Piled high with grilled onions, my smoked sausage po’boy is a Cajun recipe classic. (All photos credit: George Graham)
Smoked sausage is a familiar food item throughout Acadiana, and not a festival goes on without a booth serving up a smoked sausage po’boy. This Cajun recipe doesn’t get any simpler and don’t look for me to complicate it…much.
First, the basics: My bread is classic–a soft po’boy bun from Evangeline Maid Bread in Lafayette. And my smoked pork links are from the smokehouse of Savoie’s sausage-making operation in Opelousas, Louisiana in St. Landry Parish. Nothing complicated so far.
But, I will admit that there are several twists on this Cajun recipe for a Smoked Sausage Po’Boy that I believe intensifies the flavors in multiple directions. First, I brown my sausage links in a hot grill pan, and then I braise them in beer. I like the introduction of the beer bath to help plump up the sausage into a moist and flavor-filled link.
Pig Stand barbecue sauce is my choice for the balance of flavors in this Smoked Sausage Po’Boy .
And I like the compliment of dueling sauces (mustard-spiced and barbecue sweet) that create two layers of flavor on my Smoked Sausage Po’Boy. Zatarain’s Creole mustard cut with a little Blue Plate mayonnaise has just the bite this sausage needs, and my barbecue sauce of choice for this sandwich—Pig Stand.
Finally, I crown this bad boy with griddled Vidalia onions steamed in the beer braise. Unlike the bite of regular yellow onions, the sweet Vidalias have a smooth finish that mellows out this sandwich. Oh yeah, this simple smoked sausage po’boy only gets better with a few tasty Cajun recipe additions. Pop the top on a cold one and give it a try; you’ll love it.
- 4 (6 to 8-inch) links smoked sausage
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 bottles of beer
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 medium Vidalia onions, peeled and sliced
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup Creole mustard or brown mustard
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 4 soft po'boy buns, such as Evangeline Maid
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons vinegar-based barbecue sauce, such as Pig Stand
- With a sharp knife, slice open the sausage lengthwise without going all the way through.
- In a skillet with a lid over medium-high heat, add the vegetable oil. Add the sausage and brown on both sides, laying it flat. Add the beer and cover, and lower the heat to simmer. Cook for 30 minutes. Remove the sausage and keep warm. Pour off the liquid and reserve.
- In the same skillet with a lid over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and the onions. Cook until the onions brown and begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add ½ cup of the beer braising liquid and cover to let steam for 5 minutes. Uncover and add the sugar and Cajun seasoning along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Cook uncovered until the liquid evaporates and turn off the heat. Keep warm.
- In a mixing bowl, add the mustard and mayonnaise. Stir to incorporate and set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Place the buns on a baking sheet and brush the interior and exterior with melted butter. Move to the oven and bake until crispy, about 10 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
- For serving, slather the inside of the bun with mustard sauce. Place a sausage in the center, open it up, and pour the barbecue sauce along the inside of the link. Pile on the onions. Serve more barbecue sauce on the side with potato chips and an ice-cold beer.
Smoked sausage po’boy perfection.
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Great recipe…like the creole mustard w/Mayo idea. Grilling split sausage is a key tip as well.
Hey Randy – Yes, I like the combination of the two sauces: smooth and spicy with the tangy and sweet. Thanks for the comment.
NO FAIR GEORGE!!! I have just started cooking my way through Acadiana Table (it arrived Tuesday) and already you have thrown out another must do recipe! Can’t wait for the next family cookout serving your Smoked Sausage Po-boys.
I made the Chicken Leg Fricassee for Wednesday dinner but used bone-in skin-on thighs because that is what I had and I didn’t want to go to the grocery store to brave the crowds panic-buying supplies ahead of Matthew. Thighs didn’t make any difference as far as I could tell, delicious and easy to prepare. Another winner courtesy of George Graham.
I must say that I have never had great success in making roux, (I probably burn about one in four batches) but I recently found a microwave method that works perfectly and takes about 10 minutes or less to prepare. I have been making chicken stock for years but never got the results you described, I will get on with your Dark Chicken Stock next week and let you know the results.
Hey Jack-
Glad you are cooking your way through the book and good to know that thighs work equally as well in the recipe. As for roux-making, the prime ingredient for roux success is PATIENCE–focused attention and no rushing the process. Microwave roux-making (dry oven-made roux, too) are methods that I’ve heard many swear by, so if it works for you and your gumbo reaches that deep dark, nutty taste and aroma, then go for it. The proof is in the tasting!
Well now I know you’re the real deal!! (Ha I knew it already) When you use Eunice sausage and Ville Plate barbecue sauce- it doesn’t get more Cajun than that. We live in Oklahoma now (with grocery runs back home because Lord knows there’s “no food” here), but Eunice was my husband and my home for 12 years and my maternal family is from the Eunice/Elton area. I have a few friends who swear by Lejeune’s and a couple of foodies that update me on Superette vs Best Stop sausage in which dish. I am enjoying your blog more and more each post!!
Hey Dori-
You sure know your way around St. Landry and Evangeline Parishes. Be sure to go to the Faces and Places page on the blog and take a look at all the Cajun food stops you’ll have to make on your next visit. Thanks for all your great comments and having a seat at the table. And be sure to pick up a copy of my new cookbook. You can buy it online at Amazon or it hits bookstores on Oct. 15…just in time for Christmas. All the best to you and your family.
I will definitely be making these this weekend. I live in a small town in northern Illinois and our local grocery store actually sell Pig Stand ( which is one of my favorite BBQ sauces).
Hey Terry- Now, that’s a well-stocked local grocery…be sure to thank them for me. Let us know how your po’boys turn out. Best to you.
My daughter’s in Chicago and definitely can’t find Pig Stand BBQ sauce, or smoked pork sausage or Tasso, etc., etc. Since I was married to a Ville Plattian for many years I know the ins and outs of their products. I order sausage and Tasso and ham hocks from Teet’s in VP and ship to her. She’s able to get Pig Stand and Jack Miller sauce online, oh and Kary’s Roux (sorry), and Steen’s. Take the proverbial girl out of the country, but…..
Onion instructions are confusing. “Add 1/2 cup of beer braising liquid and cover to let steam.” Next instruction is to add seasonings and cook until the liquid evaporates. Do you uncover for this next step?
Marianne-
Very good question, and I have clarified the instructions to reflect the duration of steaming and when to uncover. Thanks so much.
Can’t wait to try your recipes!!