Need some help with sausages

Wow I'm usually a natural in the kitchen. I don't even need cookbooks or recipe, just give me ingredients and I will go Iron Chef until there's amazing food.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit but I need help with sausages. I'm not even talking about making sausages. I'm talking about buying pre-cooked cajun or andouille.

I can never get them to come out right. I heat them in a large skillet. I only have stainless steel.

I've tried higher heat, lower heat, more water, less water, covered, uncovered and even a little bit of oil to get them going.

I either end up with plump, squirting sausages or gristly, charred up sausages. Neither is very fun to eat.

I've gotten them perfect before. How can I get them perfect again?

Of course I've searched already but haven't found the way to get em tasty.

Thanks for the advice.

Pressure Cooker, you will thank me later.

a reply to: HappyFisherman

Have been thinking of buying one for a while.

Anything that can be done in stainless steel for now?

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

I either end up with plump, squirting sausages or gristly, charred up sausages.

Which is par for the course.
Pardon the unintended pun.....

a reply to: Gothmog

So you see my dilemma? I'm so ashamed

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

anyone who digs andouille is a good friend of mine

if you are planning on eating them with a side dish or three, or on a bun with some toppings & condiments, have you tried the sear & beer method ?
As in a little oil in the pan add the sausages and give em a nice sear over med-high heat, then add some sliced sweet onions and sliced bell peppers and a can/bottle of beer and simmer em covered for an hour or whatever until ya can't stand waiting anymore (adding more beer as necessary to not go dry) ?
can always sub in some chicken broth for the beer if one is a zero alcohol kinda person, even tho the alcohol all boils off ....

Use a small amount of veg when you cook.

A couple pounds of kraut should make them nice.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

I usually cook my snausages with a boatload of peppers and onions, plus a tablespoon or two butter. Brown (darkly) on one side at medium-high, flip sausage and stir veggies, add a splash of water, reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer till veggies soften up and begin to caramelize. Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.

Every stove is different. I've found that the above method works great for me. One thing I've noticed to be key across all different stovetops is the splash of water. That steam action is necessary for a good, tasty and juicy log-o-pork.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

Dubble

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

Completely thaw frozen sausages. If you want this to happen fast, fill a sink with warm water and dump the frozen sausages in. Wait a good few minutes.

Use only butter, not oil.

Low heat, like really low. You want the sausages to cook for about half an hour so the heat gets in but the skin doesn't burn. Keep turning them.

Ensure that the fat can drain with a few pricks through the skin but don't go over the top. The fat adds flavour and fat is no longer considered bad for you like it once was.

You shouldn't need water in the pan if they cook slowly enough.

originally posted by: NarcolepticBuddha
a reply to: Gothmog

So you see my dilemma? I'm so ashamed

Dont be. A sausage is a terrible thing to waste.
Dry is not good
Every sausage from homemade pork to Polish Kielbasa is meant to be exactly as you stated. Loses a lot of flavor otherwise. Just keep plenty of napkins handy and remember no , or very little , cooking oil. They dont need it.

originally posted by: NarcolepticBuddha
a reply to: HappyFisherman

Have been thinking of buying one for a while.

Anything that can be done in stainless steel for now?

Yea in a skillet cook up some potatoes O'Brien, Potatoes, onions and green peppers in with a few tbsns of oil.
Cut sausages in small disc shapes. Add them at the end when the potatoes are tender. Stir in the sausages and keep stirring till the sausages start to turn brown and the veggies start to caramelize. Enjoy!

This is one of my favorite meals actually.

Can't help you.

Ours get coined and go into the crock-pot with the other ingredients to get slow-cooked on low for about 6 to 8 hours to make black bean soup.

When I cook sausages (usually spicy italian or bratwurst) I put them in a pot with half beer and half water and half a large sweet onion. Set the burner on high bring it up to a boil lower the heat to medium to maintain a low boil as to not completely burst the sausage and cook them for about 15 minutes.

Then I heat up my cast iron pan on medium and place the sausage in it. I pierce the casing with the very tip of a paring knife 3 times (middle and each end) making sure to penetrate the sausage to the least extent possible. Then I pan fry until they're golden brown and delicious.

I find this method produces sausages that aren't water logged (store bought sausage has much more water in it now than in time past) nor dried out and mealy.

Laissez les bons temps rouler

originally posted by: HappyFisherman
Pressure Cooker, you will thank me later.

I can agree with that, and you don't lose flavour to the elements outside. Precooked stuff needs to have the temperature correct right through as well, anyway.
German sausages are similar, Bockwursts are best simmered, Bratwursts are meant to be grilled, while both have a big bias in the amount of flesh used as against other ingredients in them. You can also microwave a Bockwurst in water carefully pretty well, but simmering, as in the PC is best.

a reply to: NarcolepticBuddha

lol... Can't help but laugh, good luck with your suagages mate. Have you tried looking for a tutorial on youtube?

a reply to: Butthurtinflictor

Welcome to ATS

Or, have we met before...

I think what I'm missing is putting the sausages in the skillet with onions, peppers, and BEER

Pre-heat your skillet to medium high heat, slice sausages in half, cook rounded side first, then flip to flat sides.

Instead of using water, cook your sausages with peppers and onions, the grease from the sausages and the moisture from the

veggies is all the hydration you need.

a reply to: abe froman

Abe Froman sausage king I was hoping you'd stop by

Thank you, my liege!

Sous vide. 150-155 degree water put them in zip lock bag with a splash of beer..immerse in water to remove air zip. Cook for one hour. Remove, dry and brown in butter in a cast iron skillet for a couple minutes. Super easy and killer