Andouille Foamheart

[foamheart]

Was your meat ground in a meat grinder?

Wife and I have made Andouille Sausage a few times with excellent tasting results. Our recipe is not home made either, it is also a purchased seasoning packet.

No, Even with the chili or coarsest blade its ground too small for what the original Andouille was made like. LOL.. Like was there the first time. Its how I remember it being made as a child. the way it was made in the stores until the last 15 20 years.  

So the name of the store in Lafayette is Veron's?

Yes sir, although I don't know they all use the exact same seasoning. The Verons in Spring Texas, that's just north of Houston headed toward Conroe, did have a web page. Again I don't know its the same blend anymore, you realize how things ever evolve and usually the best things are what get evolved upon the most.

Mmmmmmmm, looks great Foam!!!!!

Thank you sir, I really wish you were here to get some and take home. Its just that good.

 

[foamheart]

That sure would go good with the eggs I'm thinking about cooking for breakfast. Guess I'll have to settle for store bought bacon instead...

 Case it would be too overpowering for eggs. Like good Chorizo would be. I really expect to see red grease when I use this, maybe a Red beans and rice tomorrow! Dang I only have frozen bell peppers but I may just go for it. That would be a real money shot.

Its a seasoning meat, like Tasso its not meant to stand alone, it built so a small piece can enhance a whole pot full of something else.

But the way it smells, I could get sick trying to eat it!

 

[papap]

Sure looks good

 

[shoneyboy]

Thank you Shoney, I really wish you could smell these. I smoked a chicken this week already so its not withdrawl.

If I cut off a piece off one of these and put it in a gumbo pot I couldn't eat it. I'd just carry the pot around all day telling strangers, "smell this, smell this".

Foamheart, I've been band from heating up sausage in the microwave at work, unless I have enough for everyone........ Now, the AC system is picking up the smell and carrying it to the first floor. I have to bring 5lbs of sausage if I want a 6" piece for lunch...... So I understand what your are saying.........ShoneyBoy

 

[foamheart]

Was your meat ground in a meat grinder?

Wife and I have made Andouille Sausage a few times with excellent tasting results. Our recipe is not home made either, it is also a purchased seasoning packet.

Nope, my meat was all chopped by hand, pretty much how we did it when I was a kid.. The thing I missed on was the 43+MM casing. LOL... I let the garbage man have the hog bungs.....LOL!

Thank you on the tip on the oil, it was really appreciated.

 

[noshrimp]

Great looking Andouille! Thanks for the pics and detailed steps, Foamheart.

 

[boykjo]

Ok, this is my last post on this Andouille. (Maybe)

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• foamheart
• Jan 18, 2014

I have not smelled anything this good since bacon! Had a car pull in with three beautiful young thangs and they asked if it was me that smelled that good! I lied!

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• foamheart
• Jan 18, 2014

Its all now in the reefer reconstituting  Highest temp. I believe was 117, I could have smoked longer but I didn't want to get the casing too too dry.





This can taste like Cow Patties (Bull Biscuits), and I don't care. I'll just put some around my neck and go out and make new friends.

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• foamheart
• Jan 18, 2014

45 mins of drying and 4 hour smoke, I was crying when I removed it from the smoker, there was easily another 7 or 8 hours left in the tray.





It smells so good, you'd throw rocks at bacon!!





I seriously don't know I'l be able to leave it alone in the reefer till morning! Its like catnip is to a cat.... my hands smell so good!

I'm confused............

Highest temp of sausage was 117?????????? Sausage needs to go to 160...... if 117 was the highest temp the meat should be about raw as your stating.... I would parboil in 180 degree water and take it to 160 IT . cool down in some cold water and return to the fridge to bloom.....

 

[shannon127]

 
I couldn't stand it anymore, it is still a bit raw, although I believe it may just be because I have been subjected to the store bought stuff for .... well lets say a long time. Its tastes great, it needs a heaping tablespoon of cracked black pepper to make it perfect in my minds eye.

So its only been in the reefer 12 hours, I took a simple shot so you could get the Bear-View. It smells so good, if you had smell-a-vision it would still be like black and white TV to the real smell of this.

/nods toward the bandstand, Drum roll please..........

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• foamheart
• Jan 19, 2014

I

That looks awesome!!  I haven't had Andouille since I was at Ft Polk in 89-90

 

[shannon127]

I'm confused............

