Summer Sausage

In Texas, there’s a product familiar to delicatessen shoppers usually billed as summer sausage. I’ve never quite figured out why it’s called this, except perhaps because it’s well seasoned and hence isn’t highly susceptible to spoilage. In other parts of the country, this same sausage is known as cervelat. It’s great for picnics.

5 lbs lean pork
1/2 lb bacon
1 T chopped green onion tops
3 T chopped parsley
1 t thyme
1 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t basil
1/2 t ground cloves

Cooking Liquid:
8 cups beef broth
1 onion, sliced
1 t thyme
1 t nutmeg
1 T chopped parsley
1 t pepper
1 T salt

Combine meats and grind twice, using coarse blade. Blend in remaining ingredients, using your hands for a thorough mix. Stuff casings 1 1/2 inches thick and 10 inches long. Hang in a cool dry place (where the temperature is a constant 55 degrees) for four days. Combine ingredients for cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Prick sausages with a needle, then put in the liquid, reduce heat, cover, and simmer slowly 4 hours. Serve cold with thick slices of sharp cheddar cheese or grill briefly on the barbecue and serve with beans and potato salad. If you grill them, turn gently with tongs; they are much more delicate than anything you buy from the grocer. They also burn readily, so watch carefully.

This recipe is one of several featured in the August 1978 article The Missing Link.