When cooked properly, the sausages are firm and crunchy on the outside and tasty and succulent on the inside. The cooking methods that make it possible to obtain this result are different. Whether you want to grill them, boil them, sauté them in a pan or bake them, knowing a few basic tricks will allow you to always cook them to perfection. Note that this article is about cooking whole sausages, but the methods described can also be applied to sausage burgers or the filling itself.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Brown the Sausages in a Pan
Step 1. Heat a sturdy or cast iron skillet on the stove over medium to medium-high heat
Wait a couple of minutes for it to get hot.
When the pan starts to smoke slightly or when a drop of water poured on the bottom evaporates immediately, it means that you can start cooking
Step 2. Pour in some oil
Sausages are a naturally fatty ingredient, so a minimal amount will be enough. Since in the first phase of cooking the fat of the sausage will remain trapped in the casing, the oil will allow it not to stick to the bottom of the pan and risk burning. A tablespoon of evenly distributed seed oil will keep the surface greasy until the fat from the sausage begins to drain.
Be careful with olive oil. Having a lower smoke point than other oils, it would tend to burn at lower temperatures. While it's not dangerous, it could set off the smoke alarm and could affect the taste of the sausages
Step 3. Place the sausages in the hot pan
Carefully lay them down, one at a time. Make sure they don't touch each other. The space between the sausages will ensure even cooking on all sides. If you need to cook a lot of it, you may need to do it over and over.
If necessary, cut the string between them before placing them in the pan
Step 4. Brown the sausages until golden on all sides
Initially let them cook without touching them. After about two minutes, turn them to the opposite side. Keep turning them every couple of minutes until they are evenly browned. Depending on the size, this may take about 10-15 minutes.
- When they are golden brown, cut a sausage in half. The meat should be firm and fully cooked. Check that there are no pink parts and that the juices of the meat are transparent. If necessary, continue cooking to achieve the desired result.
- Handle the sausages with a pair of kitchen tongs to protect yourself from hot grease splashes.
Step 5. If you want to reduce cooking times, open or flatten the sausages
If you're in a hurry or don't feel like waiting, you can speed up the preparation with one of the following methods:
- Open the sausages in half. Take a sharp knife and cut them lengthwise from one end to the other. Open them completely as if you were opening a book in half and place them in the pan with the inside facing down. Cook them until golden brown.
- Flatten the sausages to reduce their thickness so they cook faster. Mash them with the bottom of a heavy skillet before cooking.
Step 6. If necessary, complete the steaming
Some sausages, especially larger ones, can take a long time to cook internally. If you are concerned that leaving them in the pan for too long will cause them to burn, try the following technique. In this case you will need to use a pan with a lid.
- Cook them normally, until they are golden on the outside, but still partially raw on the inside.
- Pour half a glass of water into the bottom of the boiling pan. Cover the sausages with the lid. The steam caused by the water will remain trapped in the pan and will penetrate to the heart of the sausages.
- Reduce the heat to a medium-low setting. Cook for 5-10 minutes, then carefully remove the lid to avoid burning yourself with the hot steam. Continue to brown the sausages for a few more minutes to restore the crunchiness.
Method 2 of 4: Grill the Sausages
Step 1. Turn on the barbecue
Grilling sausages isn't much different than frying them in a pan. To start, turn on the barbecue and wait until it is hot. If you are using a gas barbecue, use medium-high heat. If you prefer to use a charcoal barbecue, light a generous amount and wait for it to become hot and cover with ash.
If you're using a charcoal barbecue and aren't sure you know how to light it properly, read this article for detailed guidance
Step 2. Divide the barbecue in half, creating a "hot" and a "cold" zone
After you have properly heated the barbecue, you will need to organize it as follows: leave one side very hot, but reduce the heat on the opposite. This is a very simple task, here's how:
- If you are using a gas barbecue, simply set one of the burners to a low setting.
- If you are using a charcoal barbecue, use a special metal utensil to move most of the embers to one side, leaving only a thin layer on the other. Place the grill on the warm side.
Step 3. Brown the sausages on the hot side of the barbecue
Arrange them one at a time on the hot grill, making sure they don't touch each other to allow hot air to pass through and ensure even cooking. As for cooking in a pan, if necessary, before placing the sausages on the grill, cut the string that holds them together.