Highest temp of sausage was 117?????????? Sausage needs to go to 160...... if 117 was the highest temp the meat should be about raw as your stating.... I would parboil in 180 degree water and take it to 160 IT . cool down in some cold water and return to the fridge to bloom.....

I think Andouille is the exception the rule.  It is smoked, but still considered a fresh sausage.  I could be wrong, but remember that from somewhere. 

 

[mossymo]

I think Andouille is the exception the rule.  It is smoked, but still considered a fresh sausage.  I could be wrong, but remember that from somewhere. 

I can't believe any pork product is an exception to a FDA Food Safety Rule which is set at 145ºF for pork. Be careful folks, botulism isn't worth risking friends, family and your own health and/or lives.

 

[foamheart]

 

 
Ok, this is my last post on this Andouille. (Maybe)
  

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• foamheart
• Jan 18, 2014

  
I have not smelled anything this good since bacon! Had a car pull in with three beautiful young thangs and they asked if it was me that smelled that good! I lied!
   

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• foamheart
• Jan 18, 2014

  
Its all now in the reefer reconstituting  Highest temp. I believe was 117, I could have smoked longer but I didn't want to get the casing too too dry.
  
This can taste like Cow Patties (Bull Biscuits), and I don't care. I'll just put some around my neck and go out and make new friends.
   

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• foamheart
• Jan 18, 2014

  
45 mins of drying and 4 hour smoke, I was crying when I removed it from the smoker, there was easily another 7 or 8 hours left in the tray.
  
It smells so good, you'd throw rocks at bacon!!
  
I seriously don't know I'l be able to leave it alone in the reefer till morning! Its like catnip is to a cat.... my hands smell so good!

I'm confused............

Highest temp of sausage was 117?????????? Sausage needs to go to 160...... if 117 was the highest temp the meat should be about raw as your stating.... I would parboil in 180 degree water and take it to 160 IT . cool down in some cold water and return to the fridge to bloom.....

It is still raw, it is fresh sausage, it requires refrigeration, if it were cooked it would Andouille sausage instead of Andouille. I was told (sounded plausible to me) as the cure continues till equalization because it wasn't cooked, it would continue intensify the flavors. I don't know. Going to leave it in the reefer for a week or two and see.

Smoking Cajun sausage today, maybe I should throw some up in the smoker with it <shrugs>

 

[foamheart]

 
I think Andouille is the exception the rule.  It is smoked, but still considered a fresh sausage.  I could be wrong, but remember that from somewhere. 

Sort of what I was told. It was fresh and should be hung in the reefer to equalize the cure. I don't know bloom, is that the proper name?

 
That looks awesome!!  I haven't had Andouille since I was at Ft Polk in 89-90

Thanks it is pretty. Doing Red & rice today, will see if it bites me.

I can't believe any pork product is an exception to a FDA Food Safety Rule which is set at 145ºF for pork. Be careful folks, botulism isn't worth risking friends, family and your own health and/or lives.

I wouldn't want to make anyone sick.

 

[boykjo]

I never heard of this type of andouillie unless you are talking about dry cured andouillie using cure #2. If cure #1 was used it needs to be cooked.

Cure #2, also called "Prague Powder #2", is a mixture of salt, sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite. Cure #2 is used on items that are dry cured over an extended period of time, like salumi or cured meats. The sodium nitrate in the cure breaks down over time to sodium nitrite and that is then broken down to nitric oxide, which acts as an oxidizing agent keeping the meat safe from our most evil of enemies, botulism. It's therefore CRITICAL to making safe cured meats.

Cure #1 consists of salt and sodium nitrite only. The nitrite keeps the meat safe for a short period of time, and keeps the meat a nice red color as well as give it that "cured" taste. This is used in products that are made and then cooked and eaten quickly like fresh sausages. Don't confuse cure #1 with cure #2 they are NOT interchangeable.

 

[shannon127]

Just to be clear, he is not making a ready to eat sausage.  Andouille will be cooked later.   The smoking is part of the fermentation process that gives Andouille it's characteristic tang.  The question of safety is did the meat spend more than 900 degree hours about 60 degrees?  Asuming a temperature increase starting at 50 degrees increasing to 117 over 4.75 hours, At the very most it only spent 268 degree hours above 60.  Maybe one of the safety folks would know the answer

 

[boykjo]

 
I couldn't stand it anymore, it is still a bit raw, although I believe it may just be because I have been subjected to the store bought stuff for .... well lets say a long time. Its tastes great, it needs a heaping tablespoon of cracked black pepper to make it perfect in my minds eye.

