Extreme Grilling: Ditch the hot dogs and try these creative sausage recipes

by Emily Matchar, Posted Jun 6th 2008 @ 2:00PM

We're all fans of the easy summer barbecue: inviting a few friends over for an afternoon of hanging around the backyard, tossing some Hebrew Nationals on the Weber, spilling mustard on your shirt, falling asleep in the lounge chair and waking up redder than a gas station footlong.

But sometimes you want a little more from an outdoor meal. Something that doesn't involve sodium nitrite or a mushy bun. Something that shows off your cooking chops without ruining the casual, social nature of the backyard barbecue. I've collected a few of my favorite grilled sausage recipes from around the globe, stuff that will get you out of your hot dog rut without chaining you to the stove.

- Grilled sausages sandwiches with caramelized onions and Gruyere. This Bon Appetit recipe uses pre-cooked packaged sausages (it suggests white bratwurst) for a luxe take on the street fair classic. Serve them with a German wheat beer and a rustic apple tart for dessert.

- Grilled merguez with fried leeks and French fries on baguette. Merguez, a spicy red sausage of Algerian or Tunisian origin, brings some vim to the barbecue. The We Are Never Full blog has a step-by-step recipe for a great-looking merguez sandwich, the ne plus ultra of French-African street food. If you're not feeling up to frying your own French fries, I imagine they would taste just dandy without.

- Grilled chorizo tacos. This Food Network recipe pairs Mexican pork sausages with roasted poblano peppers, roasted tomato salsa and pepperjack cheese. The DIY nature of individual taco construction is perfect for a big all-ages party.

- Catalan sausage on grilled tomato bread. Pa amb tomaquet - grilled or toasted bread rubbed with garlic and tomato, is a staple of Spain's Catalonia region. Grill thick slices of bread side-by-side with some pork sausages (Catalonian butifarra are ideal, but chorizo would work as well) and you're good to go.

- Polish sausages with onions and sweet potato mash. My Polish grandmother might not approve, but the sweet-salty-meaty combo is pretty awesome.

Filed Under: Ingredients, Methods
Tags: barbecue, chorizo, grill, grilling, meat, merguez, sausage, summer

Chew on This

Royal Wedding Cake Details Revealed! - YumSugar

Make Your Own Pop Tarts - CHOW
Denny's Introduces a Maple Bacon Sundae - Eater
Whole Foods Opening Bars in Stores - USA Today
Rules Of Bar Etiquette -- For The Bartender - HuffPost Food

Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

7-24-2008 @11:47AM Tes said... Hey thanks so much for some awesome recipies! I tried the last night. I'm not the best with a grill and with your recipie and this website with some great grilling tips, I managed to get some rave reviews and a lot of questions about who really made it. The site is probably a little basic for you, but it really helped me out and I thought I should pass it on. Thanks again!
Reply