It’s pork season!
In South Louisiana, it is perhaps always pork season. I had a three pound boneless
pork loin that had to be dealt with soon. I wanted to do something different. I happened to have some of Neil Richards andouille sausage and thought there is no better combination than pork loin and smoked, andouille pork sausage.
SHOPPING
I like to buy my meat in a local meat market, Richard’s in Abbeville, LA. I’ve talked about the advantages of this. I like knowing the folks there know the ranchers and growers. I also know there are no preservatives and other chemicals that disturb me.
You may not have that advantage. A great place to get really beautiful boneless pork loin in this area is Sam’s Club. It’s only $1.99 a pound and that’s right in line with boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
Sausage is one of those things that is as controversial as boudin, especially andouille sausage. Everyone has a unique recipe. You need to find the texture and spice level that suits you and your family’s taste buds.
INGREDIENTS
Boneless pork loin- for this I used one that weighed three pounds.
Andouille sausage- as much as you can possibly stuff into the pork loin.
Cajun Seasoning- this is a blend of Salt, red pepper, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and who knows what else depending on who is making it. You can purchase it already made in the spice aisle of your grocery store.
String
Wooden Skewer
Butterfly Effect
Butterfly the pork loin. I won’t go into great detail on how to do it now. There are scores of videos online. It’s not hard once you do it a few times. It’s easier than making meatballs.
Flatten lay the pork flat on the cutting board.
You might want to sprinkle a some Cajun seasoning on this now.
Remove the casing from the sausage. I use a sharp knife to cut through only the casing.
I do this on opposite sides of the link. Then, simply peel it away and you should be left with the highly seasoned meat.
Most meat markets will put aside the sausage without the casing if you ask.
Chop up the sausage. Andouille usually has a different, often course texture. I like to chop it finely before stuffing anything. You can put it in a blender of food processor, but chopping with a shape knife works well.
Place the sausage on the pork loin.
Roll it tightly. This is easier said than done, but you can do it. I know you can.
You’re ready to go all Fifty Shades of Grey on the pork loin. Have a few feet of string nearby to bind your loin.
I tied this in three places. I used three individual pieces of string rather than attempting those fancy knots some chefs use. I want this to be simple and fun.
HINT: Place a wooden skewer through the rolled loin before you try to tie it. This can be a bit like rodeo calf roping if you’re not experienced. That meat will get away. So, skewer or stab it and tie in a tight, but relaxed manner.
Once it’s tied, I take a little extra andouille and I force it into the rolled pork. I want this pork really stuffed tightly.
COOKING
This is great on the grill. I offset grill. This means I place charcoal on one side and the meat on the other. I get the coals hot, close the lid and keep the temperature at a
constant 300-degrees. It should be cooked in 90 minutes. Use a thermometer to make sure temperature of the andouille is 160-degrees.
The offset method keeps it from cooking too fast and keep it juicy.
You can also cook it in the over. Set the oven on 300. I’d cover it for the first 60 minutes, then uncover for the last thirty-minutes.
RESULTS
This is really good. Pork is flavorful by itself. When you combine it with andouille you get dish that rich, spicy and really kind of amazing.
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