The Easiest Way To Ensure Your Rope Sausage Stays As Juicy As Possible
There's nothing wrong with buying the usual package of separate sausage links from your local grocery store. Going for a rope sausage, though, can be a great way to spice things up at the next barbecue or tailgate.
According to Grass Roots Farmers' Cooperative, rope sausage is any sausage that is stuffed into a natural or synthetic casing. While most folks encounter sausages in single links, they can sometimes be found either in a connected string of links or as much longer ropes that curl and spiral inwards. Johnsonville sells a variety of rope sausages that come in smaller, more manageable sizes as well. It's worth noting that the shape of the sausage doesn't determine the type of sausage and its flavor. Some people might be used to encountering Italian sausages left in whole ropes, but they're also sold as kielbasa, andouille, and Korean-style BBQ. Meats and Sausages noted that one of the most famous examples of a traditional rope sausage is the Cumberland sausage. While it is available in other forms, the long continuous rope seems to suit it best.
For the most part, sausages are a fairly easy protein to add to any dinner menu. However, there are still lots of mistakes that can be made when preparing them. Rope sausages are no different, and while they come with their own unique benefits, inexperienced chefs should still take care.
Keep your sausage in one piece while cooking
One of the biggest mistakes to make with any type of sausage is to cook it over high heat. It might be tempting to sear them like a steak, but the exterior of sausages are much more fragile and will lose much of their valuable fat and juices if they split. Chef Jim Mumford told Mel Magazine that the main advantage to a rope sausage is that it stays moist while cooking because it is kept in a single large segment. While it might be tempting to cut the rope of links down to individual servings, it's best to cook it whole. Any cuts or breaks in the casing will compromise the juices and dry out your sausage during cooking. Once it's finished, the rope sausage can be cut down into single discs, or hoagie roll-sized segments for consumption.
When it comes to cooking, Our Everyday Life recommends skewering the rope sausage so that it keeps its spiral coil shape and baking it in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. That gentle heat will allow the meat to cook all the way through without burning or breaking the casing. Southside Market says that rope sausages can be cooked on the grill, but should be kept away from direct heat. It recommends keeping a temperature of roughly 300-350 degrees Fahrenheit until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.