Here's a question for the cooks and chefs among my readers.
I've always either grilled sausages over coals, or fried them in a pan on the stove. However, I recently bought some boerewors - South African-style farm sausage - and found it very dry, after frying it in a pan and pricking the sausages to release the fat from inside them. The sausage itself is very tasty; it was my method of preparation that was wanting.
Boerewors (image courtesy of Wikipedia)
I've been reading up about baking and/or roasting sausages in the oven. It seems a common enough practice - there are even recipes for using a slow-cooker, which I'd never even thought of for sausage! - but I've no experience with that method. In particular, I'd be worried about the sausages splitting, or spitting fat all over the inside of the oven. To avoid that, I'm considering cooking them in a roasting pan with a lid; but Miss D. isn't convinced that will work.
I need advice from those of you who've cooked sausages in the oven. How did you do it? What method has worked best for you? Do you prick the sausages, to release the fat as they cook, or leave them intact, for the fat to bubble away inside (and perhaps burst the skins)? Either way, how have you dealt with the fat-splattering problem? Please let us know in Comments. I'm sure other readers besides myself would like to know how it's done.
Thanks in advance.
Peter
25 comments:
Just a quick thought; by pricking the skin you released the fat and that made them dry.
Yeah, if you don't, you run the risk of the skins "splitting" but then I think you are cooking them too quickly or on too hot of a fire.
In Wisconsin, we boil our brats in onions and beer and then put them on the grill for a bit of a smoky crust.
Steve
I wrap with foil sausages cut to shorter length quartered potatoes and onions and green yellow and red bell peppers sliced. and bake at 350 30-60 min until potatoes are soft. I add a no salt spice mix as well.
I cook them in the oven on 350 deg.in a deep cast iron skillet for about 30 minutes or until done. I cut them into 3 to 4 inch lengths and that's about it. The cut ends allow fat to seep out and keeps them from splitting.
I bake brats in sauerkraut.
They come out fine, but I don't know if yours would be good that way.
Not a clue, but I do have a grill, and for a 'small' fee... ;-)
We do Italian sausage in the over when I cook charity spaghetti dinners. This was taught to us by a guy that owns an Italian restaurant.
Get a try - like a roasting pan. I use a ceramic square pan, but a glass one will work. You need sides on it.
Put the sausage in, and water to about 1/3 the sausage deep. Put in oven and roast, flipping it at 10-15 minutes.
I use the boil-n-grill methodology for my brats and Italian sausages. I don't see any reason why in the oven, in a roasting pan wouldn't work. You might want to take the lid off for the last 15 minutes or so for browning if that is important to you.
UK input here, so our sausage are typically 85% meat with rusk, fat & seasoning making up the mix, although I have oven-cooked German-made Bratwurst as well (100% meat).
Ceramic or glass lasagne dish, oven to 220 deg Centigrade, (430 deg F), check them after 20 minutes to see if they are beginning to brown to you taste. No need to prick the sausage.
My personal preference, skins should be browned to the point of being dark & firm (UK sausage) or splitting and flaky (Bratwurst). All down to personal taste, and how fatty your choice of sausage is.
I like to brown the outside in the frying pan, then poach till done.
Use a covered Dutch Oven with 8-12 oz of water (or a bottle of beer) for extra moisture and flavor. Roast at 300F for 30-40 minutes. Remove from oven, leave covered for 10 min to cool and reabsorb moisture.
I do Italian sausage sweet and hot in the oven.
real simple on foil in a sided pan to make clanup easy.
temp 350 (bake) little Olive oil on them to coat and bake
for about 50+- minutes turning them at 25 minutes.
Less time if adding to sauses, more if you like the
skins crisper.
Always comes out good. Very simple.
Grilling is easier if parboiled a little. Less trouble then with grease causing flare up and burnt ends.
Eck!
Boil in beer first.
I cook a similar sausage by curling it around on a large plate then skewering it north-south and east-west, place on an ovenproof pan and into a fan assisted oven at 150C for about 20 mins, turning it over at 10 mins.
I have cooked italian style sausages in an oven. All I do is line a shallow "cookie" tray with foil and center the sausages before baking. Haven't had issues with them splitting or spitting fat all over the oven.
I broil my bratwurst for eight minutes a side. Rarely do I get a split in one of them, but I use tongs to move and flip them to keep the juices inside. Nothing special, just a shallow pan with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Easy-peasy.
Sous vide at 135 for 1 hour; then stick on grill for 5 - 10 minutes turning until you like the color & crispness. Can add some herbs to package for added flavor while sous viding.
On the grill mine cook pretty fast so I prick them through every inch with a small skewer to give the fat somewhere to go and avoid flareups.
When baking I use a foil lined roaster with a cup of water or a beer depending on the type of sausage. I use the same skewer to prick them but further apart. The less fatty the sausage the further apart the pricks. 300 to 350 for heat and if using beer I pull them out to baste every 10 minutes.
Either way I cook to temperature, not time.
I smoke them outside at 200 degrees with either hickory or apple wood. I do prick them to relieve the fat pressure.
Brown the sausage in a skillet, then put in a crock pot with a jar of kraut and a can of sweet corn for 3-4 hours on low.
Spanish chorizo can be very dry. One of the simplest meals we have is to boil potatoes, eggs and chorizo. The chorizo absorbs water without losing flavor or bursting out. Usually 5 minutes before draining, we prick the chorizo so some of the flavor gets in the taters.
The sausage in the picture looks mighty fresh (as in soft), maybe a slow boil in water followed by a quick drop a top of a very hot grill?
I frequently put pork sausages in the oven with the chips, on a silicon mat on a baking sheet for 25 to 40 minutes in a fan oven.
Equal results with frying in my cast iron pan.
Boerewors must be done medium rare dude! Prefferably over hot coals!
Never prick the skin!
Here I thought you had African experience? ;-)
Greetings, Peter,
Here is one way we prepare kielbasa:
In a pressure cooker, insert a jar or can of sauerkraut. Add in quartered potatoes. Then slice the kielbasa into 2" to 3" pieces and put on top.
Follow your pressure cooker directions, but usually all is done in about 30 minutes.
I am sure this would work with other types of sausage as well. Bon Appetit!
I regularly cook hot dogs and sausage ropes in the oven. I have a particular fondness for Smithfield brand Andouille sausage ropes ($3.99 at my local grocer). I use a broiler pan and start with a cold oven, allowing the sausage to cook as the oven comes up to 350 degrees heat. Once I hear the "beep" that the oven has reached temperature, I check the sausages visually every 3 or four minutes, and remove them when they are swollen but not burst - - nor do I prick them beforehand. Cooked in this manner they will be full of juice. I also toast the hot dog buns briefly in the oven, since it is already hot - - hot dog buns toasted this way taste much better than cold buns do, and seem more fully baked - - cold hot dog buns seem almost underbaked right out of the bag these days.
Here,
https://www.foodrepublic.com/2014/05/27/7-commandments-for-grilling-a-perfect-sausage/
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