Perfect Juicy Grilled Sausages

The secret to perfect sausages on the grill is to poach them in beer first. When you cook them all the way on a grill you loose all the good juicy fat by the time they are safe to eat. You’ll need an instant-read digital thermometer and some extra prep time in the kitchen but the results are worth it and it will make the grill time much faster.

Directions

  1. Put the raw sausages in a large sauce pan or small pot and cover with at least a half inch of flavorful beer.
  2. Bring to a gentle simmer and let cook until the internal temperature of the sausages reaches a safe point to eat: 145°F for pork, 165°F for chicken
  3. Take the sausages out of the beer and refrigerate if you’re not using them immediately
  4. Finish by browning them on the grill until warm and caramelized

Good places to buy hand-made gourmet sausage:

Photo by Phil and Pam Gradwell via Flickr used with CC Attribution license

Sloppy Joe’s

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into small dice
  • 2 medium yellow onions, small dice
  • 4 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ¼ cup tomato paste
  • 2 pounds lean ground beef
  • ½ tsp cayenne
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
  • 28-ounce can of tomato sauce
  • ½ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ tsp xatan gum (optional)
  • 6 to 8 hamburger buns

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add the peppers, onion, and garlic, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 6 minutes.
  2. Add the tomato paste, stir to combine, and cook until the raw flavor has cooked out, about 1 minute.
  3. Increase the heat to medium high, add the ground beef, and cook, breaking the meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon, until it’s just cooked through and no longer pink, about 4 minutes.
  4. Add the cayenne, paprika, cumin, and measured salt, stir to coat the meat and vegetables, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  5. Add the tomato sauce, water, vinegar, Worcestershire, and brown sugar, stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors meld and the mixture thickens, about 30 minutes. If mixture hasn’t thickened enough after 30 minutes powder Xatan gum can be added as needed (about ½ to 1 tsp).
  6. Serve warm on fluffy hamburger buns.

Adapted from Chow. Photo by Casey Bisson via Flickr used with CC Attribution, Non Commercial, Share Alike license

Tofu Burgers

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs tofu
  • 2 onions chopped
  • 3 eggs
  • 8 oz walnuts chopped
  • 1 carrot grated
  • 1 cup bread crumbs
  • ½ cup wheat germ
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • Garlic powder to taste
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Mash tofu
  2. Mix in onion, carrot & walnut
  3. Beat eggs
  4. Mix in tofu
  5. Oil cookie sheet
  6. Form into patties
  7. Bake 375° for 30 min or until browned
  8. Turn patties over once

Photo by Moira Clunie via Flickr used with CC Attribution, Non Commercial, Share Alike license