ROUSES_MayJun2019_Magazine-Print

A GLOSSARY OF CAJUN MEATS

ANDOUILLE An import that originated in France, andouille — pronounced ahn-doo-wee — is a dense, highly seasoned, heavily smoked sausage combining pork chunks or pieces — or coarsely ground pork (usually from the shoulder), garlic, onion and pepper. Despite its French ancestry and name, andouille actually owes its spicy flavor and pep- pery heat to the sausage traditions of another South Louisiana immigrant group — the Germans. BOUDIN Rice, pork, spices and usually liver stuffed into a natural pork sausage casing. FRESH SAUSAGE Pure ground pork or poultry is mixed with sea- sonings, onions, and usually a bit of fresh green onion tops. Rouses butchers make several kinds, including a fresh Italian sausage spiced up with peppers and anise seed or fennel, and a fresh green onion sausage flavored with green onion tops and Cajun seasonings. SALT MEAT AND PICKLE PORK Salt meat comes from the belly of the pig, while pickled pork comes from the front leg or picnic (lower part of the shoulder). But both meats are salt cured, meaning they’re preserved with a mixture of salt, sugar and nitrates. SMOKED SAUSAGE Ground beef, pork or chicken are mixed with Rouses seasonings and green onions, then stuffed in a casing and smoked. Smoked sausage, with its distinctive smoky flavor and smell, is a must for several Cajun dishes. TASSO Tasso is not actually a ham, because it’s made from the front shoulder (instead of the rear leg) of a pig. Brined for preservation and smoked until flavors are highly concentrated, tasso is used to flavor jambalaya, as well as just about any slow- cooked stew or vegetable dish. HOGS HEAD CHEESE Is hogs head cheese really cheese? No. It’s sausage-like, kind of gelatinous and similar to a classic countrified French terrine. Tender meat from a long-boiled pig’s head (hence the name) is ground and cooled into a jellied loaf and served cold. It is usually eaten on crackers or bread.

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