I thought it was being eaten without being cooked.... Shannon, now I'm even more confused...lol What is a degree hr?

 

[shannon127]

 
I thought it was being eaten without being cooked.... Shannon, now I'm even more confused...lol What is a degree hr?

It is usually used when fermenting salamis.  It is the USDA guideline for the amount of time that a salami can be above 60 degrees before reaching a PH of 5.3.  For example if you are fermenting meat at 70 F for 2 hours, it would be 20 degree hours, well short of the guideline of 1200 at that temperature.  When the fermentation temperature is greater than 100, then the maximum degree hours drops to 900.  When foam was making Andouille, he was using his smoker as a fermentation chamber while also adding smoke.  The end result is very tart, but still requires refrigeration and cooking.  My recipe calls for smoking 5 hours at 110 degrees.  When it is done, it has a bite akin to Tabasco 

 

[foamheart]

My story, I assumed (its that word right there's fault) I had completely thought it out. I missed one small area of possible misinterpretation (vent open/ vent closed LOL). I was trying to re-create from memories.

I made the Andouille from the way it was in the olden days, but used modern technology. It was made to be cured, hung and smoked and left in the smoke house. I really did think about it. Since it was cured, it didn't need to worry about hot smoking. And since it would be refrigerated then frozen, it didn't need to be long cured. Obviously there I go thinking again. AND I don't want to set a bad example.

As you have guessed, TQ would have been the original cure used no doubt, because they bought cure in 20 lb. bags. I swapped it for #1, and stand properly chastised. BUT since I know its raw meat, (yes, I do sometimes taste a bit of raw meat), I know its cured, I know its smoked, and I know it is going to be frozen until usage, I am happy. Although it still needed about a Tablespoon of cracked pepper...LOL

I understand the USDA doesn't think like I do. To them I apologize, and to you all I say, cook it or use TQ.

/whispers very lowly

Everyone who has tried it so far, lubs it!

Red beans & rice w/ Andouille for supper tonight! Of course its Monday!

I'll try an save a money shot!

 

[shannon127]

 
My story, I assumed (its that word right there's fault) I had completely thought it out. I missed one small area of possible misinterpretation (vent open/ vent closed LOL). I was trying to re-create from memories.

I made the Andouille from the way it was in the olden days, but used modern technology. It was made to be cured, hung and smoked and left in the smoke house. I really did think about it. Since it was cured, it didn't need to worry about hot smoking. And since it would be refrigerated then frozen, it didn't need to be long cured. Obviously there I go thinking again. AND I don't want to set a bad example.

As you have guessed, TQ would have been the original cure used no doubt, because they bought cure in 20 lb. bags. I swapped it for #1, and stand properly chastised. BUT since I know its raw meat, (yes, I do sometimes taste a bit of raw meat), I know its cured, I know its smoked, and I know it is going to be frozen until usage, I am happy. Although it still needed about a Tablespoon of cracked pepper...LOL

I understand the USDA doesn't think like I do. To them I apologize, and to you all I say, cook it or use TQ.

/whispers very lowly

Everyone who has tried it so far, lubs it!

Red beans & rice w/ Andouille for supper tonight! Of course its Monday!

I'll try an save a money shot!

Foam,

I think you are well within the USDA guidelines. 

Shannon

 

[foamheart]

As promised!

/winks at the drummer and a drum roll commences

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• foamheart
• Jan 20, 2014

Red Beans & rice w/ Andouille, cantaloupe, garden salad, and a hot biscuit!. Add a couple a drops of tabasco and a tiny pinch a salt cause other than a bay leaf, the Andouille was 100% of the seasoning in the pot. Just like the olden days.

I am berry berry happy, and my taste buds and budettes are dancing in ecstasy!

 

[foamheart]

 
Foam,

I think you are well within the USDA guidelines. 

Shannon

Thank you Thank you, but I wasn't so worried about myself as much as possibly misleading another who might not understand, or might not have listened as well to the discussions about technical differences. I would not want that. But thank you for the reassurance.

LOL.. we'll know tomorrow cause I know of no less than 4 bean pots cooking tonight. LOL

Thank you again for the reassurance.