# Boudin the correct way! ~ Foamheart



## foamheart (Apr 26, 2015)

I should ya how to cheat with chicken livers making boudin, well this is the real stuff with fresh pork liver.

So on the ifrst day I made some rice, long grain, I cooked in chicken broth with some minced up onions in it. 4C long grain basically yeilds 12 cups of cooked rice, or realitvely close. Rule of thumb, where ever the fill line is after adding the rive to the boiling water, that will be how much rice you'll make. I use long grain because it has the least gluten content.

Presenting Mahatma long grain cooked rice. 4C uncooked.













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__ foamheart
__ Apr 26, 2015






I did mention all this is the day before right? So out come the casings, to be cleaned flushed and left in a bowl of water in the reefer over night.













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__ foamheart
__ Apr 26, 2015






The next day, I take out a pound from a 2 pound bag of fresh liver, I cut in half one whole garlic, not a toe, the whole garlic. I quarter 2 medium white onions, a handfull of chopped parslet (no stems please), then throw in the liver. Fill the pot to about 2 " over the liver with creek water. Add salt, black pepper,  thyme and 4 or 3 bayleaves. Simmer 3 or 2 hours till the onions and garlic are all muchie. That means no doubt the liver is done also.













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__ foamheart
__ Apr 26, 2015


















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__ foamheart
__ Apr 26, 2015






Take the rice out the reefer where it has rested uncovered overnight, using a large cooking fork break it all apart. Chop up a large bunch of Green onions and add to the rice.













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__ foamheart
__ Apr 26, 2015






I drained the liver pan, reserving the liquid. I removed the thyme, bay leaves and the root connection at the bottom of the garlic. Everything else I ground with a small plate. I then grabbed about a pound and a half of left over pulled pork w/ bark and ground. I mixed the rice, the liver mixture, and the ground pulled pork. Tasted adjusted seasoning, always salt last. Cayenne, Crystal hot sauce, Tony's MORE, added about a cup of the clear top reservered boiling liquid. I use an LEM, got to have liquid. Lastely salt. I try to do salt or sugar last because so many other spice combo's already have it.













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__ foamheart
__ Apr 26, 2015






I make shorter links than most because of packaging. I find that 3 links, 6 to 5 inches long do a quart freezer ziploc just right and thats plenty, if not grab another bag.

Let 'em cool in the reefer overnight.

Today............













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__ foamheart
__ Apr 26, 2015






Into the smoker, It took so long to dewater, I don't know why! I pulled 'em and and stuck 'em in the freezer.

I got 7 bag of three each. They are really already cooked, but the need to be cooked again to give the casings the bite.

Changing the subject, I did get two flats of strawberries today.













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__ foamheart
__ Apr 26, 2015






All were thrown away but.........













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__ foamheart
__ Apr 26, 2015






We have had huge amounts of rain for 2 weeks, huge amounts! The strawberrys when so much rain has fallen have too much water and seriously rot over night. Those two cases were less than 48 hours old. And its thundering again now... go figure.

Oh well one of those days.... Boudin gud! Strawberries bad!


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## pc farmer (Apr 26, 2015)

Looks awesome Foam.  To much work for me thou.


To bad about the berries, they look good.


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## foamheart (Apr 26, 2015)

c farmer said:


> Looks awesome Foam. To much work for me thou.
> 
> 
> To bad about the berries, they look good.


LOL... folks who grow know, its the thought that counts. LOL... she though the white and red onions were leeks.

Thanks man.


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Apr 26, 2015)

Awesome thread Foam, great info & enjoyed the read.... but sorry bout the problems with the berries....  Pardon my "Redneck" but that sucks !


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## sota d (Apr 26, 2015)

Great post, very interesting seeing the whole process! The Boudin looks great, can only imagine how tasty they are. Thanks for posting, David.


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## foamheart (Apr 27, 2015)

WaterinHoleBrew said:


> Awesome thread Foam, great info & enjoyed the read.... but sorry bout the problems with the berries.... Pardon my "Redneck" but that sucks !


Thank you sir. I think my last boudin was made with chicken liver, ewwwwww.........it works but just barely.

"Stuff" Happens, most folks don't realize the effect that all the rain has on strawberries. They only know they cost more at the store, or they don't last overnight after picking.

Unless you've grown them, you just don't expect others to understand it. LOL.. the bad part is, trashman doesn't come till Wednesday, the fruit flys, the fruit flys are another thing you don't realize unless you've been around them.


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## tropics (Apr 27, 2015)

Nice looking links and it does sound like to much work.


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## hamrhead1971 (Apr 27, 2015)

Good lookin boudin, Foam.  Duck and run for cover, we just had another storm system come through that's headed your way.


