Fresh Green Onion Sausage Gravy (and a how

A fresh green onion sausage is delicious in so many recipes, including just throwing it on the grill. Family friend and avid hunter Jason Fuselier shared with us his favorite way to prepare sausage: He calls it sausage gravy, and it is the ultimate in Cajun comfort food. Much like fresh Italian sausages simmered low and slow in red gravy, Jason's version is cooked down in a rich brown roux and served over rice. It is the perfect meal on a cool November night, and it's become a go-to for us.

Servings: 6

2½ to 3 pounds fresh green onion sausage

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup flour

¾ cup chopped onions

½ cup chopped bell pepper

½ cup chopped celery

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

½ Cajun seasoning

½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs

¼ teaspoon dried dill

1 (10-ounce) can Rotel tomatoes

2 to 3 tablespoons hot sauce

½ cup white wine

4 cups water or low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce

1. Cut the sausage links into fourths.

2. In a large, heavy cast-iron skillet orDutch oven, heat the oil. Add the sausage.

3. Sauté until it is browned and cooked through. Use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage onto a plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

4. Add the flour to the skillet with the reserved oil and reduce the heat to medium. Cook and stir until the roux is a deep golden brown.

5. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and dried herbs. Continue cooking and stirring for another 2 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften.

6. Pour in the canned tomatoes and hot sauce. Stir to combine.

7. Carefully pour in the wine and the water or broth. Stir to prevent any lumps.

8. Bring the mixture up to a simmer, continuing to stir until everything is smooth and the sauce begins to thicken.

9. Add the sausage to the sauce as well as the Kitchen Bouquet. Stir and cover. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for an hour, stirring to prevent anything from sticking. Serveover rice or oatmeal risotto.

Venison meat is a rich, hearty protein that is quite versatile. It can be used in place of beef in just about any recipe. The many different cuts can be smoked, grilled, braised or roasted. One of our favorite ways to enjoy venison is in sausages. The lean yet meatiness of venison pairs well with pork, creating a perfect balance of texture and flavor in sausage.

There are many meatpacking businesses that will take your fresh venison and blend it into delicious sausages. However, our dear friend Jason Fuselier has perfected his own special recipe for a homemade green onion venison/pork sausage. He was happy to invite us over to show us how it is made.

Jason suggests using equal parts venison and a fatty cut of pork, such as butt or shoulder. He cuts the venison and pork into pieces that will fit through a meat grinder. Then, he seasons the meat with a dry Cajun seasoning blend and fresh chopped green onions. Look for seasonings that have a blend of salt, black pepper, cayenne, onion powder, dehydrated onion, dehydrated bell pepper and paprika with no MSG.

Once the meat is seasoned, it is ready to be turned into sausage. When using a good meat grinder, the seasoned meat can easily be ground into bulk sausage and used in a number of recipes, or it can be formed into patties and cooked on the grill. Jason showed us how to make this sausage into links using a specific attachment and all-natural hog sausage casings that can be found at grocery stores like Calandro's. The casings can also be purchased online or at stores that sell hunting gear, such as Bass Pro Shop and Academy Sports. Once the sausage is made into links, Jason vacuum seals them for the freezer to save for later recipes. But his favorite thing to do with sausage is package it for friends and neighbors as Christmas gifts.

Servings: Yields 10 pounds of sausage

5 pounds venison

5 pounds pork butt or shoulder

2 bunches chopped green onions

¾ cup dry Cajun seasoning blend

Hog casing (optional)

1. Cut the venison and pork into pieces thin enough to fit through the opening of a meat grinder.

2. Using a plastic food tub, place a layer of the pork and venison, then season with some of the seasoning blend and chopped green onions. Continue layering the meat and seasoning it until all of the meat is seasoned. Cover the container and chill while you prepare the meat grinder.

3. If making the sausage into links, remove half of the casings from the package, rinse them and set them in a bowl of water. Place whatever you are not using in the freezer for later use.

4. Find the end of the casing and carefully peel the end apart. Gently slide the casing over the small tube of the grinder so the sausage will then fill into the casing as it is being ground.

5. Slowly and carefully alternate feeding the pieces of venison and pork through the top of the grinder. Make sure to keep a steady pace and not stuff too much meat into the grinder all at once.

6. As the sausage begins to fill the casings, pinch and twist the casing at intervals to create the individual links. The length of each link is up to you.

Note: If making the sausage in bulk, omit steps 3, 4 and 6. Once the meat is blended and ground, divide the bulk sausage into 1-pound portions and store in freezer bags.

This article was originally published in the November 2021 issue of 225 magazine.