Homemade Cajun Andouille Sausage; Louisiana Style

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What is Cajun Andouille Sausage?

Cajun andouille sausage is a well known smoked sausage that can be found in Louisiana Creole cuisine.

Andouille sausage is made using ground pork, onions, garlic, spices and Cajun seasonings stuffed into a casing. The sausage is then dried and smoked.

How To Eat Cajun Andouille Sausage

The traditional andouille sausage is prepared in a casing made into sausage links using a meat grinder/sausage stuffer.

When making homemade Cajun andouille sausage links I also recommend making a few sausage patties. Those are yummy as well!

The sausage can be eaten alone or added to make flavorful soups, stews or even a creole gumbo. I like using Cajun Andouille Sausage with my Red Beans and Rice recipe (recipe to come).

Recipe for Cajun Andouille Sausage

This recipe will make about 25 stuffed smoked sausages. I used the powerful STX TurboForce Classic 3000 Series Meat Grinder & Sausage Stuffer.

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds fatty pork shoulder or use 3 1/2 pounds pork and 1 1/5 pound pork belly.
• 1 teaspoon Instacure (curing salt for curing meats). This was a new ingredient for me. It goes by many different names such as “Pink Salt,” “Quick Cure,” or “Curing Salt #1.” It’s used to cure all meats that require cooking, brining, smoking, or canning. If you are not going to smoke the sausage you will not need this ingredient.
• 1 large yellow onion diced
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup dry instant milk
• 6 cloves garlic chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/3 cup Cajun seasoning
• 1/4 cup beer (optional)
• 1 bag Hog casings (I used 3 casing)

Directions:

If purchasing your pork at the grocery store be sure to get a pork butt that has the fat still attached. You may have better luck by getting the meat from your local butcher shop.

Cut Meat

Slice meat and fat into 2 inch strips and place in a large bowl. Remove any bones from the meat and discard.

Add Ingredients to Meat and Place in Freezer

Add Instacure, dry instant milk, garlic, cloves, allspice, dried mustard and Cajun seasoning to meat and toss to combine. Cover and place bowl in freezer for about 1 hour or until meat reaches 37 degrees Fahrenheit.

NOTE: To avoid complications during the grinding process the temperature of the meat is VERY IMPORTANT! The meat should be as cold as possible without being frozen solid. With that being said, I highly recommend checking the temperatures with an instant read meat thermometer. It will make this recipe move so much smoother.

Saute Onions

Saute onions in 1 Tablespoon olive oil for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Prepare Casings

While the meat is in the freezer prepare about 3 or 4 natural hog casings by rinsing in warm water. Allow to rest in warm water for 1 hour.

TIP: 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 you might want to try these natural hog casings.

Grind Meat & Onions

Prepare grinder per manufacturers instructions. I used the coarse grinding plate.

When meat has reached temperature place meat in meat hopper or top tray and grind meat, fat and onions into a large bowl.

Add beer if desired and combine. Again, return bowl to freezer until mixture reaches 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

Remove grinding plate and clean.

Make Sausage

Add sausage attachments according to manufacturer instructions.

Choose the stuffing tube of your choice. I used the 1/2″ tube.

Bunch the casing up onto the sausage stuffing tube leaving about a 2-3 inch overhang. DO NOT tie the end of casing until the casing is completely filled with meat. I know the photo below has a tie in it but don’t do it yet. I had tied a knot and had to cut it off because the casing started filling up with air when I first turned the machine on. HINT: Don’t do the same mistake I did.

Place ground meat mixture to meat hopper or top tray and stuff it into the running grinder using the meat pusher.

After each sausage is made tie off both ends, coil up and place on a foil lined baking sheet and move on to making another sausage until all meat has been filled into casings.

Make Links and Hang to Dry

Fold link in half.

Divide links by making a twist in the center.

Moving down the sausage to the size length desired and pinch.

Make a twist of both casing at the same time.

Then take one side and pass the tail through the opening between the two. This step ties off the links

Allow links to dry at room temperature for at least 1 hour or overnight at 45 degrees.

Smoke Sausages

Place sausages on foil lined baking sheet and hot smoke sausages for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours per desired smoke taste.

Bake

After sausage has smoked for 1 hour remove from smoker and place in 200 degree Fahrenheit preheated oven and bake until sausage internal temperatures reach 155 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cool and Freeze

Once sausages reached temperature remove from oven. The sausages are ready to eat. Any sausages not being consumed right away allow to cool and prep for freezing.

To store sausages 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 MY RECIPE FOR CAJUN ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW YOURS TURNS OUT SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO MAKE IT!

BE SURE TO COME BACK AND GIVE THIS RECIPE SOME STARS AND LET ME KNOW HOW YOU LIKE IT IN THE COMMENTS.

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