It’s about that time of year again. Time to practice your bead-catching skills, dig out that Hurricane recipe and get ready to let those bon temps roll. That’s right, it’s Mardi Gras season and no N’awlins-style bash would be complete without a pot bubbling away on the stove.
Many Louisiana specialties like gumbo and jambalaya call for andouille sausage and we’ve found a great version right here in St. Louis. The andouille from Baumann’s Fine Meats in Brentwood isn’t too heavily spiced, nor too smoky, making it perfect to throw into either of the savory stews.
But andouille doesn’t have to be a once-a-year treat; it has plenty of other uses as well. It’s great alongside other cured meats on a charcuterie plate or even in an omelet. If you’d rather let the smoked sausage take a supporting role, you can finely chop it and add it into ground beef for Cajun hamburgers or into a beef and pork combo for meat loaf.
The folks at Baumann’s make the sausage on-site in their location at 8829 Manchester Road, just west of Brentwood Blvd.
This article appears in March 2011.