Grandma Broadbent's Country Sausage, 1 lb

Grandma Broadbent's Country Sausage (1 lb)

This is breakfast sausage the old Kentucky way. Grandma Broadbent's savory blend of seasonings is worked into pork, packed into a cloth sack, dry cured, and slow-smoked over hickory until the smoke works all the way through the meat.

It's cured like Broadbent's country ham, so it's built for flavor, not mildness. Slice it into patties and brown them for biscuits and eggs, crumble it into a skillet of sausage gravy, or roll it into sausage balls for the holidays. A little goes a long way.

The cloth sack is the traditional way of doing it. Hickory smoke passes through the cloth and into the sausage, which is why it tastes the way it does, and the cure is why it keeps far longer than fresh sausage.

Country sausage runs salty. Here's how to handle it.

This is dry-cured country sausage, made with the same salt cure and hickory smoke Broadbent uses on their country ham. Grocery store breakfast sausage is fresh ground and mild. This isn't. Expect it to be noticeably saltier and smokier than the sausage you're used to. A few things help:

• Slice thin patties. About 1/4 inch thick. They brown evenly and spread the flavor further.
• Serve it with something to balance it. Biscuits, eggs, grits, or a skillet of gravy. It seasons everything on the plate.
• Skip added salt, including in the gravy. The sausage has it covered.

How to cook it

This sausage is cured and smoked, but it is not cooked. Cook it to an internal temperature of 160°F before eating.

1. Thaw it in the refrigerator and keep it well chilled. Cold sausage slices clean and the cloth peels away easier.
2. Cut off the tied end about 1 1/2 inches down, slit the sack lengthwise, and peel the cloth off.
3. Slice into patties with a sharp knife.
4. Start the patties in a cold, ungreased skillet over medium heat. Brown on both sides and cook through to 160°F.

Details

• 1 lb roll in a cloth sack
• Dry cured and hickory smoked by Broadbent B & B Foods, Kuttawa, Kentucky, from Grandma Broadbent's recipe
• About 6 to 8 breakfast servings
• Raw: cook to 160°F
• Nitrite free. Contains MSG
• Storage: up to 9 months frozen, 2 to 3 months refrigerated
• Ships frozen with dry ice. USDA inspected

FAQ

Is it salty?
Yes, noticeably saltier than grocery store breakfast sausage. It's dry cured with salt by design, the same way country ham is. Slice thin patties, pair it with biscuits or eggs, and skip added salt in anything you cook with it.

Is it fully cooked?
No. It's cured and hickory smoked, but not cooked. Cook it to an internal temperature of 160°F.

How should I store it?
It ships frozen with dry ice. Put it in the freezer when it arrives, where it keeps up to 9 months, or in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 months. To use a frozen roll, move it to the refrigerator to thaw.

How do I get it out of the cloth sack?
Chill it well first. Cut off the tied end about 1 1/2 inches down, slit the sack lengthwise, and peel the cloth away with your fingers. Smoke draws the meat into the cloth, so cold sausage releases cleanest.

What's it good for?
Breakfast patties, sausage gravy over biscuits, sausage balls, sausage pinwheels, and egg casseroles.

Where is it made?
Kuttawa, Kentucky.

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