Grilled Italian sausage --a succulent, savory alternative to American hot dogs-- is only 3 steps away; so STOP eating the same boring sandwiches and treat yourself to something fun and different tonight; you're worth it!
Preparation:
Perfectly grilled Italian sausage starts with fresh Italian sausage purchased from your butcher or grocer or, if you're feeling ambitious, you may find some hot or sweet Italian sausage recipes and make some yourself!
Juiciness and fat content can make cooking sausage a risky endeavor. Too many cooks hesitate to cook sausage after dangerous experiences with spatter, burns, and exploding. Some advocate par-boiling or pricking sausage before cooking to offset some of the risk but in my experience, releasing those juices often means sacrificing flavor. To preserve flavor while reducing mess, steam (don't boil) your sausages for three minutes (you can steam with water, broth, beer or a combination; aromatics like onions, bay, or garlic are good too) or JUST until they've begun to darken and firm up. In essence, they should sweat, not cook. After three minutes, remove and make three evenly spaced slits through the CASING ONLY; DO NOT CUT THROUGH TO THE SAUSAGE.
Cooking:
Place the lightly steamed sausages on a hot charcoal, gas, or indoor grill. Sausages should take about 7-8 minutes per side. When done, sausage will be firm to the touch and have an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Allow the sausage to rest before serving.
Serving:
Place your inside your favorite bun or sandwich roll. Choose from a variety of toppings such as tangy stone-ground mustard, caramelized onions, crisp arugula, roasted garlic aioli, or zesty sun-dried tomato pesto. For a fun twist, you can top it with traditional hot dog condiments like neon relish, raw onion, or yellow mustard. If you want to go for a real Italian treat, use marinara, mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves. It's completely up to you!
Preparation:
Perfectly grilled Italian sausage starts with fresh Italian sausage purchased from your butcher or grocer or, if you're feeling ambitious, you may find some hot or sweet Italian sausage recipes and make some yourself!
Juiciness and fat content can make cooking sausage a risky endeavor. Too many cooks hesitate to cook sausage after dangerous experiences with spatter, burns, and exploding. Some advocate par-boiling or pricking sausage before cooking to offset some of the risk but in my experience, releasing those juices often means sacrificing flavor. To preserve flavor while reducing mess, steam (don't boil) your sausages for three minutes (you can steam with water, broth, beer or a combination; aromatics like onions, bay, or garlic are good too) or JUST until they've begun to darken and firm up. In essence, they should sweat, not cook. After three minutes, remove and make three evenly spaced slits through the CASING ONLY; DO NOT CUT THROUGH TO THE SAUSAGE.
Cooking:
Place the lightly steamed sausages on a hot charcoal, gas, or indoor grill. Sausages should take about 7-8 minutes per side. When done, sausage will be firm to the touch and have an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Allow the sausage to rest before serving.
Serving:
Place your inside your favorite bun or sandwich roll. Choose from a variety of toppings such as tangy stone-ground mustard, caramelized onions, crisp arugula, roasted garlic aioli, or zesty sun-dried tomato pesto. For a fun twist, you can top it with traditional hot dog condiments like neon relish, raw onion, or yellow mustard. If you want to go for a real Italian treat, use marinara, mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves. It's completely up to you!
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