Who doesn’t love a grilled bratwurst? No matter what part of the world you’re from, it’s likely you’ve enjoyed some sort of sausage in your life.
Since the earliest days of human meat consumption, sausages have been an important part of preserving and eating meat. Whether it’s German frankfurters, Spanish chorizo, or even Turkish sucuk, different types of sausage are available all over the world—and they’re all incredibly tasty. Sausages generally consist of ground meat from various sources being encased in animal intestine. More recently, synthetic sausage casings have become prevalent, as they are cheaper to make than the more traditional intestinal linings used in the past.
Evidence of human sausage consumption stretches back millennia. Perhaps the oldest recorded evidence of sausage consumption was revealed after archeologists decoded ancient Akkadian tablets which described the process of encasing some sort of meat inside animal intestines.
But the Mesopotamian Akkadian Empire isn’t the only place where early evidence of sausage consumption can be found. On the other side of the Asian continent, the Chinese làcháng sausage has been consumed since at least 589 BC, which at the time consisted of goat and lamb meat. These days, Chinese sausages contain a variety of meats, but that goat and lamb combination sure does sound tasty.
Fast forward to the present, and sausage constitutes an important part of many cultures’ national cuisines. Imagine Germany without sausages—what would the locals enjoy alongside their beer if not the magnificent grilled bratwurst? Together with a topping of strong mustard, the bratwurst is indeed the best companion to a cold, German wheat beer.
But it is perhaps in the United States and other multicultural settler-colonial nations where the wide array of international varieties of sausage can be observed. In an American supermarket, whole deli counters are reserved for the sale of sausages based on recipes stemming from the various immigrant groups, all of whom have become part of the nation’s rich, cultural tapestry. Whether salami, frankfurters, or mortadella, the plethora of sausage varieties in such multicultural contexts can be quite impressive.
A great way to start the day
If you stem from a North American or British background, you’ll probably know the classic breakfast combination of sausage, egg, and bacon. There’s just something about these ingredients that brighten up the start to any day. So whether you’re nursing a hangover or are simply in the mood for some meaty, eggy goodness, then it might be time to consider beginning your day with a sausage, bacon and fried egg sandwich.
Of course, store-bought bread rolls are perfectly fine to use for this recipe. But if you’re an early bird, why not get up a bit ahead of time and prepare some freshly baked homemade bread? This won’t only up your breakfast game—the smell of bread in the oven is bound to get the rest of your family out of bed in no time. Combined with the enticing smell of fried bacon and sausage, this aroma may, in fact, be the best way to entice your partner and children to join you in the kitchen without you even having to go and fetch them.
One variety of bread that is sure to work alongside your sausage and bacon is, of course, a homemade Italian-style bread. This traditional recipe will produce a dough that you can even store in the fridge and use at a later date. But for the purpose of the breakfast at hand, rest assured that this Italian bread will be the perfect accompaniment to the sandwiches you’re about to make.
The best way to prepare eggs for these magical sandwiches is, of course, to fry them sunny-side up in the pan that you’ve just cooked your sausages and bacon in. That way, you don’t even need to use any additional oil—the remaining meat fat will help fry your eggs to perfection in no time. Sprinkle these majestic sandwiches with some fresh parsley, and you’re good to go.
A match made in heaven
While there are many food couplings that seem to have been made for each other, there is one that particularly stands out. The most dynamic of food duos is without a doubt sausage and mashed potatoes, a dish so classic and easy to make that it’s consumed by families all over the Western world. But to transform this terrific twosome into something even better, you’ll need to harness one more fantastic ingredient—fried onions.
This magical combination will result in a hearty sausage and mashed potatoes with onions and gravy. While your potatoes are boiling, fry up your pork sausages in a well-oiled pan. Once they’re cooked all the way through, it’s time to start with your onion wedges. These should be fried until tender, at which point you’ll want to add some beef stock and sugar that will result in a savory gravy.
While you let your gravy simmer, it’s time to mash those potatoes. If you time it right, all the components of this tasty dish should be ready simultaneously.
