Breakfast sausage

Breakfast sausage

Another view of breakfast sausage

Breakfast sausage (or country sausage) is a type of fresh pork sausage usually served at breakfast in the United States.^[1] It is a common breakfast item in traditional American "farmer" or "country" breakfasts, as it originated as a way for farmers to make use of as much of their livestock (usually pigs) as possible. Scraps and trimmings were ground, seasoned and later consumed by the farmer as an inexpensive, high-protein morning meal.^[2]

It is perhaps most popular for home consumption in rural areas, particularly in the southern states, where it is in the form of fresh or smoked patties or links (the latter might have a natural or synthetic casing, or no form of any casing). Most diners, fast-food restaurants, and family restaurants across the country will also carry one or more versions of it during breakfast hours, whether on a sandwich, in a breakfast platter, or both; some fine-dining establishments will also have a sausage option on their breakfast or brunch menu.^[3][4][5] The cased link variety is most similar to English-style sausages and has been produced in the United States since colonial days. It is essentially a highly seasoned ground meat, so it does not keep and should be stored and handled appropriately. Newer variations made from pork and beef mixtures as well as poultry can also be found. There are also vegetarian varieties that use textured vegetable protein in place of meat.^[6] In the United States, the predominant flavorings used for seasoning are black pepper or white pepper and sage, although there are varieties also seasoned with cayenne pepper, or even maple syrup.^[7] Some breakfast sausage is flavored with cured bacon.^[8]

Breakfast sausage is most commonly served as patties, with retail packaging in plastic-wrapped rolls, slices packed in a plastic covered foam tray and links, both skinless and in casings.^[9] It is normally fried in a pan or could be microwaved. Some people like to put maple syrup onto their breakfast sausages. Cooked breakfast sausage is also mixed into egg casseroles before baking.^[10] Crumbled and added to white gravy, it is a central component of sausage gravy.^[1]

Brands

Some common US brands include: P.G Molinari & Sons (Molinari salame)Bob Evans, Jimmy Dean, Swaggerty's Farm, Owen's Sausage, Purnell's Old Folks Country Sausage, Tennessee Pride, Johnsonville, Farmland and Jones.^[11]

See also

• Ćevapi, caseless sausage originating from the Balkans
• Chipolata
• List of brunch foods
• List of smoked foods

References

1. Heather Arndt Anderson (2013). Breakfast: A History. AltaMira Press. p. 70. ISBN 9780759121652. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
2. Emilie Hoppe (1998). Seasons of Plenty: Amana Communal Cooking. University of Iowa Press. pp. 126–127. ISBN 9781609380298. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
3. "Breakfast :: McDonalds.com".
4. "BREAKFAST - DB Bistro - New York City".
5. "www.waldorfnewyork.com/pdfs/OscarBreakfastJune2013.pdf" (PDF).
6. William Shurtleff & Akiko Aoyagi (2014). History of Meat Alternatives (965 CE to 2014): Extensively Annotated Bibliography and Sourcebook. Soyinfo Center. p. 412. ISBN 9781928914716. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
7. Susan Mahnke Peery & Charles Reavis (2003). Home Sausage Making: How-to Techniques for Making and Enjoying 100 Sausages at Home. Storey Publishing. pp. 52–54. ISBN 9781580174718. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
8. Lisa Fain (2014). The Homesick Texan's Family Table: Lone Star Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours. Potter/TenSpeed/Harmony. ISBN 9781607745051. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
9. Nellie Hill (2011). "Breakfast Sausage Market Analysis" (PDF). Wordpress.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
10. Clifford A. Wright (2011). Bake Until Bubbly: The Ultimate Casserole Cookbook. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780544177482. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
11. Nellie Hill (2011). "Breakfast Sausage Market Analysis" (PDF). Wordpress.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 January 2016. Retrieved 21 July 2016.