Hot Boudin

Every culture has a favorite snack food, whether it's peanut butter and jelly or satay, tacos or a bowl of noodles. In the cajun country of southwest Louisiana the universal snack seems to be hot boudin. Everywhere you go, on country back roads or the main streets of towns like Lafayette, Opelousas, or Breaux Bridge, you see signs advertising this spicy sausage. 

Although this spicy mixture of rice, cooked pork, and onions is stuffed into a casing, the casing itself is rarely eaten. The boudins casing gets a bit tough from steaming, and its stuffing is so soft and juicy that everything seems to gush out when you bite down. The best thing to do is to abandon any hope of elegant dining , and hold the boudin in one hand, out one end in your mouth, and squeeze the savory mixture out of the casing into your mouth as you go along.

The smell of boudin steaming evokes the sounds of Cajun fiddlers and accordion players warming up for their Saturday morning jams in small towns Eunice or Opelousas. There is always a greasy stack or two of boudin ripped open and spread on newspaper to munch on during the festivities. Boudin is quite perishable and should be refrigerated immediately after being made. If not used in 2-3 days, it can be frozen for up to two months.

4 to 5	cups water
3 1/2	teaspoons kosher salt
3	pounds pork butts, cut into 2 inch cubes (with some fat attached) 
4	bay leaves
2	whole chili peppers
2	teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground 

	pinch dried thyme
1	onion, medium, peeled and quartered
1	cup long grain rice
2	teaspoons garlic, minced
1	teaspoon ground sage
1	teaspoon dried thyme
2	teaspoons red pepper flakes
2	teaspoons cayenne
1/8	teaspoon allspice
        pinch ground mace
1/2	cup finely chopped green onions or scallions
1/2	cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (flat-leaf variety preferred)
2 1/2	teaspoons salt, kosher preferred

	Medium hog casings (optional)

Put the water and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a saucepan large enough to hold the pork along with any bones or scraps. Bring the liquid to a boil and add the pork., bay leaves, chile peppers, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and a pinch of thyme. Bring the pot back to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour, or until pork is tender. Add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes additional minutes, until tender. Remove the meat and onions to a platter to cool. Add rice to 1 1/2 cups of the pork stock in the pot, cover, and cook over low hear until tender, about 20 minutes.

In a meat grinder fitted with a 1/4 plate, grind the cooked pork and onions into a large bowl. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, red pepper flakes, cayenne, allspice, mace, parsley, the remaining teaspoon of black pepper and the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt, along with the chopped green onions and the cooked rice. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture until it is well blended. Taste and correct the salt or other seasonings. Cool the mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, and then stuff it into medium hog casings or just leave it in bulk for further use. It's not necessary to to tie boudin into links---just coil it as you go along. 

Boudin is best heated by steaming. Coil the boudin in a colander or on a plate and place it in a large pot above an inch or two of water. Cover the pot and steam over moderate heat for 15 minutes.
Makes about 4 pounds

Author's note: 
Steaming boudin in the casing is the traditional way to heat up the sausage, but we like to form the meat into thin patties and fry it for breakfast or a quick and spicy lunch. It helps to add an egg or two to the mixture to bind it before frying. This is as good as any corned beef or roast beef hash you've ever tasted. 

Source: Hot Links and Country Flavors

Bruce Aidells and Denis Kelly

Page(s): 53, 54



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1:27 AM 8/16/98


            "Wade Roberts " <wroberts@galileo.colum.edu>
Organization: Columbia College Chicago
        


Thanks very kindly for the recipe. You were one of two people who
mentioned the book, which I'll immediately order.

And, yep, I was talking Cajun boudin, as in:
5 lbs. pork butt or shoulder
3 lbs. pork liver
2 finely chopped onions
4 bunches scallions, finely chopped
2 handfuls chopped parsley
optional: 1 cup chopped celery
4 tsp. cayenne (I used lots, lots more)
salt, black pepper to taste (again, I use lots)
optional: garlic powder (I like garlic, but forgo it in boudin)

Boil meat about 2 hours, until it falls apart. Prepare the rice. Grind
everything but the rice and seasonings, then add the rice and
seasonings, adding enought broth left over from boiling the meat to make
the stuffing moist. Stuff into boiled and rinsed and drained casings.

I talked this out of Ellis Cormier, the Boudin King of Jennings, LA, a
few years ago while working on a documentary project. My batches have
gotten great reviews from expatriate Cajuns.

I have a cool meat grinder and sausage stuffer, but, since the casings
aren't meant to be eaten, I often (like this week) just prepare it as a
dirty rice kind of dish. And to make it easier, the Jewel at Damen and
Milwaukee is one of the few in town that will special-order pork liver,
and they'll even grind the pork and liver together for you to make it
incredibly easy to dump in a big pot and just stir and cook. I called on
a Friday, and picked up the ground pork and liver on Wednesday ($2/lb.)

Let me know what you think.

