Favorite breakfast sausage?

I hope this hasn't been covered yet. Which brand of breakfast sausage do you like the most? I'm looking for something really flavorful. I'm really not interested in making my own, so it's not an option. I'm willing to buy it anywhere in the NW suburbs or the City (no further south than Chinatown). Thanks

Pucca,

My favorites are the breakfast links from Paulina Market. Really rich and juicy. With a little more sage flavor, they'd be perfect.

Fairplay has a small link sausage, probably a 16:1 ct. that I like a lot also.

I am also interested in this issue.

A good sausage at breakfast is proof that ours is a just god and he loves us. However, can I find a good one to cook at home? No. Mrs. AS is wont to buy chicken apple sausage and the like and pass that off as breakfast sausage. While I know deep in my soul this is a fraud, I do not have a good alternative sausage to demand. A breakfast sausage that is full of porky goodness and not too thick so it can be browned and cooked easily in the morning.

I am swinging past Paulina St. this evening and I will buy some of their breakfast sausage. I pray I will not be disappointed again.

Marketplace on Oakton has a number of house-made sausages, IIRC the breakfast sausage links are very porky, well-seasoned with sage (they are flavorful but not spicy)

However, I just cooked up some sausages I'd found in my deep freeze without checking their pedigree and to my surprise, served up a plate of bangers (which I don't like, to me they're basically a flavorless tube of ground salted pork. I hereby apologize deeply to anyone from the UK offended by this comment.) I don't ordinarily buy house-made sausage outside of Marketplace, so it's possible they changed their formula (though, in the depths of my deep-freeze, anything is possible - maybe there's a wormhole to a freezer in the British Isles?)

Casey's in Western Springs makes a wonderful breakfast link sausage.

There's nothing wrong with Paulina's sausage. I bought some today, as a matter of fact. And I will enjoy it this weekend. But if I had to vote for my favorite breakfast sausage, I'd say it was Zier's in Wilmette. Paulina is simply closer to me.

This question drove me to produce my own recipe which, frankly, is my favorite. If you're interested or inclined, the recipe can be found on this thread.

But when I'm not in the mood to make it myself, I often buy breakfast sausage at Zier's Prime Meats in Wilmette. Dave Zier's passion for sausage making is one of the things that drew me to his shop in the first place. He sells it in 4 varieties, which I believe all start with the same recipe: fresh links, fresh bulk, smoked links and pre-browned patties. It's usually made with pork, but sometime he uses chicken or turkey instead. He doesn't always have all varieties in the case, so it's probably best to call ahead. And on that note, my experience tells me that he'll be happy to put some up for you, on request.

=R=

Zier's Prime Meats
813 Ridge Avenue
Wilmette, IL
847 251-4000

ronnie_suburban wrote:This question drove me to produce my own recipe which, frankly, is my favorite.

I have to say that this question also drove me to find my own. I truly tried to find and like what was there. . .too salty, not fatty enough, too fatty, no flavor, weird flavors. . .yuk.

It did take some time. And, it is work. I make about ten-twelve pounds at a time now that I have the recipe down, then freeze it.

If you find something that you love, please let us know. There are times I'd be willing to trade in this time I spend making it. I think.

I'm with AngrySarah on this one. I've never been able to find one that I really consistently like. Many seem hard to cook properly too. Either overcooking or undercooking. How do y'all cook yore links? Water/no water in pan, how much heat, covered/open?

I have just finished a breakfast sausage feed. I bought some from Paulina St. and fried them up today.

A little butter in the pan and over a low medium flame for 20 minutes or more.

These are good breakfast sausages. However, they are not the Platonic Ideal of breakfast sausages. In my mind, the Platonic Ideal of breakfast sausages it a little thinner, a little shorter, a touch more spice (sage???) and a little more black/white pepper.

After we move I may have to invest in some sausage making equipment.

Thanks for that post, AS. I had been wondering about Paulina. They usually put out an impeccable product.

AngrySarah wrote:After we move I may have to invest in some sausage making equipment.

If you don't mind eating your sausage in bulk form (to start, at least) and you already own a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer, the reliable grinder attachment costs around $50, which is a relatively small investment. It also doesn't take up much room, storage-wise.

=R=

You don't have to travel for this breakfast sausage and I guarantee it is the best you can obtain in the US. Scott Hams http://www.scotthams.com/ makes a cold smoked breakfast sausage that you can purchase in 1 or 2 # rolls. The rolls are shipped frozen and if ordered in the fall/winter/spring i have had no delivery problems. The sausage is then sliced and slowly cooked to preserve the smoke house flavor. Scotts uses no nitrates or nitrites in their products. Thier country hams are the best and the slab bacon, while salty, is very useful in cooking. I order about twice a year, freeze the bacon and sausage and cook the ham. -Dick

Call me crazy, but my favorite non-homemade bkft.sausage is the one they serve and sell at Cracker Barrel of all places. Go figure!

I like Amy's Organic Sausage, made from all chicken, they have seveal different kinds, but cognac and cranberry is my favorite. I usually fry one up with some eggs, that is if I have the time.