Wait two minutes, then turn them to the opposite side. The part in contact with the grill should have taken on a pleasant golden color. Brown them for about another minute before continuing
Step 4. Transfer them to the "cold" side of the barbecue to finish cooking
Once they are golden brown, move them to the other side of the barbecue using long kitchen tongs or a fork. While continuing to cook, they will not risk getting burned by the heat that is too intense. Let them cook for about 10 minutes, turning them from time to time.
As mentioned previously, the sausages are cooked when they are golden on the outside, firm and without any pinkish parts on the inside. The cooking juices must also become transparent
Method 3 of 4: Boil the Sausages
Step 1. Pour some liquid into a saucepan, filling it 3/4 of its capacity
You can simply use water; in this case, however, you will not give any additional flavor to the sausages. If you wish, try adding some other liquid ingredients to the water instead, following your personal tastes. For example, broth, wine, tomato sauce, beer are all ingredients that enrich the flavor of the sausage.
Boiling the sausages does not make them crunchy on the outside, but completely preserves the moisture and fat inside them. For this reason, the advice is to boil sausages with a fine and homogeneous texture, with a good balance between lean meat, fatty meat and water. Frankfurters are also suitable for this type of cooking
Step 2. Bring the water to a boil
Use the larger burner to effectively heat the large amount of water required to cook the sausages. It may take some time for the water to boil.
Step 3. Dip the sausages in boiling water
To avoid splashing, place them in the pot one at a time, using a pair of long kitchen tongs. Don't drop them into the water. With the last of the sausages dipped in, reduce the heat by bringing the water to a gentle boil.
Step 4. Let them cook
Cover the pot with a lid. In the case of pre-cooked sausages, you will only have to wait a few minutes for them to heat up completely. Otherwise, the cooking time could reach up to 30 minutes, depending on the size and quantity of the sausages. In both situations, don't forget to mix occasionally to ensure an even result.
Boiled sausages look different than grilled or sautéed sausages. Externally they are not golden, but internally they will be uniformly firm, with no pink parts. Depending on the variety of sausages, the acquired hue may not be the most inviting; fear not, the important thing is that they are completely cooked
Step 5. If you wish, brown them for a few moments in a pan
Your boiled sausages are ready to eat, but if you're a fan of the crisp, golden exterior, you can still achieve the same result that other cooking methods provide. Heat a sturdy or cast iron skillet, pour a tablespoon of oil on the bottom and brown the sausages on all sides for a couple of minutes, or until golden brown to your taste.
Traditionally, some of the sausages from Central and Eastern European countries should be eaten simply boiled. A light browning in a pan will still keep them tasty
Method 4 of 4: Bake the Sausages in the Oven
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
While you wait for it to reach the correct temperature, proceed with the next steps.
Step 2. Prepare a baking sheet
You can cook sausages in the oven in a variety of ways; the simplest way is to put them directly into a metal pan. However, if you want to guarantee an ideal result, try this method, which allows you to drain the fats that come out of the meat during cooking just like on the grill:
- Line the pan with aluminum foil. Once cooked, cleaning will be much easier.
- Place a wire rack on the lined baking sheet. Choose a rack that prevents the sausages from falling into the pan.
Step 3. Arrange the sausages on the wire rack
As in the previous methods, make sure they don't touch each other. Two or three centimeters of free space on each side will ensure even cooking. Remove the string before placing the sausages on the wire rack.
Step 4. Bake for 20 minutes
Insert the pan in the center of the oven and wait 10 minutes before turning the sausages upside down. Continue cooking for another 10 minutes without touching them.
Handle the sausages with a pair of long kitchen tongs to avoid burning yourself with the hot fat
Step 5. Check the doneness
A cooked sausage in the oven is very similar to a cooked sausage on the barbecue. When cooked, the outside must be uniformly golden and crunchy, while the inside must be firm, succulent and completely free of pinkish parts. The juices that come out of the meat must be transparent.
If the sausages don't seem cooked, set the timer again at five-minute intervals and check them frequently. Large sausages can take a long time to cook well in the center
Advice
- A perfectly cooked sausage should have an internal temperature of around 60-66 ° C. If you have a meat thermometer, use it to check for ideal doneness.
- After browning the sausages, try using the fat left in the bottom of the pan to make another recipe, such as sautéed vegetables or fried bread. Your dishes will acquire a delicious flavor note.
- Sometimes the directions on sausage packaging will differ from the methods described here. In this case you can decide whether to follow the traditionally recommended method or to customize your recipe following the method you like best.
