Is It A Contender? My Version of the Who Dat Sausage {A Recipe Creation & Testing Video}

Recently, Eric from the @2guysandacooler YouTube Channel issued a challenge to all sausage makers to create a “Who Dat” sausage recipe in honor of the #NewOrleans #Saints. This is all apart of their channel’s annual #celebratesausage series. While there isn’t necessarily a prize, and Ken really isn’t a fan of team sports, he thought it would be fun to enter the contest for no other reason than bragging rights. So, Ken set about the task of creating a recipe and testing it for what he considered a #WhoDat #sausage to taste like. Is it a contender? I guess you will have to watch Eric and the fine people at 2 Guys and a Cooler to find out!

As with any recipe creation and testing, nothing goes as planned. For this recipe, Ken had planned to do the recipe using 30 lbs. of meat. However, with the cost of living driving up food prices, he had to pare down the recipe to do only 5 lbs. The recipe below is for 30 lbs. Please note that Ken uses metric in the recipe. While he is an American, and hates to use metric, it is common practice for sausage makers. Moreover, it is a requirement of the contest to use metric.

Thank you for watching! Please comment down below your thoughts. If you found this video to be entertaining or informative, please give it a like and share with your friends. Also, if you haven’t already, consider subscribing to the channel (it’s FREE) and hitting that notification bell so you will be alerted when future content is dropped.

While Ken knows times are tough for everyone, he is also keenly aware some viewers may wish to help out the channel as we grow. If this is something of interest to you, we do have an Amazon wish list: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1EU43L3KM9AWQ?ref_=wl_share

KEN JOHNSON’S WHO DAT SAUSAGE

6 lb. (2722 g) Ground Chicken or Turkey (18-20% Fat, White & Dark Meat Mixed)
9 lb. (4083 g) Ground Chuck (20% Fat)
15 lb. (6804 g) Ground Pork (35-40% Fat)
¼ c. (28 g) Dark Toasted All-Purpose Flour
50 ml Whiskey (Rye or Bourbon Preferred)
¼ c. (60 ml) Sweet White Wine (Moscato, Riesling, or Muscadine Wine Preferred)
1 tbsp (15 ml) Absinthe (Any Anise-forward Spirit Can Be Substituted)
1 tbsp (15 ml) Orange Bitters
3 tbsp (6 g) Sage Powder
1 c (384 g) Spanish (Yellow) Onion, Peeled
¼ c (28 g) Granulated Garlic
1 c. (260 g) Green Bell Pepper, The Ribs And Seeds And Stem Removed
½ c. (38 g) Celery
¼ c. (60 ml) Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp. (5 ml) Liquid Concentrated Shrimp & Crab Boil
1 - 1000 mg Vitamin C Tablet, Crushed Into A Powder
½ c (125 ml) Fish Sauce or Garum
6 tsp (36 g) Curing Salt #1
1 tbsp (1.5 g) Dried Herbs De Provence Seasoning Blend, Ground
2 tbsp (12 g) Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
½ c (36 g) Dry Nonfat Milk
2 tbsp (20 g) Mustard Seeds
1 bottle (24 g) McCormick’s Peppercorn Medley Grinder, Medium Ground
¼ c (60 ml) Toasted Sesame Seed Oil
¼ tsp (0.2 g) Powdered Bay Leaf
½ c (130 g) Dark Brown Sugar
¼ c (70 g) Salt
¼ c. (48 g) Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)
1 ¼”-1 ½” (32-38 mm) Hog Casings, Cleaned and Soaking in 5% Baking Soda Water Solution

In a blender or food processor, puree the onion, bell pepper, and celery with the granulated garlic and toasted sesame seed oil. In a large saucier, bring the mixture to a boil and keep at a high heat boil for five minutes or until the mixture (herewith referred to as “Trinity”) has lost a third of its weight when cooled. Place the Trinity in a large bowl and mix in the toasted flour, whiskey, bitters, absinthe, wine, Vitamin C, worcestershire sauce, fish sauce, liquid crab boil, MSG, sage, herbs de Provence, peppercorn medley, pepper flakes, mustard seeds, bay leaf powder, brown sugar, and salt. Grind the meat on the second to largest round die you have for your grinder (a coarse grind is preferred). Store bought ground meat will also work. At all times, make sure to keep the meat at about 33°F (1°C). Mix the ground meat together for about 1-3 minutes with the curing salt #1 before adding in the bowl with the Trinity and other ingredients. Mix for another 1-3 minutes to incorporate before adding in the milk powder. Never let your sausage get above 50°F (10°C) at any time while mixing. If the mixture seems to be getting too warm, place it in the freezer until it is around 33°F (1°C). When the sausage is thoroughly mixed and sticks to your hand, when held upside down, it is time to stuff the sausage into the casings. Fill the sausage stuffer and place casings on the stuffing horn (NOTE: 88 ft, or 2683 cm, of casings generally is sufficient to do 35 lbs, or 16 kg, of sausage). As you are stuffing, prick out any air holes in the sausage with a sausage pricker, corn on the cob holder, needle, or toothpick. Link the sausages at about 9 inches (23 cm) long each. Uncovered, and on a cooling rack over a sheet tray, place the links into a refrigerator and let set for 18-24 hours. Place the links into a cold smoker (pre-soaked Chinese Tallow Tree wood was used in this recipe but you can use pre-soaked Hickory, Apple, or Pecan wood). Cold smoke the sausages, making sure to wipe off any soot mid-way in the smoking process, until they reach an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C). Place the sausages in an ice water bath to quickly cool them down. With a clean cloth, wipe down the sausages of any soot or debris from the smoker. Preferred cooking of the sausage is on a grill. It is suggested to serve on a butter-toasted, artisanal po boy roll with yellow ball park mustard and a cooked Italian onion and 3-colored bell pepper blend. This sausage would be great for use with most blended game meats as an alternative base meat.