By TUCKER BOWE Photo by SUNG HAN
By definition, sausages — “meat with seasonings stuffed into a prepared casing” — are open to interpretation. Today they come in every kind of meat, are spiced and seasoned with nearly everything under the sun, and can be prepared in a number of ways: cured, dried, smoked, grilled, boiled. Everyone has their take. So instead of attempting a definitive sausage guide, we’ve created a visual survey of ballpark dog alternatives — meaning sausages that can be grilled, or boiled, and served on a bun. Each of the sausages below are unique, come from highly regarded purveyors, and are primed for you next barbecue. (Charcuterie not included.)
Frankfurter
Meat: We call them hot dogs, but the proper nomenclature is frankfurters. They can be made of pork, beef, chicken or combinations of each. This frankfurter is made with a combination of Wagyu and Angus beef, “slowly smoked with authentic hard wood.”
How to Cook: preferably grilled or boiled
Purveyor: Snake River Farms
Weisswurst/Bockwurst
Meat: These white sausages from Old Bavaria are traditionally made with minced veal and pork, and then flavored with variations of parsley, lemon, onions and cardamom. They’re mildly spiced.
How to Cook: heat in near-boiling water (traditional), or grill
Purveyor: Schaller & Weber
Bratwurst
Meat: A favorite in Germany, bratwursts are made with finely chopped veal, pork or beef. Schaller & Weber suggest serving their pork and veal version with sauerkraut and mustard.
How to Cook: grill, sauté or brown in a frying pan
Purveyor: Schaller & Weber
Kielbasa
Meat: A kielbasa is a traditional Polish sausage. It’s coarsely ground, and can be made with pork, beef, turkey, lamb, chicken or veal. This one is seasoned with garlic.
How to Cook: grill, sauté or brown in a frying pan
Purveyor: Schaller & Weber
Chorizo
Meat: Smoky with a distinctive red color, the Spanish chorizo is made completely of pork and commonly used in family-style Spanish recipes, like chorizo a la sidra (a sausage-and-cider tapas dish) and cocido (a traditional Spanish stew).
How to Cook: grill on a skillet
Purveyor: Despaña Brand Foods
Blood Sausage (Morcilla)
Meat: Blood sausages are made worldwide with a variety of meats, including pork, beef and sheep. The meat is mixed with the animal’s blood, which congeals to give the sausage its distinct consistency. This traditional Spanish blood sausage, a morcilla, is made of pork, pork blood and onions, with additional spices.
How to Cook: grilled, baked or cooked on a stove top (poke hole to prevent bursting)
Purveyor: Despaña Brand Foods
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Andouille
Meat: Andouille sausages have Cajun origins. It’s a smoked pork sausage, usually made with hot peppers — so they have some kick. (This one is made with cayenne peppers.) They can be grilled and served on a bun, like a spicy hot dog.
How to Cook: grilled or boiled
Purveyor: Lobel’s of New York
Linguica
Meat: These cured pork sausages are second cousins, according to Lobel’s, to chorizo. They’re spicy, made with red chillies and are typically added to fish stews in New England.
How to Cook: heat on a large skillet or grill or bake in an oven
Purveyor: Lobel’s of New York
Kaese Krainer
Meat: This is a European variation of the Slovenian krainer sausage, filled with cheese. This one is made with smoked pork and beef, flavored with chunks of garlic and Swiss cheese.
How to Cook: boiled, baked or grilled
Purveyor: Lobel’s of New York
Sweet Italian
Meat: Italian sausages are traditionally made of pork and come in two styles: spicy and sweet. This sweet sausage from Pat LaFrieda is flavored with fennel and made with Hampshire pigs.
How to Cook: bake, broil or grill
Purveyor: Pat LaFrieda
Hot Italian
Meat: The spicy sibling to the sweet Italian sausage, this pork sausage has the added kick that comes with hot red peppers.
How to Cook: bake, broil or grill
Purveyor: Pat LaFrieda
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