I can’t believe it is Memorial Day weekend already, which always seems to kick off the Summer in our book. Even though we probably have BBQ’d 10 times already this year, most people will be lighting their grills for the first time this coming weekend. If you are one of those folks, then you will want to stay tuned for Double Danger’s BBQ Week – where we try to give as many tips for your backyard BBQ as possible.
So let us get into our first tip already…
It is important when BBQing to be sure and have some kind of “snack” to sample throughout the process. If you are smoking ribs, brisket, pork loin or whatever… or you are just grilling steaks and other cuts – you have to have something to keep your guests and well… yourself from eating all the profits of your labor.
We have found that cooking some of our favorite sausage in tandem with whatever you are smoking or grilling. The sausage we choose 9 times out of 10 is a Texas made sausage with German twist. If you have never tried Opa’s sausage, you do not know what you are missing. Opa’s are make in Fredericksburg, Texas – near the Austin area if you are not familiar.
I guess we started eating Opa’s because of my Brother (God rest his soul), he always had them handy when we were BBQ’n and so we first tried them because of him. Then when I started BBQ’n on my own, it made total sense to do the same. Now it is a tradition to grab a few packages when we are at the store and our friends and family tend to do the same.
One of the cool things about Opa’s sausage is the fact that they have a website that you can order smoked meats online. Now of course you can buy just about any of their meats, however we stick to the sausages. There are several kinds, with our favorite being the Jalapeno/Cheese sausage (black label) and then of course you can’t go wrong with the standard beef, country blend and even the bratwurst is awesome if you are a fan of the white sausage.
Now you can use any sausage you would like. I know lots of you have thrown on the German sausage ring before and then chopped it up and drowned it in BBQ sauce and said to your friends…
“Look guys/gals… I know how to BBQ!”
And really… no really… we are proud of you for that. People ate it and told you how great it was, and when everyone went home you high-fived your spouse and had long conversations about how great the BBQ was and how the sausage dish turned out to be a big hit. 😉 Ok – maybe you didn’t go that far, but the truth is… you did that poor “sausage dish” no justice. Sausage is made in a fashion that it is PACKED with flavor. No additives needed!
The best way to eat sausage is to throw it on the grill and let it get nice and cooked… then pull it off and slice it up (after waiting a few minutes, or you will be splattered with grease). That is all there is too it. I like to make sure that the sausage cooks long enough to get a nice char… well… I dunno if that is the word. I don’t burn it by any means, but I do like to get a bit of a crisp on the outer casing. Then when you slice into it, you will have a few different textures with the inside being soft and tender. **mouth is watering as I type this**
We like to grab a few different varieties of sausage, like the Jalapeno/Cheese – Beef – Bratwurst… then pull them off and slice them up. If you grab some toothpicks you can put one in each slice and BANG… you have snacks for your guests instantly. We mix the different kinds up and then people can get a taste of all of it. YUM!
Sausage is a great way to keep your guests from starving at your next BBQ. Opa’s is a great sausage made in Texas and can be bought online, so there is no reason you can’t try it at your next barbeque. We will be bringing you more and more tips for your backyard barbeques this week… getting you ready for a BIG Memorial Day Weekend Barbeque!