Holy bacon on a stick, Batman. Why didn’t I think of this earlier?
Oh yeah… I did and simply couldn’t execute on it. Now I don’t have to.
I grew up eating brown ‘n serve sausage links on Sundays, cooked to a crisp by my Jewish suburban mother. I loved the crunch and the salty grease that exploded into my mouth with every bite. But most of all, I loved the flavor–the sage, garlic, salt, and whatever else was in it that made it so good.
Now, as any fan of Pulp Fiction knows, pigs are filthy animals.
Even pastured pigs will eat their own young… or worse. When it comes to pork–bacon, sausage, even my beloved carnitas–I need to exercise moderation. I’ve tried to make sausage with other meats, like turkey or beef, but I just couldn’t find the correct blend of seasonings to get that magic in my mouth.
Until now.
I live near the Spice House, an amazing store that has just about any type of spice, herb, or seasoning blend you could ever desire. Walk inside and you are assaulted by a riot of aromas and hundreds of items lined up enticingly on shelves. Each time I’m there, I usually buy at least three things I didn’t know I needed in addition to what was on my shopping list. It’s one-stop shopping at its best, and nothing (except maybe saffron or obscure vanilla beans) is outrageously expensive. Last week, I made my quarterly trek there and was pleasantly surprised to see this:
Breakfast sausage seasoning! I bought an ounce to try, and this morning, I made my first sausage patty with grass-fed beef instead of pork. I added a tablespoon of the spice blend to a pound of the beef, mixed it in and cooked it up. The taste was just like I remembered, absent the crispy casings. The luscious beef fat added a toothsome new dimension to the ineffable spice flavor of commercial breakfast sausage that I remember so fondly. My only quibble is that a tablespoon of seasoning isn’t quite enough for my tastes; next time, I’ll add a little more and throw in a sprinkle or two of salt and pepper.
I call these sausage patties paleo-ish because the sugar in the spice blend means that they are not strictly paleo. Given my penchant for black and white thinking, however, as well as my desire to go into the gray area more often, this is exactly the type of detour I’m willing to make. A little bit of sugar in exchange for a huge hit of flavor is an acceptable trade-off. If it doesn’t work for you, there are plenty of other spice blends to try that are sugar and salt free. The Spice House has a huge online store so check it out. It’s a great source for your seasoning needs at a reasonable price.
Meat Meets the Mat 