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## moikel (Apr 28, 2015)

Looks great. I like the pig liver factor.Only the Chinese butchers sell it here. 
It turns up in some Italian sausage products here,home made mostly.Considered to strong a taste by a lot of people
We have had massive storms,huge hailstorm,floods you name it. Price of a lot of veg is going to rise.


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## disco (Apr 29, 2015)

Terrific looking boudin. No boos in this boudin.

Disco


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## foamheart (Apr 29, 2015)

Sota D said:


> Great post, very interesting seeing the whole process! The Boudin looks great, can only imagine how tasty they are. Thanks for posting, David.


First I appoligize for my slow responce, we had a bit of weather here.

Thank you, Every cusine has it, its just leftovers redefined in a handly carrying container. It became so popular during the resurance of Cajun Heritage that they now do it commercially.


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## foamheart (Apr 29, 2015)

tropics said:


> Nice looking links and it does sound like to much work.


Not really, only because I did it all from scratch for the thread. Everything would be left overs, and by packaging it in sausage its easier to carry. They also have deep fried boudin balls, meats stuffed with boudin, breakfast could be eggs and boudin patties, etc...

The smoked is just the current fad.

And thank you for the compliment.


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## foamheart (Apr 29, 2015)

hamrhead1971 said:


> Good lookin boudin, Foam. Duck and run for cover, we just had another storm system come through that's headed your way.


Thank you and yes sir, I do believe it found me.


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## timberjet (Apr 29, 2015)

Foamheart said:


> First I appoligize for my slow responce, we had a bit of weather here.
> 
> Thank you, Every cusine has it, its just leftovers redefined in a handly carrying container. It became so popular during the resurance of Cajun Heritage that they now do it commercially.


I saw a video this morning of cars flying off a bridge in New Orleans. Incredible. Hope all is well there Kevin.


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## foamheart (Apr 29, 2015)

Moikel said:


> Looks great. I like the pig liver factor.Only the Chinese butchers sell it here.
> It turns up in some Italian sausage products here,home made mostly.Considered to strong a taste by a lot of people
> We have had massive storms,huge hailstorm,floods you name it. Price of a lot of veg is going to rise.


Its nature, we don't like anything we can't control. Thats why farmers are bigger gamblers that the casinos in Vegas. Well now they can get insurance, I know.....

Its your basic peasant food that now is in the fad market and everyone Oooo and Ahhhhs about LOL. Silly people drive the prices up on the worst cuts making the best cuts of meat cheaper... Its just strange.

Oh and BTW, its the only way I would ever eat liver as a kid, probably cause no one told me it was in the boudin.


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## daveomak (Apr 29, 2015)

I ate it because mom put it on the plate....   "Here's your dinner my darling son"....  "eat up"....  "chocolate cake for desert".....


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## foamheart (Apr 29, 2015)

Disco said:


> Terrific looking boudin. No boos in this boudin.
> 
> Disco


Thank you man, its really a regional food, kind of like those delicious looking fish nugget candy you guys up north all make.

This is really good though, its above my normal best too! <Chuckles>


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## foamheart (Apr 29, 2015)

timberjet said:


> I saw a video this morning of cars flying off a bridge in New Orleans. Incredible. Hope all is well there Kevin.


LOL... yeah that was after we had taken the brunt of it. There are folks today still without power. It was a a wind, with twisters, but its been 10 years since we've had a hurricane and all that death and near broken off in the trees are just hanging around waiting for a wind big to clean 'em out. Its also been raining pretty much constant for two weeks which makes the ground give up those big trees a lot easier.


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## foamheart (Apr 29, 2015)

DaveOmak said:


> I ate it because mom put it on the plate.... "Here's your dinner my darling son".... "eat up".... "chocolate cake for desert".....


Dessert? If we were lucky it was cornbread crumbled up in sweet milk. Momma only did dessert on very special holidays. Mom put the food on the table, you had to wash your hands to sit, last one there got the look. After grace was said, you had to be the perfect balance of speed and grace because too fast you got in trouble and too slow you got what was left. LOL Theres a very thin difference between a boarding house reach and politely helpping yourself.


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## daveomak (Apr 29, 2015)

I think the chocolate cake was to make the liver look delicious....


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## moikel (Apr 29, 2015)

Foamheart said:


> LOL... yeah that was after we had taken the brunt of it. There are folks today still without power. It was a a wind, with twisters, but its been 10 years since we've had a hurricane and all that death and near broken off in the trees are just hanging around waiting for a wind big to clean 'em out. Its also been raining pretty much constant for two weeks which makes the ground give up those big trees a lot easier.


