I like sausage and sausage like things made out of the "leftover bits". Tam talks about Tofu Haggis "to save the Planet from Thermageddon", but I quite like the real thing. It's hard to find good ones, but they taste good, and I just don't care that it's bits that went into it. And they get a bagpiper to play it in to the dining room on Burns' Night and serve it with scotch, so what's not to like?
I like a good Blood Sausage (the French, of course, can make just about anything taste good, and have raised boudin to an art form). I recall a layover at Paris/CDG airport (probably the Hilton or something) where the charcuterie plate had one that was better than a steak. Seriously. And it's made out of what we turn into garden fertilizer.
Not sure if you can get it outside of the Mid-Atlantic states, but scrapple is to die for. Sliced thin and fried, I'd serve it with my greasy breakfast I make on weekends instead of bacon. It's that good, even if it is made with pork snouts.
It's probably just me - the rest of the crew looks at me like I'm from Mars, but I guess my rural farmer roots are shining through. Hold the tofu, mince the bits fine and season them well, and you've got some mighty fine eating. All I can say is that if you're killing the Planet, don't waste the tasty bits!
P.S. Hog jowls are pretty tasty, too. Bacony, but more meat. Yum!
Don't know if it's available in Atlanta, but Livermush is the North Carolina version of scrapple, available in every grocery store around here. Stop by and get some when you're in the area.
ReplyDeleteThere is a great pub, not far from me, where you can get such good sausage. Best bangers and mash ever!
ReplyDeleteWe had two nights of offal for dinner in a row last week. I joke quite a bit that in Texas we'll eat anything that doesn't run away fast enough.
ReplyDeleteHave you noticed how expensive beef tongue is getting? I love it, but if I'm going to pay $12 for a package of meat, I'm buying steak.
MrsZ and I went to a Burns night at a semi-local restaurant last year. Amazing meal, and yes, haggis - and damn it was good.
ReplyDeleteNeed to see about going again this winter...
Me i love Black Pudding fried or grilled but all my friends go Eugh!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI like hot dogs, so I'm hardly one to turn up my nose at haggis :)
ReplyDeleteAh, scrapple! One of the few foods even worse to see made than sausage. I particularly like one brand (Rapa) that has a spicy scrapple. They throw some minced jalapenos into the greyish slurry that is then pressed into those wonderful bricks of stuff-too-icky-to-go-into-sausage.
ReplyDeleteThe only advantage to living near Boston is that there are a hundred breakfast joints that serve both white and black pudding (sausage and blood sausage) with their Irish breakfast. Blood sausage tastes cinnamony, but there's no cinnamon. Just bloody goodness.
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