Boudin Sausage

Place 900g cubed boneless pork shoulder and 225g chunked pork liver in a large stockpot, cover with 2 liters of cold water, and bring to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 60 minutes until the pork is fork-tender. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pork and liver from the pot, reserve 720ml (3 cups) of the cooking broth, and set the meat aside to cool for 15 minutes.

While the pork simmers, combine 185g (1 cup) uncooked long-grain white rice with 480ml (2 cups) of the reserved pork broth in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, then reduce heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly, and cook for 18 minutes until all liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy. Remove from heat, let sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff gently with a fork.

Once the cooled pork and liver are safe to handle, cut them into 5cm chunks and pass through a meat grinder fitted with a coarse 6mm plate into a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked rice, 200g diced yellow onion, 120g diced celery, 150g diced green bell pepper, 12g minced garlic, 60g sliced green onions, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and the remaining 240ml (1 cup) reserved pork broth. Mix thoroughly with clean hands until all ingredients are evenly distributed; the filling should be moist but not soupy.

Take 3 meters of pre-soaked, rinsed natural hog casings (soaked 30 minutes in cool water to soften), slide one end over the nozzle of a sausage stuffer, and tie a tight knot at the free end of the casing. Feed the boudin filling through the stuffer at medium speed, filling the casing evenly to a 4cm (1.5 inch) diameter, leaving 10% slack to prevent bursting during cooking (rice expands when heated). Twist the filled casing into 15cm (6 inch) individual links, poking any visible air bubbles with a sterilized pin to release trapped air.

Fill a large deep pot with water and heat to 75C (167F) over medium-low heat; do not bring to a rolling boil, as high heat will split casings. Gently lower the linked boudin into the warm water, and poach for 20 minutes, maintaining a steady water temperature between 70-77C (160-170F) for the entire cook time. Remove the boudin from the water with tongs, and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

Serve the boudin warm: either slice links open to expose the soft filling, or squeeze filling directly from the casing, and pair with hot sauce, saltine crackers, or pickled vegetables as desired. For a crisp, smoky variation, grill poached links for 2 minutes per side over medium heat before serving.