I saw that same footage of the rail cars. That was nuts!We have had a lot of storm damage, hail ,roofs gone ,trees knocked over,flooding,big seas.Then we got a break for 2 days now its raining again.

Pig liver is the base for a very traditional Italian salami ,I have a recipe somewhere.The Corsicans make a sausage called  fig? a something
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






,thats sort of part cured then grilled.

Way back when I helped Italians process pigs they wrapped slices of liver in caul fat & char grilled it over vine cuttings & fruit wood.

Calfs liver,cut thin ,fried in pancetta fat ,splash of red wine vinegar ,sage ,garlic,onions,cbp ,cooked just until pink in the middle was a favourite with EW1 ,I was happy to cook it for her but just couldn't get the taste.

Lambs liver is an old school dish here,lambs fry & bacon. 

The price of a lot of those secondary cuts has gone to stupid levels here. Ox tail,cheeks,tongue. I had both pig & chicken hearts in Japan char grilled, really good. Hearts remain cheap here but only lamb & chicken hearts are easy to find. I can't do any outside cooking until I get the yard cleared & dried out.That may take a while
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





,I had about an inch of freeboard at the back door.


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## hamrhead1971 (Apr 29, 2015)

Foamheart said:


> Dessert? If we were lucky it was cornbread crumbled up in sweet milk.


Mmmmmm, cornbread (or biscuits)and sweetmilk.  Now that takes me back


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## foamheart (Apr 29, 2015)

Moikel said:


> I saw that same footage of the rail cars. That was nuts!We have had a lot of storm damage, hail ,roofs gone ,trees knocked over,flooding,big seas.Then we got a break for 2 days now its raining again.
> 
> Pig liver is the base for a very traditional Italian salami ,I have a recipe somewhere.The Corsicans make a sausage called  fig? a something
> 
> ...


I'll give away one of my secrets, and I just don't tell it much. I can get special order here boxes of what is called pork temples (the local name is tenders). They are exceedingly inexpensive, they are like little oysters of tenderloin. If you ever have a chance try 'em. They are the only unexploited incredible piece left on the pig. Hell I checked on pig fries and porkchops are cheaper!


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## foamheart (Apr 29, 2015)

hamrhead1971 said:


> Mmmmmm, cornbread (or biscuits)and sweetmilk. Now that takes me back


Biscuits were for the next days lunch if you were lucky.

The sweet milk and cornbread would cure a long line of medical problems too!


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## moikel (Apr 29, 2015)

I was just in the little Thai place near my office & they had pig liver in a warm salad dish.

I think I will attempt a pig heart Thai dish soon. 

Thinking if I cut it into thin strips with the very sexy knife I bought in Japan,marinate it in some bits.Then stir fry it with some Thai holy basil,lime,ginger ,garlic,chilli ,OR with curry paste serve it with green beans.

I think its hard & fast in a screaming hot wok maybe with a few bits of that Asian choy lup sausage for a bit of extra fat.Blanch green beans first then toss them in last with the green leaves.

I will do a stock take of the herb garden after the hail storm last week.

I will be eating alone,Linda don't do heart.


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## foamheart (Apr 29, 2015)

Moikel said:


> I was just in the little Thai place near my office & they had pig liver in a warm salad dish.
> 
> I think I will attempt a pig heart Thai dish soon.
> 
> ...


I seem to remember you frying up some pig ear strips that looked might tastee!


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## crazymoon (Apr 30, 2015)

Foam, Nice looking boudin !You can plant your own rice if it keeps raining down there !


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## foamheart (Apr 30, 2015)

DaveOmak said:


> I think the chocolate cake was to make the liver look delicious....


 Nothing can make liver look good unless you like liver....Eewwwwww........


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## foamheart (Apr 30, 2015)

CrazyMoon said:


> Foam, Nice looking boudin !You can plant your own rice if it keeps raining down there !


Thank you, I had not added the bark before (was affraid I would be wasting it), Man what a great difference! The meat has that twang from JJ's finishing sauce also, its no normal boudin, its Boudin on steroids!

Can't do rice here, we dug Lake Pontchartrain and ruined the flood plain. All that rice is grown to the West.


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## cecil (Apr 30, 2015)

Foamheart said:


> Nothing can make liver look good unless you like liver....Eewwwwww........


Hi Foam. Great Post. We were at the hospital a few years ago and we went to the cacerteria for supper. I got the liver. My son looked at it an said "Dad if I were to eat liver it sure wouldn't be at a hospital. you don't know who they got it from." Kinda lost my appetite after that.

Lots of tree damage here. We were lucky no house damage. We got what you and N. O. got.


