Sic Semper Porcus

A Twist on Grits and Sausage

There are few things I enjoy in the morning more than grits.  It must've been something my mom instilled in me, but sadly most dining establishments north of the mason dixon line never have hide nor hair of it on their menus.  Because of this, it's always something I cook at home.

My buddy Ian was in town from Minneapolis and so I made up a nice hangover cure so we could get ourselves moving and actually enjoy the city instead of sitting around the house regretting the previous night's indiscretions.

Don't ever buy breakfast sausage patties, please I implore you.  All it takes is combining ground pork with spices and forming patties.  You can either buy the pork already ground, or take pork butt (shoulder) and run it through your meat grinder or food processor.

Grits and Sausage

1 pound ground pork
3 teaspoons salt
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons finely diced cilantro
1 tablespoons guajillo chile powder

Combine ingredients and allow to marinate for a bit.  Form the patties this will yield about eight 2in. patties.  Cook over medium high heat until both sides are browned, reduce heat and allow to finish cooking through.

1/3 cup of grits
1 1/3 cups of water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot prapika
2 shallots finely diced
1 cup feta
2 tablespoons butter

Cook the shallots in half the butter over low heat until they are soft and slightly browned.  Bring the water to a boil and then add the salt and grits and stir.  Reduce heat to low and cover, cook for about 3-5 minutes.  After the grits have thickened to the desired consistency mix in the feta, paprika and the shallots.  The remaining butter is for garnish shoudl you want a bit more decadence.  Place in a bowl and top with the sausages.  Pair with a strong cup of coffee.

Cheers

Boudin Blanc

Oh sausage how you tempt me to my soul.  Like a good blues song, the components are basic and unglamorous, but the final product is something beautiful and complex that has the possibility to cause such an intense emotional reaction.  Boudin Blanc is one of my favorite sausages.  It's light and creamy and makes a beautiful breakfast with a nice piece of light rye, and it's light enough to make an excellent addition to a salad of spinach and tomatoes.  Of course you can throw it on the grill and enjoy it like you would other sausages, but don't let its sausage form limit your use of it.

Boudin Blanc

2lb ground veal
1lb ground pork (preferably from shoulder)
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons white pepper
8 eggs
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups fine bread crumbs
a couple sprigs of fresh herbs (parsley and tarragon are excellent, but dill or basil work well too)

Mix all the ingredients and blend until they are almost emulsified.  Fry a small portion of the mixture to check for seasoning.  Stuff in hog casings and twist off 3-4 inch links.  Bring a mixture of water and milk to a low simmer and then add the sausages in batches and boil the links until they become slightly firm.  Remove the links and allow them to cool.  Finish by pan frying in butter or grilling over low heat.