Cook Sausages the Right Way

and make some broccoli rabe while you're at it

New here? Hi! Smash that subscribe button to sign up and immediately unlock dozens of recipes, video links, product recommendations and other newsletters from my kitchen. <3

---

Hello Comrades!

Yesterday, I was craving sausages, and I believe in satisfying food cravings whenever possible. Maybe my body needed protein, maybe it needed fat, maybe it just wanted to bite through a snappy casing. Who knows! I’m not a mind reader.

I was already out and about in the car with Margie and within a mile of The Meat Hook, my co-favorite butcher (along with Paisano’s). I knew what to do. During the short drive, I realized I have a lot of guidance about sausage cookery, so I got an epic lunch, and you’re getting this post.

Cooking whole sausages is tricky because it’s hard to know exactly what’s going on inside. If you pierce the sausage to find out, you’ll unleash a geyser of hot fat and juices, drying out the finished product. It’s very easy to brown the casing without getting the filling up to temperature, and you can totally overcook and toughen the meat even if the casing stays intact.

Casings split when you put raw sausages over high heat: the proteins in the filling quickly contract and bulge, and the skin rips. I’ve done this more times than I’d like to admit.

The solve is something I’m calling the Blanch and Roll. (You guys know I love a slogan.) I learned this from Carole, my mom, and the entire method relies on medium heat. First, you steam the sausages in a shallow amount of water, which gently but efficiently par-cooks the filling while the casing slowly tightens around it.

Then you let the liquid in the skillet evaporate, add some fat to the pan, and turn the sausages back and forth over medium-low heat until they’re beautifully browned. That’s the rolling part. The key to the second step is that there’s enough lubrication in the skillet to allow the sausages to roll from side to side when you shake the pan. If they stick, the casing could tear and you’ll lose all the beautiful juices.

If you take anything away from this tutorial, remember that medium heat is your friend. (Same rule applies on a grill: never put a sausage down on a ripping-hot grill grate.)

STEP ONE: Procure Sausages

I chose a mix of sweet and hot Italian, an herby zhoug-flavored one, and something described as “penne alla vodka.” Who could resist.

STEP TWO: Choose Your Skillet

Not as irrelevant as it sounds. Too few sausages in big skillet could lead to burning. Too many sausages squeezed into a small skillet risks uneven cooking and could impede browning. I used my Goldilocks 10-inch skillet, which was juuuussssst right for five or six links.

If you also want to make broccoli rabe (detailed below), bring a medium pot of salted water to boil.

STEP THREE: Prepare to Blanch