Sai Grog Tod (Isan Style Sausages)

It seems every country in the world has some variant on sausages. Sausages are a favourite of our family and we often make our own. I prefer using pig intestines for the casings, and sometimes sheep's casings for smaller sausages, but I never use the artificial casings. The choice is up to you. Casings are available from your butcher. They will come either packed in salt or brine.

If you have sausage casings you can of course make this in conventional
sausage form, however you can also do as we do and form the sausage meat into patties the size of small hamburgers, grill them and eat them that way.

This is a wonderful Isan local sausage I learned to make about 25 years ago and it is still a favourite. I often use the leftover sausage cut up in fried rice.

I have my butcher cut me a nice piece of pork shoulder which I grind at home. You can have him grind it for you if you prefer. Just make sure you will use the ground meat that day to insure freshness.

The Sausage:
2 lb. minced pork (not too lean!)
1/2 cup minced garlic
1 cup steamed sticky rice
2 tsps black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp MSG (optional)
1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce

The accompaniments:
1/2 cup each of:
freshly roasted peanuts
ginger, sliced very thinly
shallots, sliced very thinly
lemon grass, bruised and sliced very thinly
phrik kee nu (green birdseye chilis), julienned

Combine the ingredients and place in a covered dish and place in refrigerator overnight. Stuff your sausage casings, or form patties or meat balls from the mixture. Steam for 30 minutes.

Place the sausages on a greased barbecue and cover with an upturned wok or other metal cover to trap smoke, and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-6 minutes (until cooked to a golden brown). If you have formed sausages, they should be sliced on the diagonal into quarter inch thick slices.

Arrange on a platter with the accompaniments, and serve with your favorite dips (such as nam jim satay and nam prik narok) If you've made patties of the sausage meat, then serve as "Thai hamburgers" and add your favorite relish like adjar.