Boudin
Ingredients
- 10 feet hog casings – rinsed and soaked
- 2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder – cut into 2-inch chunks (~3.5 n/a pork shoulders)
- 1/2 pounds pork liver – cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 medium onion – roughly chopped
- 2 ribs celery – roughly chopped
- 1 large green bell pepper – roughly chopped
- 6 cloves garlic – smashed
- 2 leaves bay leaves
- 12 cups water
- 2 cups long-grain white rice – rinsed
- 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon black pepper – freshly ground
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 bunch green onions – thinly sliced
- 1/2 cups parsley – finely chopped (~0.5 n/a parsleys)
- hot sauce – for serving
Instructions
1. Rinse the hog casings well under the tap and soak in a bowl for 30 minutes, changing the soaking liquid once.
2. In a large pot, combine pork shoulder, pork liver, onion, celery, green bell pepper, garlic, bay leaves, and water. Bring to a bare simmer, cover, and cook until the meats are tender, 50–60 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook the long-grain white rice until tender but not mushy; spread on a tray to steam off and cool.
4. Lift the meats and vegetables from the pot, reserving 2 cups of the broth; discard the leaves and let the solids cool until just warm.
5. Grind or finely chop the warm mixture through a medium plate (about 0.25 inch). Moisten with 0.5 cup reserved broth to help it bind.
6. In a large bowl, combine the ground mixture with Cajun seasoning, black pepper, cayenne pepper, green onions, and parsley. Stir in 0.5–1 cup more reserved broth until the mixture is soft, cohesive, and slightly sticky.
7. Fold in the cooled rice until evenly distributed; the filling should hold together when squeezed but not be wet. Adjust texture with small splashes of reserved broth if needed.
8. Set up a sausage stuffer. Slide a casing onto the horn, leaving a 6-inch tail, and knot the end. Pack the hopper, then stuff with steady, gentle pressure to avoid air pockets. Twist into 6-inch links.
9. Poach the links in a pot held at 170–180°F until firm and heated through, 10–15 minutes; do not boil. Drain on a rack.
10. Serve warm as is, or brown the links in a hot skillet until the casings blister, 3–5 minutes per side. Offer hot sauce (for serving) at the table.
Boudin in south Louisiana is a fresh rice-and-pork sausage with a supple, almost pâté-like interior and a delicate snap from a natural casing. The flavor is savory and aromatic, built on pork, a touch of liver for depth, and the Cajun trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper, brightened with green onions and parsley. It’s typically steamed, poached, or gently grilled and eaten hot, often with crackers or a dab of hot sauce, and the filling can also be shaped into balls and fried.
Rooted in frugal traditions, boudin reflects French charcuterie adapted to Louisiana’s rice country. Acadian settlers and later generations married Old World sausage craft with the region’s rice harvest, stretching pork with grains and aromatics. Today, roadside boudin shops and meat markets across Acadiana make it a cultural icon, distinct from French boudin blanc or boudin noir yet sharing a common lineage of resourceful, nose-to-tail cookery.