the end of the stuffer tubing. Insert meat into the grinder. While holding onto the tubing and casing turn grinder to setting 4 and allow meat to flow through machine into the casing. You are now making sausage!
You can do this one of two ways: 1) fill casing to desired length, cut casing about 3-4 inches from end and tie knot on both ends or 2) fill one entire casing, tie ends and make divided sections. Even though #1 is more time consuming I prefer that method.
TIP: Fill meat into casing loose but not too loose because when you steam the boudin it will plump up and you don’t want your casing to rip or tear.
-
Steam Boudin Place boudin sausage in a large steamer and steam each sausage for about 15 minutes. Watch them begin to plump as soon as you put them in a hot steamer. WOW!
-
Bake if Desired After steaming the boudin is ready to serve. The casing will be tough but if you want to crisp up the casing place the boudin in a large pot sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 or until desired brownness.
Careful not to cook it to long as the sausage may blowup. If it does, that is okay as it will still taste fantastic, it just won’t look pretty.
-
Enjoy!
4 Comments
Nolan
Love your recipe pages. My family is from Louisiana, and we are into boudin sausage big time–and, most Cajun dishes. And, I’ve been married to a Fontenot lady for 57 years. So, one might imagine I’ve eaten a few “hundred pounds” of bouding over the years. We often travel back to Louisiana from Texas to purchase 30 pounds of boudin at T-Boys Boucherie in Mamou, Louisiana. T-Boy does boudin the traditional way and it’s 5-Star.
The boudin recipe looks great, but “chicken livers?” “Chicken livers?” Why, why, why, no self respecting Cajun would put chicken livers in their boudin. Pork liver is the traditional ingredient. I know it’s hard to find, but if one has a H-Mart in their area, they stock it. Keep up the good work….
admin
You’re absolutely right Nolan! Pork liver is the traditional and yet preferred liver to use when making a true boudin sausage recipe. Since pork liver is nowhere to be found in any of the stores in my area I had to resort to the second best option, chicken livers. 😉 Thank you for the recommendation of T-Boy’s. I have added them to my bucket list to visit and check out their Award Winning Boudin and other Cajun specialty meats. I believe you have sparked my interest in adding more Cajun dishes to my blog! Love your feedback! Jett
Christina
Would you recommend using pork liver if it’s available in your area?? My husband’s from Louisiana so we are familiar with boudin and would love to add it to our list of family recipes..thank you for sharing!!
Jett
Christina: Pork liver is the traditional ingredient used for making boudin. So yes, if pork liver is available in your area by all means use that. As for me and my area I do not have access to pork liver and therefore I use chicken livers. Have a great day!