Gaspard's Spicy Homemade Cajun Sausage Recipe

One of the best reasons to make your own specialty sausages at home is because YOU know what is going into the mix. The large name brand sausages you buy at the supermarket are good, but you don't know what has been going into the product (everything from chemical preservatives to insects... and more).

Here is a simple way to make a great home sausage with savory spices which will put some zing into your next meal. This will surely become a favorite of mine to include in gumbos, stews, jambalaya and fricassees. You can stuff this sausage into hog casings or form them into patties.

Ingredients:

• 5 lbs. ground pork (with at least 20% fat content)
• 1 large onion, minced
• 4 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
• 4 tsp. garlic salt with parsley
• 4 tsp. cracked fennel seeds
• 4 tsp. paprika
• 3 tsp. picking salt
• 2 tsp. garlic powder
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 6 oz. cold beer
• 2 Tbsp. Colgin liquid smoke

Mix the dry seasoning together and run through a food processor for about 1 minute, or long enough to crack the fennel seeds. In a bowl mix the dry ingredients, minced onions and liquid smoke with the beer and blend by hand, or in a blender, for a few seconds.

Slowly and evenly pour the liquid spice mixture over the ground pork. Mix by hand for 10 minutes or until all the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the ground meat. [Video Demonstration] Stuff into hog casings or form into breakfast patties. If you stuff them into the hog casings be certain to punch two or three small holes with a toothpick so they don't explode when cooking them in a microwave oven.

Also, perforating each sausage in a few places allows any fat that may be trapped inside the sausage to escape during cooking. Bon appetite! Ahheee!!

Tip

Swamp Creatures - (Cajun Humor)

Audio

Background Music: "Boppin' The Rock" by Clifton Chenier on Bayou Blues

This little Cajun yarn should win a contest as one of the most frightening South Louisiana swamp stories of all times. It's called SWAMP CREATURES.

Boudreaux, an 80-year-old South Louisiana Cajun, goes to the doctor for his every year check-up.

The doctor is amazed at what good shape he is in and asks, "How do you stay in such great physical condition, Boudreaux?"

“I stay in the swamp and I hunt and fish every day", said the old Cajun.  "Dat's why I'm in such good shape. I'm up well before daylight and out hunting or fishing all day. I have a beer for breakfast and at lunch and wid my supper. And, I have a shot of hooch before bed time. And, I say my prayers every night. And all is well wid me."

Well", says the doctor, "I'm sure the prayers help, but there's got to be more to it. How old was your father when he died?"

"Who said Pop is dead?"

The doctor is amazed. "You mean you are 80 years old and your father is still alive? How old he is?"

"Pop be 100 next month," replied Boudreaux. "In fact, he hunted with me dis mornin', and den we went to a beer joint for a while and had a few beers and dat's why he's still alive. He is a tough Cajun man and he hunts and fishes everyday, too.”

"Well, the doctor says, that's great! But, I'm sure there's more to it than that. How about your father's father? How old was he when he died?"

"Who said my Paw Paw's dead?"

Stunned, the doctor asks, "You mean you are 80 years old, your father is 100 and your grandfather is still living? Incredible! How old he is?"

"We tink 'bout 118." says the old Cajun. He likes his beer, too, but he won't touch the hard stuff."

The doctor is getting frustrated at this point, "So, I guess your grandfather went hunting and fishing with you and your father this morning, too?"

"No, Paw Paw couldn't go dis time. He's gettin' married today."

At this point the doctor is close to losing it. "Getting married! Why would a 118-year-old man want to get married?"

Boudreaux looked down at the floor and mumbled "Who said he wanted to?"

Now THAT, my friends, I think you will agree … is most frightening!