Creole Boudin Food

LOUISIANA BOUDIN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Chop the meats, liver and fat into chunks that will fit in the grinder. Mix the meats, liver and fat with the onion, celery, poblano peppers and garlic, then the salt, curing salt (if using) and either the Cajun seasonings or the spice mix you made from this recipe. Put it all in a lidded container and set in the fridge at least an hour, and up to a day.
• Put the contents of the container into a large pot and pour in enough water to cover everything by an inch or two. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until everything is tender, at least 90 minutes and up to 3 hours. Strain the cooking liquid (you'll need it later) and spread the meat, fat and veggies out on a sheet pan to cool.
• When everything is cool enough to handle, grind it through the coarse die (6.5 mm) on your grinder. You can also hand chop everything.
• Put your meat mix into a large bowl and add the cooked rice, parsley and green onions. Mix well, and add up to 4 cups of the reserved cooking liquid. Mix this for 3 to 5 minutes so you make a more cohesive mixture to stuff into a casing. You now have boudin.
• You can just shape the mixture into balls and fry them (they're awesome), or use your boudin as stuffing for something else, like a turkey. Or you can case it. Stuff the boudin into hog casings, and while you're doing it, get a large pot of salted water hot -- not simmering, just steaming. You want the water to be about 165ºF to 170ºF. Poach the links for 10 minutes, then serve. If you are not serving them right away, no need to poach the links yet.
• Boudin does not keep well, so eat it all within a couple days. It does freeze reasonably well, however.

GRILLED BOUDIN AND CREOLE MUSTARD

Steps:

• For the mustard: In a medium saucepan add 1/2 to 1 cup water, the vinegar, mustard seeds and garlic. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook at a simmer for 30 minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and, while still hot, mix in the whole-grain mustard, honey, mustard, horseradish, sugar, salt and cayenne. Refrigerate until cool.
• For the boudin: Heat a grill pan or heavy-bottomed skillet set over high heat. Brush the pan with the oil and add the boudin. Cook, turning occasionally, until crispy and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with the Creole mustard and some crackers.

CREOLE BOUDIN

Steps:

• Cut the pork steak and liver into 2 inch pieces and place in a large saucepan, along with the onion, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover with cold water by 1 1/2 inches. Season well with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to a simmer, skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Simmer for about 1 hour or until the meat is very tender. Remove the bay leaves, and thyme, then strain the solids from the broth, reserve the broth.
• Grind the meats and cooked onion and garlic while they're still hot, you could also chop this by hand.
• For the Rice:.
• In a saucepan with a lid, combine the rice with 3 Cups of the reserved broth. Taste the broth for seasoning, if necessary season with salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then down to very low heat and cover. Cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
• When the rice is cooked, combine it with the ground meat mixture, green onions, and parsley. Mix thoroughly and season to taste with Kosher salt, black pepper, and Cayenne.
• Stuff into prepared hog casings , or form into patties or balls for pan frying.
• To heat the stuffed Boudin sausages, either poach them in water between 165-185 degrees F, or brush the casings with a little oil and bake in a 400 degree oven until heated through and the skins are crispy. When I poach them, I take the Boudin out of the casings to eat it because they become rubbery.