# What's The Best Way To Cook Italian Sausage?



## sydfan (Feb 27, 2006)

Without a grill. I have a stove, oven, frying pan and baking sheet. I'm not putting any sauce on it....just good ol' sausage sammiches. I've heard about putting a little water in a pan.....but I just don't know. 

I'm a novice, so forgive my lack of knowledge!


----------



## amber (Feb 27, 2006)

Since your not making sauce, I would split them in half and then brown them in a frying pan.


----------



## GB (Feb 27, 2006)

I like to broil them.


----------



## Gretchen (Feb 27, 2006)

I would simmer them with a little beer. Then brown in a skillet. Don't forget to brown/caramelize some onions and peppers to go with them.


----------



## kadesma (Feb 27, 2006)

We just brown them in a little evoo and then add red bell peppers,sliced onion, a clove or two of crushed garlic.  When cooked through we put on buttered and toasted under the broiler soft sub rolls...If we don't make sandwiches we add potato wedges to the pan and have a green salad and hot french bread and butter..
kadesma


----------



## Robo410 (Feb 27, 2006)

I would simmer a tad in a pan with some water then split them and broil them.  Use the pan juices to saute your onions and peppers in with some evoo!


----------



## Piccolina (Feb 27, 2006)

amber said:
			
		

> Since your not making sauce, I would split them in half and then brown them in a frying pan.


 That's a favourite way in our house...Just the tiniest drop of olive oil in the pan, perhaps some sauteed onions (and/or garlic) if you like and some hearty, crusty bread to nibble with the sausages


----------



## Haggis (Feb 27, 2006)

With olive oil, white wine, parsley and seedless green grapes...absolutely delicious.


----------



## cristal (Feb 27, 2006)

*I like to remove them from their casings, chop them up in a food processor and use them in bolognese sauce. *


----------



## kimbaby (Feb 27, 2006)

I would fry it maybe with some added onions and peppers too...


----------



## auntdot (Feb 27, 2006)

Will let them essentially steam in a bit of water with a top on the frying pan and will then take the cover off and saute them a bit.

Then serve them on a roll with caramelized onions and peppers.


If it is grilling season will usually cook them that way, but unfortunately sydfan cannot do that.

Do like adding a bit of tomato sauce to the mix, but to each his own.

And a splash of hot sauce never hurt anything.


----------



## Caine (Feb 27, 2006)

I poke a few holes in them with a fork, then put them in a pan, on a rack, under the broiler.


----------



## RDG (Feb 28, 2006)

Excuse me...what type of sausages are they? There are three main types: narrow and very long (even two meters), generally sweet. These are for sauces, or in pan, whith white wine, some onions and beans.
Then, the narrow and short (generally hot). You eat them generally raw, or after putting them under oil for some months.
Then, there are the short and large ones. These are for grill or for pan, or, if very short, for...stewed meats whith cabbage or so on.
This ones are the best ones, and I generally cook them without opening. You can make some little holes with a needle, and then the fat inside will go out. The sausage will be lighter, even if less tasty. Otherwise, cook them in a very low flame, without holing them, turn them up and down many times, and you will eat something glorious. Heavy, but good   . In all the preparation, pan or grill, you can add some seeds of fennel.


----------



## Claire (Feb 28, 2006)

On almost all raw (as opposed to smoked) sausages, I'm with Gretchen.  A little beer or wine, simmer for awhile, then brown.  This renders a little of the fat without toughening the sausage or removing flavor.  You can get a little more violent if you're putting it in a red sauce:  Cut into sections and sear, then simmer in your sauce.


----------



## buckytom (Feb 28, 2006)

i always learned that when frying (raw, sweet or hot pork) sausages, covering the pan, or worse steaming  or braising them before browning will make them tough. i think i read it first in dom delouise's cookbook "eat this, it'll make you feel better", a tip from dom's mom.
if you want to make sausage and peppers, fry the sausage, whole - not split, in a little olive oil on low to medium heat, turning occasionally until they are cooked thru and well browned. if you want to reduce the fat, prick it a coupla times with a fork, but that also lets out so much of the flavor.


----------



## Claire (Mar 6, 2006)

My husband likes them cut into short segments (about an inch), then fried in olive oil at a relatively high heat, so the ends "blow out" from the skin, and the skin is crisp.  Then I throw them on pasta, or even a salad.  I use the more gentle treatments for when I'm going to put them in sauce or soup.


----------



## CookChris (Mar 12, 2006)

sydfan said:
			
		

> Without a grill. I have a stove, oven, frying pan and baking sheet. I'm not putting any sauce on it....just good ol' sausage sammiches. I've heard about putting a little water in a pan.....but I just don't know.
> 
> I'm a novice, so forgive my lack of knowledge!


 



i like to fry some potatos with onion bell pepper and garlic and a little butter flavered crisco and the sausage not heathy but tasty


----------



## letscook (Mar 12, 2006)

Put them in the oven covered and then last 10 min-15 un cover and they brown up  You can add you onions and pepers to really nice and very tender and juicey


----------



## JoyC (Mar 13, 2006)

*Italian Sausage*

I usually put a little water in the frying pan and cook them over low heat till they start to ooze some of the fat - don't forget to prick them first - at that point water usually has boiled off and the fat from the sausage is enough is enough to finish cooking them. This is for links the patties I just put in a cold pan and cook till done. Have tried boiling them in water till done and then finishing in a fry pan to get them brown but that leaves the problem of what to do with the oily water don't want it to go down the drain since we are on a septic system so all in all the water in the frying pan system works best for me
Joyce


----------



## bknox (Mar 15, 2006)

When we are not grilling I like to boil them first, mainly to make sure they are cooked through, and then I brown them in a little olive oil. Red pepper and onions are almost a must, but I think I will be trying the white wine, parsley and seedless grapes soon.


----------



## mish (Mar 15, 2006)

Gretchen said:
			
		

> I would simmer them with a little beer. Then brown in a skillet. Don't forget to brown/caramelize some onions and peppers to go with them.


 
There ya go! And serve some hash browns or potatoes O'Brien on the side with melted cheddar cheese.


----------

