Favorite Commerically made sausage to smoke?

[neuyawk]

I know a bunch of you make your own sausage but I'm talking about already premade sausages like Brats. It needs to be in a casing so all fatties are out.

I smoked commerical italian sausages before and I honestly don't see an improvement with the smoke. I really enjoy eating Johnsonville Brats so I might give that a shot.

Anyone got a favorite sausage they buy from the butcher they like to smoke? Especially regional ones like German Bratwursts, English Cumberlands, Polish Kielbasas (though I never see them raw).

[aawa]

My go to way of cooking Johnsonville brats is smoking them. I like the way they turn out a lot better than if you grill them.

There are a couple butchers in my area that sell different kinds of raw sausages and they turn out great as well.

[landarc]

Out here, there is a company called Caggiano Sausage Company that makes all manner of fresh sausage in casings. All of them smoke up great, but, I really like smoked chorizo, smoked chicken apple and smoked garlic. I use a simple applewood smoke, usually over lump. Low temperature, around 225F.

I also like getting fresh bratwurst, Wisonsin bratwurst, and a couple of the other types of sausage from the Lockeford Sausage Company, which usually has a great selection of sausages.

[bigabyte]

For raw sausages, my favorites to pick up at the butcher and put in smoke are brats and bbq sausage (that's what they call it and it's good but I don't know the recipe). For cooked sausages, I really love garlic knockwurst and kielbasa.

Can't forget about fatties either!:thumb:

[landarc]

Incidentally, kielbasas are never seen raw because they are, by definition, Polish garlic sausage that has been smoked. Unsmoked, they are not kielbasa.

[gtr]

I haven't bought commercial in a couple years, but I did used to buy hot links - love those things!

And, I don't know if you can get them out your way, but when I lived in TX we'd get Elgin and New Braunfels sausage - it's been many, many years since I've eaten that stuff and I still remember how farking good it was. It doesn't seem to be available around here that I'm aware of, and I would buy that stuff if it were.

[deguerre]

Incidentally, kielbasas are never seen raw because they are, by definition, Polish garlic sausage that has been smoked. Unsmoked, they are not kielbasa.


Yep. And DOUBLE smoked they're even better.

[frognot]

i'm a fan of Cajun sausages such as Manda, Savoie's & Richards ("Ree-Shards").

[BBQ PD]

Speaking of sausage, I used to be a big fan of Aidells Andouille sausage, but it seems as if they have changed the recipe, and it's not nearly as good as if used to be. Does anyone have a good replacement recommendation?

[jasonjax]

I like Azars which I have trouble finding these days. I also like Nettles.

[landarc]

Speaking of sausage, I used to be a big fan of Aidells Andouille sausage, but it seems as if they have changed the recipe, and it's not nearly as good as if used to be. Does anyone have a good replacement recommendation?
Dave, if you can find them, try Caggiano Andouille, they make a quality product. The Aidells stuff is not as good across the board as it once was.

[Deep South]

Manda makes good andouille but Conecuh is my favorite! http://www.conecuhsausage.com/default.aspx

[boatnut]

Incidentally, kielbasas are never seen raw because they are, by definition, Polish garlic sausage that has been smoked. Unsmoked, they are not kielbasa.

Landarc,
I respectively disagree with that statement. Fresh kielbasa is quite common. Local grocery carry's it from here-http://www.stanleysmarket.com/ as well as here- http://www.tanksmeats.com/products-i-12.html

also see this link- http://easteuropeanfood.about.com/od/ip/g/kielbasa.htm

[landarc]

Mike, I had that wrong, I will adjust my definition going forward. I was misinformed about the smoking part.

[seadad9903]

There's a butcher here that has a linguica that smokes up pretty good.

Other than that I go with brats or kielbasa.

Tried ring bologna, but didn't care for it.

[IamMadMan]

krakowska and wiejskaare are great when moderately cold smoked and then brought to cooking temperature.

krakowska is similar to what we call Kielbasa except fresh onion and garlic are incorporated into coarsely ground pork. Wiejskaare is pork and veal version of the same.

Kielbasa is a generic word for sausage of all types in the Slavic block of nations. Here in the United States we use the term to refer to a smoked form of Polish Sausage.

[MisterChrister]

For full scale commercial, nobody rocks a sausage like Germans from Wisconsin. Therefore, Usingers is the way to go!!!

[WineMaster]

There All good but favorite flavor right now is Pinapple Brats from Hy-Vee. Great Smoked!

[yakdung]

A few suggestions:

http://www.praseks.com/online-catalog/hillje-country-sausage.html
http://www.slovacek.com/site/index.php
http://www.holmessmokehouse.com/products/sausages/original

[chingador]

Yakdung has some good suggestions. I believe you can find Slovacek at Sams. It isn't the best sausage in Texas but it will do. My favorite is Eckermann's. The Germans have nothing on the Czechs when it comes to sausage.

http://www.eckermannsmeatmarket.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=3&Itemid=64

[Bludawg]

Slovaceks, Kilbosa, Opas, If ya aint from Tx then I'm probably talking a foreign language. The Germans have nothing on the Czechs when it comes to sausage.Couldn't agree more

[IamMadMan]

Mike, I had that wrong, I will adjust my definition going forward. I was misinformed about the smoking part.


Landarc,

Your definition was partially correct.

Actually if you have read any of Stanley Marianski's books on sausage, in the 18th Century (page 7 - Polish Sausages) the first written record of Kielbasa did refer only to a thick heavily smoked sausage. It wasn't until later when Keilbasa become a generic term for sausages.

[1MoreFord]

Looks like I'm about fourth in line to recommend Slovaceks.

[Bigdog]

Call me #5. I always have several pounds in the freezer ready for thawing and smoking. Harder to get here as the SAMs around here no longer carry them.:mad2:

[Bluesman]

Personally, I like Johnsonville Brats. I will cook them indirect on my Performer with some K and Hickory on the other side. They turn a beautiful mahogany color and you can see the juices boiling under the skin. they snap and spit juice across the patio and are so good. For tailgate parties I precook, smoke and then bag them. On game day I add them to a pan of onions, buttah and beer to warm them up. They don't last long in the spa. Once they're warm they're gone.

[trufunk]

Eckeridge skinless is not bad

[caseydog]

Look for small shops that make sausage. There is a meat market near me that makes good sausages, and I get brats from Kuby's German meat market that are outstanding.

The next best thing to homemade is locally made, IMO.

CD

[AustinKnight]

Slovaceks, Kilbosa, Opas, If ya aint from Tx then I'm probably talking a foreign language. Couldn't agree more

Opas jalapeno and cheese are my favorite highly recommend them if you haven't tried them.

opassmokedmeats.com/ccp0-prodshow/70020.html

Sent from my SGH-T999

[neuyawk]

Yeah around me we got Karl Ehmer's http://www.karlehmer.com/

Every time I walk in there it makes me wanna plan a trip to Germany!