Cheers,
Wade

-- 
Wade Roberts
Columbia College Chicago
600 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
312-344-7267

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 ("Harry Jones" , 2/20/99 20:36)
Resent-From: 
             bbq@listserv.azstarnet.com
         To: 
             <bbq@listserv.azstarnet.com>


 White Pork Boudin

  3        tablespoons          olive or peanut oil
  1/2      cup                  onion; finely chopped
  1/2      cup                  green onion; finely chopped
  1/2      cup                  parsley; finely chopped
  1 1/2    cups                 water
  1        tablespoon           garlic; finely chopped
  3        cups                 rice; cooked
  5        cups                 chopped cooked pork; (leftovers will work)
  1                             cayenne pepper; ground
  1                             salt; to taste
  1                             Natural sausage casings


 Heat oil in large saucepan. Saute onion and green onions until translucent
 over medium heat. Add parsley, water and garlic; cook another 10 minutes,
 stirring occasionally. Add rice; blend well. Mix in pork and season with
 cayenne and salt. With sausage stuffer, stuff por mixture into casings. Tie
  into 4-to 5-inch links.

 To serve, prick a few holes in links to keep casings from bursting, then
 heat links in a pan with a little water. Makes about 3 pounds.

****************************************************************************
*********



 Boudin

  3        pounds               boneless pork; cut into large chunks
  1        pound                pork liver
  4        medium               yellow onions; peeled and quartered
  2        bunches              green onions; chopped
  2        teaspoons            cayenne pepper; ground
  2        teaspoons            white pepper; ground
  1        tablespoon           black pepper; ground
  2        tablespoons          salt
  3        cups                 rice; steamed

 Place pork and liver in separate saucepans, cover each with water and bring
  to a boil. Skim any fat that rises. Reduce heat and simmer until tender,
 about 1 hour.

 Rmove pork and liver from heat; let cool. Discard simmering liquid from
 liver. Reserve 1 pint liquid from pork; discard the rest. Put pork, liver
 and yellow onions through a meat grinder fitted with a medium disk, or
 grind it coarsely in a food processor.

 Transfer pork mixture into a large bowl. Mix in greeon onions, peppers,
 salt and rice. It will be easier to get a smooth mixture if you do this in
 batches. Adjust seasonings.

 For traditional boudin, stuff the finished mixture into real sausage
 casings. To serve, place finshed sausages in a saucepan, add a little
 water, cover and heat over medium heat.

 If not stuffing the mixture into casings, the boudin can be served as it to
  accompany meats or poultry. The boudin base (everything except rice) can
 be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator a day or two, or
 frozen until needed. When ready to serve, heat the base, cook rice and
 combine well. Makes 10 servings.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Boudin

  3        pounds               boneless pork; cut into large chunks
  1        pound                pork liver
  4        medium               yellow onions; peeled and quartered
  2        bunches              green onions; chopped
  2        teaspoons            cayenne pepper; ground
  2        teaspoons            white pepper; ground
  1        tablespoon           black pepper; ground
  2        tablespoons          salt
  3        cups                 rice; steamed

 Place pork and liver in separate saucepans, cover each with water and bring
  to a boil. Skim any fat that rises. Reduce heat and simmer until tender,
 about 1 hour.

 Rmove pork and liver from heat; let cool. Discard simmering liquid from
 liver. Reserve 1 pint liquid from pork; discard the rest. Put pork, liver
 and yellow onions through a meat grinder fitted with a medium disk, or
 grind it coarsely in a food processor.

 Transfer pork mixture into a large bowl. Mix in greeon onions, peppers,
 salt and rice. It will be easier to get a smooth mixture if you do this in
 batches. Adjust seasonings.

 For traditional boudin, stuff the finished mixture into real sausage
 casings. To serve, place finshed sausages in a saucepan, add a little
 water, cover and heat over medium heat.

 If not stuffing the mixture into casings, the boudin can be served as it to
  accompany meats or poultry. The boudin base (everything except rice) can
 be prepared in advance and stored in the refrigerator a day or two, or
 frozen until needed. When ready to serve, heat the base, cook rice and
 combine well. Makes 10 servings.

-=======================


I've had request for the "no organ" boudin recipe so I thought I'd post
it. The original version was found on the net with no citable source or
directions and I've since modified it quite a bit.

Rodney
Vicksburg, Mississippi

@@@@@ Now You're Cooking! Export Format

Cajun Boudin Sausage

sausages

2 Lbs. ground beef
2 Lbs. ground pork
5 C cooked rice
4 Large onions; minced
20 Cloves garlic; minced
6 Small Hot Chile Peppers, (Serrano is good)
2 Stalks celery; minced
1 Lg sweet red pepper; minced
1 Lg sweet green pepper; minced
2 Med leeks; minced
6  Green Onions; minced
1 C parsley; minced
1/3 C cilantro; minced
1 Tsp red pepper flakes
1 Tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 Tsp thyme
1/4 Tsp sage
1/4 Tsp rosemary
1/4 Tsp savory

Add one can of beef broth and cook ground pork and ground beef until
browned and tender. Drain and set aside to cool reserving broth for
later if needed.

Cook rice and set aside to cool.

Add remaining vegetables, spices, and sugar into a pan and cook until
vegetables are tender. Add a can of beef broth for liquid and season to
taste if needed.
Drain and add liquid to reserve meat stock for later use if needed.

Combine cooked meat, rice and vegetables and mix throughly.  Mixture
should be thick enough to form into a loose ball. You may need to cook
and add
additional rice to thicken the mixture if it is too loose or add some of
the reserved broth if too firm.   Chill mixture thoroughly. Stuff into
casing and tie into 6 inch links.

Yield: 



