Basic Boudin Balls Food

BOUDIN BALLS (FRIED CAJUN APPETIZERS)

Steps:

• In a shallow bowl, season the flour with Cajun Seasoning Blend. In another shallow bowl, place the breadcrumbs. In a third shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together.
• With 2 tablespoon scooper or wet hands, shape the boudin into balls the size of unshelled walnuts. Roll the balls in the flour, and then toss them in the beaten egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the balls in the breadcrumbs, turning to coat them evenly. Pressing gently to adhere.
• Transfer the boudin balls to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with wire rack and paper towels. Working in batches and turning often, fry until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on rack lined baking sheet. Let cool briefly before serving as is or with Remoulade sauce.

CAJUN BOUDIN

Steps:

• Combine the pork shoulder, liver, and 4 cups of water in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the pork cubes are tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Bring the rice and 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Set aside.
• Once the pork is tender, remove from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and allow to cool a bit. While the pork is cooling, stir the green onion, chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, parsley, cilantro, and garlic into the simmering pork broth. Season with salt, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the onion is tender. Meanwhile, grind the meat using the coarse plate of a meat grinder. Stir the ground meat into the vegetable mixture, and cook, stirring frequently until the water has nearly evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, and set aside to cool.
• While the meat mixture is cooling, rinse the sausage casings inside and out with plenty of warm water. Keep the casings in a bowl of warm water until ready to stuff. Once the sausage mixture is cool enough to handle, stuff into the prepared casings using a sausage stuffer. Prick the sausage with a needle every 4 to 6 inches.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to keep the water at a very gentle simmer. Add the sausage and cook gently until the sausage is hot on the inside, firm to the touch, and has plumped, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

BASIC BOUDIN BALLS

Steps:

• Remove boudin from casing; mix in fresh chiles.
• Shape mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball or smaller.
• Dip in beaten egg mixture and then into seasoned bread crumbs.
• I like to either use a large bowl with the bread crumbs in it and tossing 10 balls in it at a time and"tossing" to coat.
• [Bestto coat only as many balls as you can fry at one time; seasoning gets soggy if allowed to sit].
• Or, put bread crumbs in a large plastic bag, add balls, and"shake".
• Heat approx 1 1/2 inch of oil in a large, heavy bottomed (cast iron is excellent) skillet.
• Deep fat fry balls at 375 degrees (temp may be lowered, but no lower than 345 degrees) until golden brown, about 10 minutes per batch.
• Drain on paper towels.

BEST STOP BOUDIN

Steps:

• Add the pork butt, pork liver, onions, green bell peppers and 1 cup of the Cajun seasoning to a large stockpot and cover with water (about 10 gallons). Cover the pot, bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to a simmer and cook until the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Drain the cooking liquid from the meat and vegetable mixture and reserve for later use. Allow the meat and vegetable mixture to cool slightly, then add it to a food processor or grinder and process to a medium-coarse consistency.
• Add the browning sauce to the reserved cooking liquid (approximately 5 gallons) and stir until well blended.
• Add the cooked rice to the ground meat and vegetable mixture and season with the remaining 1 cup Cajun seasoning. Fold together well until it becomes a uniform mixture. Add 7 to 8 quarts (28 to 32 cups) of the reserved cooking liquid/browning sauce mixture and combine until it is well mixed and has the consistency of a hearty stew. Refrigerate the mixture until firm and easy to handle, at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Fill a cast-iron pot halfway with cooking oil and heat over medium heat until the oil reaches 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, add the cornmeal breading mix and flour and mix to distribute evenly. Using a 2 1/2-inch scoop, form the cooled mixture into balls and roll in the coating mix. Fry in the oil, in batches, until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes. Let drain on paper towels and serve warm.

BOUDIN SAUSAGE BALLS

Steps:

• To make the boudin sausage, in a large saucepan, combine the pork butt, pork liver, water, onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring the liquid up to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer until the pork and liver are tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove from the heat and drain, reserving the broth.
• Using a meat grinder with a 1/4-inch die or in a food processor, grind the pork mixture, 1/2 cup parsley, and 1/2 cup green onions. Turn the mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in the rice, remaining salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, to make a smooth, firm paste, and mix thoroughly. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. Let sit until cool enough to handle.
• In a large pot, preheat the vegetable oil to 360 degrees F.
• In a shallow bowl, combine the flour with 1 tablespoon of Essence. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the water and 1 teaspoon of Essence to make an egg wash. In a third bowl, season the bread crumbs with the remaining tablespoon of Essence.
• Shape the pork and rice mixture into balls the size of walnuts. Dredge the pork balls first in the flour, then dip in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the balls in the seasoned bread crumbs, turning to coat evenly.
• Using a slotted spoon, slide the balls in batches into the oil and fry, turning, until golden, about 2 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on a paper-lined plate. Season lightly with Essence.
• To serve, place several boudin balls on a plate and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with Creole Tartar Sauce on the side.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Put the egg, garlic, lemon juice, parsley, and green onions in a food processor and puree for 15 seconds. With the processor running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Add the cayenne, mustard, and salt and pulse once or twice to blend.
• Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until well chilled before serving, 1 hour.