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Boudin (boudain) recipe, a pork and rice Cajun sausage

A few years ago, a friend was visiting Toronto and found a Cajun store. He had grown up in Louisiana, so he called me, thrilled that he had discovered a source in the Northeast for some of his favorite Cajun ingredients. And yes, on hand were plenty of Cajun spices, store-made gumbos, and alligator meat. But the one thing this store didn’t have was boudin—a Cajun sausage that you also can’t find in New York.

“No boudin?” I said. “That’s a shame. Perhaps I should just try to make it myself.”

It took me a while, but five years later I finally did.

Boudin (also spelled boudain), if you’re not familiar with it, is a sausage that’s stuffed with pork, liver, rice, and a host of aromatics and spices. It’s what fuels road trips heading east on I-10 from Houston into Louisiana, as almost every gas station worth its salt will have poached or smoked boudin on hand, ready for snacking.

Boudin recipe (boudain recipe) | Homesick Texan

After you fill up the tank and stretch your legs, you grab a link, lean against the counter and squeeze the sausage until the filling oozes out the end, like toothpaste out of a tube. You take a big bite, wash it down with a cold beverage and continue eating until nothing but the casing remains. (The casing, which most don’t eat, is thrown away.) Of course, there are some fastidious types who prefer to eat boudin with a knife and a fork, but where’s the fun in that?

While it’s a Cajun dish, boudin is also found in Southeast Texas where the cultures of Louisiana and Texas collide. I’m partial to boudin that’s found at gas stations, but you can also buy it at meat markets, seafood shops, and grocery stores. You’ll seldom see it at proper sit-down restaurants, however, as boudin is regarded as stand-up, on-the-go food. And that’s probably why you don’t see it outside the Southeast Texas/Louisiana region, as even though there may be Cajun restaurants, boudin is not usually part of their repertoire. This used to upset me, but it’s no longer an issue since I’ve learned that the best boudin can be made at home.

The basic recipe for boudin is a mix of finely diced cooked pork, chicken or pig’s liver, rice, bell pepper, celery, green onions, parsley and cayenne. From that base you can tailor it any way you wish. I like to add a bunch of jalapeños to mine, and I know people who will throw in some shrimp and crawfish, too. Boudin is usually poached though you can smoke it, as well.

Making a batch of boudin is a snap—the most difficult part of the process is stuffing it into the casing. Though if you don’t have a sausage stuffer, you can still eat the filling as a dressing, or whip up a batch of boudin balls, which are rolled portions of the filling that have been dipped in crushed crackers and fried.

Boudin recipe (boudain recipe) | Homesick Texan

Now, while I associate boudin with quick stops on the road, it’s also mighty fine for home eating. It’s terrific to serve to friends when you’re watching the big game, and at holidays, my family has been known to add it to our festive buffet. But no matter when or where you eat boudin, know that you’re in for a spicy filling treat.

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4.96 from 65 votes

Boudin (boudain), a pork and rice Cajun sausage

Servings 20
Author Lisa Fain

Ingredients

For the boudin:

  • 2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 celery rib, diced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 pound chicken livers
  • 2 cups cooked rice
  • 2 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 green onions, chopped (green part only)
  • 1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne

For the stuffed sausage:

  • 4 feet of hog casing, sized 32/35mm
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • A sausage stuffer

Instructions

  • Place the pork shoulder, celery, onion, garlic, bell pepper, and salt into a large pot. Cover with 2 inches of water, bring to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer uncovered for 1 hour. After an hour, add the chicken liver to the pot and continue to cook for 45 more minutes or until the pork is tender.
  • Strain the meat and vegetables, reserving the liquid. Finely dice the meat and vegetables with a knife, in a food processor or in a meat grinder set for a coarse grind. Once diced, place meat and vegetables in a bowl.
  • Add to the bowl the cooked rice, jalapeños, thyme, oregano, paprika, green onions parsley, black pepper, and cayenne. Stir in 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid and combine until the filling is moist and slightly sticky. If it appears too dry, add more of the reserved liquid. Taste and adjust seasonings, if needed.
  • To stuff into casings for sausage, first rinse the outside of the casing and then place it in a bowl of water for 30 minutes to soften. Drain the soaking water and then rinse the inside of the casing by placing one end on the kitchen faucet, turn the water on low and allow it to flow through the casing. The casing will blow up like a balloon—this is fine.
  • Lightly oil the stuffing horn on your sausage stuffer with vegetable oil. Tie a knot at one end of the casing. Take the other end and gently slide the entire casing onto the horn, leaving the knot plus an additional 4 inches hanging off the end of the horn.
  • Place the filling into the feeder and push it through until it starts to fill the casing. Go slowly at first and note that you’ll need to massage the casing as the meat goes through it so it fills the casing evenly.
  • Once you’ve filled the casing, to form links, pinch it every 5 inches and then twist it until it’s secure. You can then cut the casing to form individual sausages.
  • To cook, poke holes into the casing then then poach in boiling water for 10 minutes. You can also grill or smoke the boudin.
  • Alternatively, you can either serve the filling as a dressing, or you can roll it into walnut-sized balls, dip into finely crushed crackers and fry in 350 degree oil for 2 minutes or until brown to make boudin balls.

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114 Comments

  1. janice e keck says:

    Not homesick and most assuredly TEXAN.. Gotta feel blessed that in our Houston Grocery stores we have a variety of package boudain. AND!!!! for the adventurous willing to seek out friendly neighborhood with small meat markets – a plus! Family owned donut shops – yea the Asians are the Best at the boudin Kolache — NOW — for lovers of this wonderful delight.. I offer a unique recipe… My hubby swears each time I prepare boudain this way he comments “why does no one else do this??” — So, here it is..Weekend breakfast or easy dinner… Chunk up a bit of some Holy Trinity… bell pepper, celery, onion, and maybe reserve a bit of tomato and green onion/parsley for garnish. Saute trinity, and while the vegs soften, remove casing from boudain, have eggs ready. I usually do 2 eggs per link. When veg looks softened, add a bit of butter and gently lay in de-skinned/cased boudain and cover to let the butter brown and the sausage develop flavor…make hole for eggs and drop in.. cover with lid to steam to your desired egg “doneness”” – we like ours a bit runny… Dot with favorite Louisiana hot sauce.

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Janice–This sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing!

  2. Morris Mandeville says:

    Hey, I made the boudin. It’s good and going to make some more real soon. Yuu hit the nail on the head. Thank you very much.

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Morris–Glad you enjoyed t!

  3. I add a little file to mine. The file itself is easy enough to make and a fun project for the grandchildren. Also,boudain stuffed bellpeppers are a great meal.

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Lee–Thanks for the tips! Love the idea of stuffing it into bell peppers!

      1. Lisa Fain says:

        Lisa–File powder is ground sassafras. It’s a thickener but also provides an herbal flavor. It’s similar to sage in texture and taste.

  4. Just made this as per the recipe x 4 since I had a whole pork but. Came out fantastic. I handed out some samples as our bar with crusty baguette slices. Everyone said it was great and they wouldn’t change a thing. Thanks for the recipe.

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Mike–This makes my day! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!

  5. Theresa St.Mary-Osborne says:

    Boudin is so delicious. When I was growing up I went to Louisiana every summer for vacation and I looked forward to the boudin. I’m now going to try to make my own. I hope I turns out like the boudin I’ve eaten in the past.

    1. Lisa Fain says:

      Theresa–Enjoy making the boudin! It takes time but is very rewarding!