# Breakfast sausage like Cracker Barrel



## teamteke (May 10, 2015)

Has anyone tried to make the cured, lightly smoked pork breakfast sausage that Cracker Barrel serves.  The idea seems straight-forward. Season your ground pork with traditional spices and add cure.  Stuff into sewn cloth bags and cold smoke the bags.  What all do you guys think.


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## dirtsailor2003 (May 10, 2015)

Sounds like a plan. Make sure and wash your cloth bags in vinegar water prior to stuffing.


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## cal1956 (May 10, 2015)

will one or more of the experts here please  try this and give us a report on it ...I love those sausage at cracker barrel


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## teamteke (May 19, 2015)

Bump


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## barnesski1 (May 19, 2015)

Is Nepas still here?  He seemed like the sausage guy awhile back!  I learned a lot from lurking around his threads.


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## hookedonq (May 19, 2015)

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/...ked-breakfast-sausage-1st-thread-with-q-views

Here ya go.


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## hookedonq (May 19, 2015)

I use my regular breakfast sausage seasoning and just add the correct amount of cure stuff in muslin bags and cold smoke for around 30 hours at below 40 degrees


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## plips71755 (Dec 16, 2020)

Has anyone tried to make the Cracker Barrel smoked sausage patties -it tastes sorta like ham, has a slight reddish tint — different from a fresh sausage patties?   It’s not just a seasoning issue — there is something different to the curing to make it taste like ham and to have that slight pink coloring.  They serve two types of patties - what they call smoked sausage and their other is turkey sausage.  I can’t find this smoked patty to buy anywhere. I have written to Cracker Barrel to encourage them to make to sell retail but they just say they will take it under advisement.  I have written to others across the country — and all I get back is we sell smoked link sausage or fresh sausage.  Everyone knows what I’m talking about and most have had Cracker Barrel’s but no one seems to know how to make or they don’t make it to sell.  Must be something to making it that’s difficult or everyone would make it.  It’s so awesome.  I love it on biscuits with brown mustard, really any mustard.  I have bought a couple of patties home and crumbled in small amount of northern beans, really good.  My uncle raised bogs and made lots of fresh sausage, smoked hams, ham hocks, fresh and sweet type ham, all kinds of link type sausages but nothing like those Cracker Barrel patties.


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## chef jimmyj (Dec 16, 2020)

I've not eaten at Cracker Barrel in a couple of decades so I can't offer specifics. The " Hammy " flavor and Pink Color is from Smoke and Cure #1, aka Prague Powder. It contains Salt and Sodium Nitrite. This gives the pink color to City Ham, Kielbasa, Hot Dogs, Canadian Bacon, etc. The Smoke combined with the effect of the Nitrite on the meat, gives the Hammy flavor.
Someone more familiar with CB's Smoked Sausage Patties may be able to provide a detailed recipe...JJ


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## UrbanCowgill (Dec 25, 2020)

I have tried this sausage several times before and craved it ever since.  In snooping around I found a place that allegedly makes it for Cracker Barrel.  Purnell Sausage CO.  Simponsonville Ky.  They call them smokehouse patties and are available in 24ct, 1lb rolls and in chubs.  The nice lady also sent me info for local distributors to no avail.  But thats not really what this forum is about.  I've been working on a recipe from several sources and plan on finally giving it a try.  I invite all to comment or recommend changes.

Heres the proposed recipe:

Complete ingredients for 5 pounds of pork 
5 tsp (13.3g) diamond crystal kosher salt
5 tsp (15g)  fresh ground black pepper 
5 tsp (3.2g) ground sage 
1 tbsp (3.9g) crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
1 tbsp onion powder 
1 tbsp garlic powder 
1 tbsp (9.9g) maple sugar
1 tbsp (5.8g) ground fennel seed 
1 Tsp (7g) Prague powder #1 cure  - Note: add only if cold smoking 
1/4 C (26.8g) Soy Protein Concentrate 
1 C  distilled water 

Preparations 
Use a grinder on whole spices 
Mix all the spices together 
Grind pork thru large plate 
Mix the Prague Powder #1 with the 1/2 cup water 
Add all dry ingredients into the ground pork and slowly add the water, while mixing for 3 to 4 min  
Grind again through small plate and stuff into cloth bags, tie off with kitchen twine 
Refrigerate overnight  
Cold smoke using hickory and oak for about 8 hrs between 50 and 80 degrees F. 
Store in freezer and partially thaw, peeling back the cloth bag and slicing while still almost frozen.  
If you let them thaw entirely a lot of the sausage will pull off when removing the bag.

Thoughts / Comments welcomed

 Merry Christmas to everyone!


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## chef jimmyj (Dec 25, 2020)

I've not had the CB Sausage discussed. The recipe sounds good. My only question is...In the CB Sausage is the Fennel and Garlic flavors very forward, as in Italian Sausage? These will essentially be what you would get mixing Italian and Breakfast Sausage together...JJ


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## UrbanCowgill (Dec 26, 2020)

Thanks for your comments and that is a great observation.  The CB patties may not even have fennel.  Frankly it's been so long since Ive been there that I don't remember. That  was a nod to savory.


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## jbo_c (Dec 26, 2020)

Never had CB sausage, but being a good southern boy, which is the style of pretty much everything they do, I’d bet there’s no fennel and little if any garlic.  Might be a tiny bit of marjoram.

Again, couldn’t identify their sausage in a line-up.  Just going based on style.  I’ll have totaste a bite next time I go.

   Jbo


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