How to Cook Boudin Sausage
Boudin sausage doesn't require much cooking since the sausage-maker has already taken care of cooking it for you before you purchased it. Boudin blanc, the Cajun classic, is a basic forcemeat, a charcuterie term that refers to a mixture of ground meat and fat held together with a binder. Boudin comprises pork meat, pork fatback and rice, along with aromatics, like peppers and onions, and pungents, like garlic -- all of which are cooked before they're stuffed in the casing. Cooking boudin is a matter of heating it to a safe temperature using a cooking method that gives you the texture you want.
Boudin sausage in a dish. (Image: Fudio/iStock/Getty Images)Oven
Step 1
Heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and line a rimmed baking sheet with foil if you want boudin with a seared, crispy texture.
Step 2
Coat the foil with a thin sheen of oil and place the boudin links on it, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Slide the boudin in the oven.
Step 3
Bake the boudin for 20 to 25 minutes, turning over the links every 5 to 10 minutes with tongs.
Step 4
Take the boudin out of the oven and check for an internal temperature of 165 F by inserting a meat thermometer in the center of a link lengthwise. Serve hot and steaming.
Stovetop
Step 1
Pour a few inches of water in a saucepan or pot and set it on the stove over medium-high heat if you want a soft-textured boudin. There's no need to use stock or another flavorful liquid to cook the boudin because it won't penetrate the casing.
Step 2
Place the boudin in the pan after the water starts simmering. Simmer the boudin for 5 minutes after the water returns to a simmer.
Step 3
Check the links for an internal temperature of 165 F and place them on a plate lined with a paper towel to drain. Serve immediately.
Grill
Step 1
Set up the grill to cook with medium heat if you want a smoky, charred boudin. If you have a charcoal grill, the amount of charcoal you need varies with the size, but about 50 to 60 pieces of lump charcoal spread evenly in the charcoal tray should do it for an average-sized model.
Step 2
Lay the boudin links on the grill, spacing each at least 1 inch from the next.
Step 3
Grill the boudin links for about 2 minutes on each side. Take the links off the grill and check the internal temperature before serving.
Things You'll Need
Meat thermometer
Tongs
Tip
Thaw boudin on a plate lined with paper towels in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
You can cook boudin from a frozen state, too. Just add 15 minutes to the baking time and 10 minutes to the poaching time, and always check for an internal temperature of 165 F. Don't cook frozen boudin on a grill because one side thaws and cooks faster than the other even if you turn it regularly.
Hold the boudin link with tongs or a towel when checking the temperature, so the hot juices don't touch your hands when you puncture them with the thermometer.