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## daveomak (Apr 30, 2015)

Darn good thing you didn't order the mountain oysters.....


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## foamheart (Apr 30, 2015)

Cecil said:


> Hi Foam. Great Post. We were at the hospital a few years ago and we went to the cacerteria for supper. I got the liver. My son looked at it an said "Dad if I were to eat liver it sure wouldn't be at a hospital. you don't know who they got it from." Kinda lost my appetite after that.
> 
> Lots of tree damage here. We were lucky no house damage. We got what you and N. O. got.


<Chuckles> When as a kid I had lost a lot of blood the doctor told my Mom to feed me liver. I told her I was gonna die! The neighbor Mrs AnnaLee (Chelette), tryed making me liver gravy and now thats good stuff!. If you have some rice and gravy to force that rubbery liver with I could stand it.

It blew a Pipe BBQ pit in the back yard over.... It takes 4 health men to move it.

Glad ya made it thru Ok.


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## foamheart (Apr 30, 2015)

DaveOmak said:


> Darn good thing you didn't order the mountain oysters.....


I like calf fries and turkey fries, but mountain oysters were never on my A list. Even when we cut little pigs, those were cooked with scrambled eggs.


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## leah elisheva (May 1, 2015)

My God Foam; when you do it; you DO IT! Fantastic post! Happy May!!! Cheers! - Leah


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## foamheart (May 1, 2015)

Leah Elisheva said:


> My God Foam; when you do it; you DO IT! Fantastic post! Happy May!!! Cheers! - Leah


Thank you very much Leah........

And happy Uno de Mayo to you too!


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## searkhog (Nov 19, 2015)

Sorry to dig up an old thread, but had a quick question.  Just made up about 10lbs of boudin that i want to smoke on a BGE.  Do you typically steam then smoke, or just go straight onto the smoker?  If straight to the smoker, im assuming indirect around 225 until it hits about 165 internal?

Thanks!


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## foamheart (Nov 19, 2015)

No, I actually try to dry them out, I like a cracklie skin. This has to be a quick smoke because remember rice turns to sugar really fast. I threw 'em in and applied smoke thru the whole de-water cycle which I don't normally do. Don't expect a heavy smoke like sausage, its a lighter smoke because I gotta be safe. I don't think I had these in longer than 2 hours, 3 hours at the very most. Keep its short.

Be a same to ruin 10 pounds of boudin. I try to stay really food safe, it would kill me to get some else sick....know what I mean?


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## bregent (Apr 4, 2016)

Foam, those links look great! I've never had Boudin from LA, but there's a local place here in Oakland that makes Boudin and it's our favorite sausage. These folks feel it's a very good, if not exactly traditional, representation.  http://boudinlink.com/Taylors/Taylors_Oakland.html

But at over $7/lb, I'm thinking about making some myself. I just need to locate some pork liver.


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## foamheart (Apr 4, 2016)

bregent said:


> Foam, those links look great! I've never had Boudin from LA, but there's a local place here in Oakland that makes Boudin and it's our favorite sausage. These folks feel it's a very good, if not exactly traditional, representation.  http://boudinlink.com/Taylors/Taylors_Oakland.html
> 
> But at over $7/lb, I'm thinking about making some myself. I just need to locate some pork liver.


You don't need the pork liver, many today substitute chicken liver and its a very subtle difference.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/155029/boudin-the-cajun-burito


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## bregent (Apr 10, 2016)

Foamheart said:


> You don't need the pork liver, many today substitute chicken liver and its a very subtle difference.
> 
> http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/155029/boudin-the-cajun-burito


Thanks Foam. I ended up using chicken livers and it turned out very nice. I think I'll use basmati rice next time as the jasmine was pretty sticky. I have a question about the correct texture. This was my first time grinding cooked meat and seems like it all comes out of the grinder like paste - was using a 3/8 plate. Is that how it should be? The 'Boudin' we get around here seems to have a more solid texture. My wife thinks maybe it's a fresh sausage with boudin type seasoning.


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## foamheart (Apr 11, 2016)

Texture is all on you, I mean what do you like? Its why we make our own. I use short grain because it has more starch. But when showcasing a specific meat like a good BBQ's smoked pulled pork, long grain which is dryer is better IMHO And grinding is a distinct possibility. See what I mean, its all about what you want. I have had fancy perfumed rice, don't care for it, well it was ok one time in a rice pudding. Again, its about what you want to try.

Some folks mix it all together then grind it all, add some water and stuff it from the grinder.  There is an infinite possibility here. LOL... Unless I am doing the basics I doubt I ever did  any two the same.

The only ones I that I have done that I didn't love, I still enjoyed eating. 

Its just leftovers in a handy carrying case.


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