Certain foods are inextricably linked with a specific culture in America. Lobster rolls in Maine or deep-dish pizza in Chicago come to mind, as does boudin—a comfort-food staple across Louisiana and southeast Texas. These “sausages” are as ubiquitous as crawfish in Cajun culture for a good reason—it’s essentially an entire delicious, savory meal in one neat package. I grew up with it and, in case you didn’t, it’s high time you jumped on the boudin bandwagon.
Ingredients
for the marinade
2 pounds pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound pork fat, cut into 1-inch cubes or smaller and frozen
1 ½ tablespoons iodized salt
1 tablespoon Creole Seasoning
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon white pepper, finely ground
2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon pink curing salt
4 ounces green bell peppers, diced to ¼ inch
8 ounces yellow onion, diced to ¼ inch
¼ cup garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper, ground
for the sausage
½ pound pork liver, pureed in food processor
2 quarts white rice, cooked
2 cups green onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon celery salt
for the Boudin sauce
1 pint sour cream
½ cup Creole mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Certain foods are inextricably linked with a specific culture in America. Lobster rolls in Maine or deep-dish pizza in Chicago come to mind, as does boudin—a comfort-food staple across Louisiana and southeast Texas. These “sausages” are as ubiquitous as crawfish in Cajun culture for a good reason—it’s essentially an entire delicious, savory meal in one neat package. I grew up with it and, in case you didn’t, it’s high time you jumped on the boudin bandwagon.
Step 1
Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Combine it thoroughly to ensure all of the meat is evenly coated, then place in the refrigerator for 12–24 hours. The longer the better.
Step 2
Place the marinaded meat mixture in a 2- to 3-gallon pot. Cover with a quart of cold water and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Once simmering, cover and allow to cook for 1 ½–2 hours, or until pork is fork tender. Add the pureed pork liver and cook for an additional 10 minutes, then let the mixture cool in the cooking liquid for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Strain the meat mixture using a fine mesh sieve and reserve the cooking liquid. While still warm, place ⅓ of the meat mixture into a food processor along with ⅓ of the cooked white rice. Pulse for 3–5 seconds. Working in thirds, repeat for the remainder of the meat mixture and rice. Once processed, transfer the meat and rice mixture to a large mixing bowl and add the green
onions, parsley, and celery salt. If the mixture looks dry, add the reserved liquid ¼ of a cup at a time until desired texture is achieved—sticky and moist, but not loose and watery.
Step 4
At this point, you can transfer the mixture into an airtight container or Ziploc bag for freezing, or you can go ahead and proceed to the fun stuff—we like to pipe the mixture into fresh hog sausage casings, then grill or smoke it.
Step 5
To case, we recommend using a kitchen aid sausage stuffing attachment or any sausage stuffing equipment you may have. Wet the receiver end of the sausage stuffer and slide the casing on it, using more than you expect to make. Place the boudin mixture into the hopper, turn the machine on, and begin pushing it into the sausage stuffer. As the meat fills the casing, make sure to keep pressure so that the sausage is properly stuffed (but not too much to where the casings tear). Once you get to your desired length (we like to make about 4-inch sausages) spin the casing, and continue to the next one.
Step 6
To cook, light your favorite charcoal, wood, or gas grill. We’re not looking for a very hot fire or gas grill setting—gentle heating is the key for boudin, otherwise the casings will burst. Once your charcoal or wood is burned down a bit, rake it flat for even cooking. Leave part of the grill unheated.
Step 7
Place your boudin links on the grill and cook for approximately 2–3 minutes. Turn and repeat for another 1–2 minutes. Continue turning every 1–2 minutes until the casing has a golden char. Use a meat thermometer to check the boudin. Once it’s reached 130 degrees, it’s ready to eat.
Step 8
Lastly, combine all of the sauce ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk them together. Place in a bowl and serve with the boudin as a dipping sauce.
Variations
Boudin Patties
If you don’t have a sausage stuffer, or simply want to take a different approach, boudin patties are another simple option—and they go great with eggs for breakfast. Simply sear the patties in a hot cast iron pan and serve with hot sauce.
Boudin Balls
Boudin balls are another crowd-pleasing alternative. Form 2- to 3-ounce balls using the boudin mixture and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Bread their exterior by dusting in flour, then dipping them into an egg wash, and coating with panko breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for another 15 minutes. Fry them in a countertop deep fryer or deep pot filled appropriately with neutral frying oil like vegetable or canola. Cook until golden brown and season with creole seasoning once removed from the fryer.