Meat eaters enjoy sausage for its adaptability, distinctive flavor combinations, and heartiness. Amid warm summer weather and boisterous backyard barbecues, it is time for sausage to flourish. So, what’s the best way to cook smoked sausage?
However, with so many different types of links, it can take time to determine which cooking method yields the finest results. So I decided to test three methods for preparing smoked sausage: in the oven, on the grill, and in a pan on the stove. Here are the succulent outcomes.
How To Cook Sausage?
Here are the three best ways to cook smoked sausage:
1. Cooking Sausage In The Oven
While some meats are best left undisturbed during cooking, sausage requires considerable turning to obtain a uniform browning. It would be counterproductive to open the oven every few minutes to check on the crispiness and sizzling, as the stove loses 25 degrees of heat each time it is opened. It would result in a fluctuating oven temperature and uneven heating. I attempted to let the sausage cook itself while holding my breath for a successful outcome.
Method
To bake sausage, I followed these steps:
I preheat a conventional oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray canola oil on a nonstick baking tray.
I began with five minutes on each side and examined it after ten minutes.
I recooked the sausage for an additional minute on each side because the casing wasn’t nearly as golden as I had hoped. The case lacked texture, but this was a trade-off for overcooking.
Results
A higher temperature would have produced a superior exterior crust, but I feared that too much time at a high temperature in the oven would dry out the entire sausage rope. The final product was moist but lacked this smoked sausage’s intense smoky flavor and firm casing. This method is only ideal for easy clean-up (i.e., no oil splatters everywhere).
2. Cooking Sausage On The Grill
I used a Weber propane grill, putting down my visions of charcoal flying everywhere, waiting half an hour to allow the coals to heat up, and endeavoring to extinguish the flames properly.
Method
Here’s how I smoked a sausage without the hassle of charcoal:
After preheating the barbecue for five minutes, I placed the rope sausage on the lowest rack in the center of the grill. I began cooking on medium-high heat, but after a few seconds, the fire began to flare up, causing the casing to crack in a few areas.
I decreased the heat to medium for more uniform heating. I cooked the sausage for precisely six minutes on each side (I set a timer!) and rotated it once to achieve grill marks suitable for commercial use.
I turned my sausage with 18-inch stainless steel tongs, which appeared and felt excessively large, but I could do so without fracturing it in half. I removed the link after precisely 12 minutes.
Results
It was definitely; grilling the smoked sausage brought out its woodsy and smoky flavors. It was succulent, fiery, and tasted like a campfire (in the most height of praise). However, grilling did present some challenges, such as occasional flame flare-ups that caused the casing to split readily (and resulted in inconsistent charring).
If you only own a tedious charcoal barbeque, don’t have patience or experience with flare-ups, or don’t own a grill, then there probably is a better method for you. However, if you are a grill master attending a tailgate or preparing delectable canapés, I highly recommend this technique. In terms of flavor and consistency, grilled sausage seeks to please.
3. Cooking Sausage In A Pan
The most convenient method for ordinary sausage dishes is to cook the sausage in a pan on the stovetop. The packaging for the link suggested pan-frying it in one of two ways: by slicing it into 1-inch medallions or splitting it in half for an even crisp.
Method
The rope was pan-fried to ensure a fair and direct comparison with the other two techniques. What occurred was:
You cooked the sausage for five minutes in a 12-inch nonstick skillet heated over medium-high heat before you added it.
I found that the heat was too high, and the sausage was browning quickly, so I lowered it to medium and added a few tablespoons of vegetable oil to prevent this.
I opted for silicone-coated implements to prevent harming the pan while turning the sausage. Yes, it is the solution! A small amount of oil protected the pan and aided in developing a crisp exterior.
Nonetheless, I was intrigued to try the brand’s recommended medallion method, so I opened a second package of rope-smoked sausage and began slicing and frying.
I used the same procedure as in the first round: a nonstick pan, a medium-high flame, and a slight vegetable oil.
As I dealt with much smaller sausage portions, I decreased the cooking time to three minutes on the first side and two on the second.
The initial oil sizzle was encouraging, and the golden-brown exterior indicated that we were in business once I flipped the potatoes. This method required the shortest cooking time and consistently yielded tender and crisp sausage segments.
Results
Overall, pan-frying sausage was a low-maintenance and delectable cooking method. When you feel like you need to do something other than firing up the grill but still want a juicy, flavorful sausage, this recipe is ideal. However, the sausage remained succulent, tender, and crisp. The mini medallions are the perfect appetizer size and would be even tastier if served with honey mustard dipping sauce.
Make-Ahead, Storage, And Reheating
1. Make-Ahead: I appreciate these smoked sausages fresh from the smoker, but the leftovers are also delicious, so that they can be made in advance.
2. Storage: Keep sausages in a Ziploc bag or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
3. Reheating: Reheat sausages in a sauté pan or grill until thoroughly heated.
Ways To Use Leftover Smoked Sausage
If, like me, you find yourself with excess smoked sausage, try adding it to the following:
- French toast and eggs for brunch
- recipe for your beloved chili
- Smooth potato broth
- dense and velvety beer cheese chowder
- pizza with a beer-based crust
- charcuterie platter
- vegetable chowder
- Green bean casserole with cheese
- garlicky garlic noodles
- A simple recipe for quiche
- breakfast baking dish
- peppers roasted and pilaf
Serve Smoked Sausage With
Make it an entrée, but keep it straightforward by serving these smoked sausages as an accompaniment:
- Fried in an air fryer, asparagus
- roasted French fries
- Air-fried potato chips
- smoked macaroni and cheddar
- steamed green carrots
- salad of grilled potatoes
- Zucchini cooked in an air fryer.
- potatoes cooked in an air fryer
This method is optimal if you own a grill and can use it year-round (or if you don’t mind grilling in your parka). This smoked sausage was the most flavorful despite a divided casing and inconsistent grill marks.
You will be successful if you have a greater understanding of the hot areas of your grill and can achieve a more uniformly crisp crust than I did. Even if the casing breaks, high-quality smoked sausage will be challenging to desiccate.
If smoking is outside your cooking ability, then pan-frying your smoky sausage on the stove will still produce a moist, crispy result in a very manageable way.
Thank you for reading……
