So what do you want in a sausage? Are you content with a cellulose or collagen tube filled with anonymous, homogenous mystery-meat paste containing who knows what?
If you’re like us, you demand sausages filled with real ingredients that you can see, taste, feel and smell. Not to mention the texture — and when you bite through that natural sausage casing, a really good “snag” should hit you with a burst of flavour and aroma.
For a long time, our sausage benchmark was set by Tony’s Super Meats in Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. I remember Tony entered the annual Sausage King contest for the first time a few years back and blitzed the competition with his continental creations.
When my Canadian colleague Judy Schultz and her collaborator Mary Bailey raved about Spolumbo’s sausages from Calgary, Lenny and I were sure to bite.
We visited Cowtown during the annual Stampede rodeo festival and the city was a sea of cowboy hats. At Spolumbo’s we were helped by Tim — a visiting Aussie like us, and from Brisbane, our neck of the woods.
You can try Spolumbo’s sausages on the spot as a hot dog, and we did. My expectations were exceeded.
Maybe I’m a purist, but specialty flavours like their “Cajun” and “Maple Breakfast” don’t appeal to me. It just seems a bit contrived. I’ll always go for the simple Italian, Greek or German-style snag.
It’s important to get sausages that are made with “natural casing”. That is, the cleaned intestine of a butchered beast. Might sound gross, but it’s the only way to go. You can often tell by looking at the skin of the sausage — natural casings appear to have crease marks.
Here’s a sausage tip. When cooking up premium sausages in natural casing, parboil them for a few seconds first. That is, dunk them briefly in boiling water. Not essential, but it seals the casing and helps keep the delicious juices inside. A real-live chef showed me that!
Watch the video for more secrets. We brought home quite a haul of Spolumbo’s sausages, so expect to see at least one more episode featuring them.
— Waz.
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Those sound great. You guys up for a homemade deer sausage barbie soon? I’ve got kilos of the stuff in my freezer courtesy of soon-to-be-brother-in-law.
We love your show but sometimes you cook fish for too long especially when seared with bacardi. Well done guys keep the good work up!!!!
You guys are great!!! Your video clips are so fun to watch. My husband & I are Vegan and we still watch the show because your so naturaly entertaining. It would be nice if you did a tofu show. Dedicated to us. Your biggest Vegan Fans. ***Blessings to you both*** Bye for now Malinda & David.
Yum.. Spolumbo’s rock. You can get them in Edmonton too (which I guess is moot since you guys aren’t here anymore) at Save-On foods. I’ve also seem them at Superstore.
Hi
I have recently moved to Queensland. i make my own sausages, and looking for a supplier of the sausage casings. The proper casings (intestinal), not the plastic skins.
Would you be able to point me in the right direction?
Regards
Donovan
Hello Donovan, you could try the International Natural Sausage Casing Association (I’m not kidding) for a local vendor in Queensland; approach a butcher directly who makes sausages with real casings (such as a maker of continental sausages); or just Google it.
I believe there are places that supply sausage making products for home makers, much in the manner of home brewing shops. Try finding one in your area.
Waz
Am living in somerset sw calgary am looking for natural sausage casing, Thanks George
g.hofer@shaw.ca